Guide to Smoking Less

Herbs for respiratory health and tips for healthier lungs

My lungs feel scratchy and sore from the shitty air quality after the recent wildfires. I’m cutting down on smoke and shifting into edibles and herbal teas and tonics to soothe respiratory irritation.

Let’s be real, this is facts, inhaling any type of carcinogenic smoke is not good for our lungs. But there’s a ritualistic joy that comes from combustion that’s hard to give up, even more so during times of heightened stress.

“But c*nn*bis smoke is different!” Stoners will proclaim without the science or data to back it up. Also facts, not all smoke is equally bad for you.

🤓 Learn more about the science of smokeability from Dr. Riley Kirk, PhD and Dr. Miyabe Shields, PhD from The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy

Working at Cornerstone Wellness, I’ve noticed more people asking about alternative options to combustion and seeking advice on how to get the same satisfying feeling with healthier alternatives.

While sheer willpower and quitting smoking is one method, I prefer a more reasonable and gentle method by reducing smoke and supplementing with edibles that deliver a similarly satisfying high.

I’ll tell you how I do it.

In this Guide: How to Smoke Less

• Why the High is Different: Smoke vs. Edibles

• The Good Sh*t: Best Edibles to Look For

• Not the Same: Smoking Tolerance vs. Edibles Tolerance

• True or False? Vapor Smoke is Safer than Combustion

• Herbs for Respiratory Health

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The Difference Between Smoke vs. Edibles

There is something about the act of smoking that’s intensely satisfying. There’s a ritual, social connection, and immediate form of gratification that happens with combustion. The act of smoking is akin to a breathing exercise. It offers a moment of release and grounding.

Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Repeat.

Smoke goes into the lungs and c*nn*binoids are absorbed into the bloodstream and straight to the brain where the effects are felt almost immediately.

The reason why the high from smoking flower is so satisfying and robust, aside from its immediacy, is because you’re experiencing the plant’s full spectrum of c*nn*binoids, flavinoids, and terpenes (aromas and flavors).

People tell me they’ve tried edibles but it’s not the same as smoking, and shrug their shoulders as I hand them their prerolls. Well no duh, it’s a completely different way of getting high.

The high effects from smoking lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. By comparison, edibles have a delayed onset time and the effects can last 4-6 hours or longer.