Gone are the days where you used to smoke marijuana in joint form. As the benefits of cannabis have become better known and the legality has increased, more and more innovation has been applied to the methods available to consume it.
Because many people like the idea of getting relief, relaxation or enjoyment from cannabis. But not everyone likes the idea of smoking, which can have all kinds of negative health outcomes.
Especially when they are loaded with potent THC or full-spectrum cannabis.
What is THC?
If you’re new to experimenting with the benefits of cannabis, it’s useful to know this kind of basic information.
THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. It is a type of organic compound found in the cannabis plant and is accessed via smoking or consuming the plant in various ways.
The specific group of organic compounds that THC hails from are called cannabinoids. There are thought to be over 120 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Depending on the strain and type of cannabis, each cannabinoid is present in lesser or greater quantities.
When you take cannabinoids into your body, they bind with various receptors in your body’s endocannabinoid system. This system governs or has an effect on a number of different processes in your body – your mood, how you experience pain, and your appetite, for instance.
In particular, THC is best known for being the main psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. This means it is responsible for getting you “high”.
What are cannabis capsules?
Sometimes referred to as “weed pills”, cannabis capsules consist of an extract of one of the cannabinoids in marijuana – usually either THC or CBD, cannabidiol, the other famous cannabinoid – suspended in oil and surrounded by a capsule.
The oil is necessary because THC and CBD are not water-soluble. This means your body struggles to absorb them without a little help. The oil in question is usually vegetable-based and designed to maximize bioavailability.
The capsules are made from a number of different substances, most commonly:
- Gelatin – a meat by-product.
- Hypromellose – a plant derivative.
- Pullulan – a result of fermented fungus.
THC capsules – effects
There are two different types of cannabis capsules. The duration of effects you experience will vary depending on which type of capsule you have.
This isn’t a matter of size. For example, THC capsules of 200 mg can equally well be of either type. The two different types of capsules to look out for are:
- Immediate-release capsules – work just the same as any edible (marijuana products that are designed to be eaten or drunk). After you eat it, the capsule reaches your stomach and from there passes into your bloodstream. The process can take up to an hour or more, but once the THC in your capsule has been metabolized by your liver it becomes 11-hydroxy-THC. The effects of this compound stay with you for longer than THC which has been smoked.
- Time-release capsules – the shells of time-release capsules often contain ingredients that are designed to resist stomach acid. This means that the contents of the capsule will be released into your bloodstream more slowly. This usually results in a longer duration of effects and a slower, gentler onset.
What are the pros and cons of cannabis oil pills?
Advantages
There are many reasons why some people prefer cannabis oil pills over alternative methods of consuming marijuana.
The ability to avoid smoking or vaping is one of the most common. Smoking is well-known for being bad for you. Vaping, to someone who hasn’t tried it before, can sound like something that requires knowledge to get into.
Another advantage is that the effects of capsules usually have a longer duration than cannabinoids consumed by other methods. They may also sometimes be more potent.
Finally, pills and capsules are discreet. You can simply pop a pill in your mouth and swallow with no sign that you are doing anything other than taking vitamins.
Disadvantages
This can be largely a matter of personal taste. Some people – despite the potential health consequences – enjoy the sensation of smoking or vaping.
One actual potential downside of capsules though is the longer onset time. Because, like all edibles, they need time to pass through your digestive system, the effects of capsules can take longer to be felt than those of a tincture or vape.
This is sometimes seen as a worthwhile pay-off for the increased duration of effects and the possible increase in potency or in the sedentary effects that capsules can create though. Again, it comes down to a matter of personal taste and the effects that you want your pills to produce.
How to use THC oil capsules
Using cannabis capsules is very easy indeed. In fact, it’s one of the primary reasons they are so popular. Essentially, all you need to do is pop a capsule in your mouth and swallow.
Dosage control
However, there are a few important points to understand before you do. Particularly when it comes to dosage control.
If you have never used THC pills before, always start from a small dose – 5 mg might be about right – and work your way up over several sessions until you get the level of effect that you need.
You may find that 5 mg is plenty for you. But if you didn’t get the potency of results you wanted, next time you might try a little more.
Because of the long onset time, it is best to avoid upping your dose before you are sure that the effects of the capsules you have already taken have come into effect.
Quantity
It is also important to understand that though THC capsules come in 300 mg or even 400 mg packages, this often refers to the overall quantity of THC in the entire packet rather than the quantity in an individual pill.
Most pills are 5 mg or 10 mg in size, though it’s possible to get THC capsules 50 mg in size and even 100 mg THC pills. Though these are really not a good idea for anyone that doesn’t have a large tolerance to THC.
Everybody’s body is different
Your tolerance to THC and other cannabinoids found in cannabis can depend on a huge range of factors, not just your experience with using cannabis.
Bodyweight and a huge number of other factors can a play role in how much you need to take to get the effects you are looking for. If in doubt, always follow the rule of starting small and working up over time.
Where to find THC capsules for sale
You can find THC capsules for sale in the world of K.I.N.D. and in numerous other online and physical dispensaries.
Always be sure you know what you are buying. For example, everything in the world of K.I.N.D. is made from All-American cannabis plants grown locally using natural, organic farming practices. The process used to extract the THC is proprietary and doesn’t leave any unpleasant components behind.
As with so many other things in life, when it comes to THC capsules, they can have many benefits. But it’s important to know what you are paying for.
