How to Approach Cannabis During COVID-19
A virus that mostly targets the lungs, many may be wondering how smoking, vaping, and cannabis as a whole should be approached during these very interesting times. Whether you’re a frequent smoker or occasional user, this will all apply to you.
We’ll go over what the potential health risks of using cannabis during these times are, and which ways you may circumvent these risks. It is now common knowledge that COVID-19 and Smoking is an especially bad combination, and we’ll also look at the alternatives to smoking here.
The potential health risks.
No one wants to catch COVID, clearly. However, you can get struck out of nowhere and not even know it. While in general healthy people are safe, any respiratory ailment is especially harmful if you’re an active smoker or have any lung-related problems.
Though smoking weed is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes, it’s no surprise that inhaling smoke is still not good for you and your precious lungs.
With that in mind, if you experience any flu-like symptoms or shortness of breath, you should quit smoking immediately. While it really could just be a regular cold or you, unfortunately, caught coronavirus, playing with the health of your lungs and body is not a good idea at all.
Even if you’re not experiencing any symptoms at all, it’s best to err on the side of caution.
If you’re not ready to put down the joint or bowl or use it medically, consider other avenues which are much safer for the lungs. You can still enjoy your funky flower in a safer, and less harmful way.
Other ways to consume cannabis
Vaporizing
While still inhalation, a good dry herb vaporizer is a night and day difference compared to smoking and much less harmful to the lungs. It smells much less, uses substantially less herb, and still allows you to puff away on your good green.
Though there’s a start-up cost associated with buying a device, it pays off for itself in the long run, especially if taking your health into consideration. Your lungs will be far better off in the long run, the health risks are very low, and you’ll end up using less flower.
Still, if you suspect you may have COVID-19, avoid inhaling anything other than fresh, pure air.
Edibles
If you’re a frequent smoker, chances are you’ve already had or heard of edibles. The differences between edibles and smoking or vaporizing are substantial, infinitely better for your lungs of course. With that in mind, the effects aren’t so pleasant for some people and the individual experience may vary.
Edibles are oftentimes inconsistent and may be difficult to come across in some markets, and while they certainly have their merits to them, they aren’t the best pick for most. Rather, an oil, tincture, or vaporized cannabis seems to be more effective overall for medical use.
Oil/tinctures
A friendly and simple way to get your daily dose in, an oil or tincture works very similarly to the aforementioned edibles, however at the downside of usually being quite expensive.
The effects are similar to edibles, however, usually hit quicker as you squeeze a few drops under your tongue rather than eat a cannabis cookie and wait an hour for the effects to appear. It is very easy to monitor and control your dose, which can be very beneficial for medical patients looking to moderate their intake.
How to approach the new situation
With all that being said and done, if you suspect you have COVID or have flu-like symptoms, it’s generally a good idea to just stop with cannabis entirely until you’re deemed healthy again. It’s not a good idea to play with your health and things can take a turn for the worse.
Keeping your lungs healthy and free of problems is vital and transitioning from smoking to other avenues is hugely beneficial in the long run. Especially if you’re a medical cannabis patient or regular use, a dry herb vaporizer, edibles, or a tincture may be very worth looking into.
With all that being said, interesting new research from the University of Lethbridge in Canada is pointing towards fascinating data suggesting cannabis may have a role in lowering susceptibility to COVID-19. While we can’t say the cure is as easy as just smoking weed, is seems that cannabis extracts affect COVID gateway mechanisms. With more research being conducted currently, we patiently await results!