While many studies in recent years argue that smoking cannabis is better for one's health than smoking tobacco, there remains the fact that smoking cannabis is still smoking, and can therefore leave you and your lungs with some negative health effects.
Stoners, however, are an adaptable bunch; any toker who's had to make due with an apple in their buddy's garage understands this statement. When confronted with the question of how to make cannabis a healthier and more accessible experience, some local companies and dispensaries have made the effort to offer a variety of non-smokable, full-spectrum THC items that can get people high without a single cough. The products, all of which are from Oregon-based companies and are available at dispensaries across Bend, are listed below in no particular order.
Cannabis & Hemp Lip Balm
From local Bend company High Desert Pure, I can't recommend this chapstick enough. Every single time the cap comes off, it smells like someone just wafted fresh, buttery shortbread under your nose. As far as THC ingestion goes, I have to question whether chapstick is the most effective method, but I do know this worked wonders for my dry lips and it may have kept the high from other methods going for longer. However, at 9.3 mg THC for the entire stick, don't expect a strong effect.
Cannabis & Hemp Lotion
With significantly more THC and CBD (511 total mg of cannabinoids) than our last entry, this lotion from High Desert Pure has the potential for stronger effects. I used this just before going to bed, and I could feel the effects settling in before dozing off. Just after a workout, the CBD to THC ratio (about 1:1) was great for relaxing achy muscles and joints while still getting a light, floaty high. Not only were the effects satisfactory, the non-psychoactive ingredients of the lotion were very soothing on my chronically dry skin.
The Entourage Transdermal Patch
Coming from Portland, this patch from Synergy Skin Worx was the most innovative way to dose cannabis that I tried. Similar in function to a nicotine patch, these cannabis patches are designed to dose a controlled amount of cannabinoids into the user's bloodstream every hour, for up to 24-36 hours. I slapped one of these on my arm at about 10 am and while the effects were never too intense, I did feel slightly high for the entire day, which surprised me, considering the entire patch contains just 45 mg THC. Nothing ever hit too hard, there was no anxious waiting, no smell, and it felt so cool and discreet.
Full Spectrum Cannabis Bath Bomb
The total THC content (76.8 mg) did seem a bit intimidating at first, but this bath bomb from High Desert Pure doesn't hit like an edible. I plopped this into a post workout bath and soaked in the 1:1 THC and CBD mixture for about 45 minutes. Similar to the patch, the bath bomb never hit me too hard; getting high with this felt like being slowly lifted onto a cloud of soft citrus. The packaging jokingly suggests that users will "feel like a noodle" after use, and frankly, I think that's accurate. While this gave me the noodle effect, the THC content is high enough to hit new users with more force, so newbies should keep that in mind.
