Why Does Eating Cannabis Produce Different Effects Than Smoking It?

[Bajeda]

This is a question swim has pondered often over the course of his cannabis use, and had trouble understanding. He isn't sure how much people know about the differences, so he thought he would share some information and see what people know.

Recently swim purchased the book Hashish! by Robert Connell Clarke and found some interesting tidbits.

Apparently after going through your liver delta-9-tetrahydracannabinol is metabolized into 11-hydroxy-tetrahydracannabinol, which produces different effects than the normal THC absorbed in the course of smoking. This combined with the more efficient absorption of THC by the body when utilizing the eating method of consumption helps to produce the strong, long-lasting, and multiphasic effects felt after orally consuming cannabis.

There is more though, so I typed up some excerpts from the book for swim. The information here is quite interesting and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts, comments, or further information to provide.

Originally Posted by Hashish!

"Like the experiences of the members of Le Club des Hachichins, Robinson's trip was much more powerful and involving than the effects commonly attributed to smoking hashish. Some of the extreme effects experienced by the hashish-eating authours no doubt resulted from the extraordinarily large doses they ingested combined with their inexperience. However, the intensity of their visions, the enhanced physical sensations, and distorted perceptions of time and space, transcend the levels of effects commonly associated with even extremely heavy hashish smoking. The differences in the effects of eating versus smoking hashish can be explained most plausibly by the dramatic effects of the 11-hydroxy-THC metabolite of THC produced by the liver"

"The multiphasic effets of rushing to great heights, coming back down, and then soaring again to new heights are reported commonly by those who eat hashish. Smokers report that they feel one strong rush followed by a high and subsequent come down. Hashish smokers never report a second rush or multiple rushes or "come ons" from one session of smoking. The repeating multiphasic effects are only associated with eating hashish or marijuana."


"The 11-hydroxy metabolite of THC may also account for the sedative and physically relaxant effects following both hashish eating and smoking. Even when smoking, some THC is metabolized by the liver either before, and especially after it reaches the brain. The THC metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC, is carried by the bloodstream to the brain one to two hours after the THC absorbed by the lungs has already reached the brain. The initial stimulating effects of smoking THC begin to subside at about the same time as the 11-hydroxy-THC produced by the liver begins to reach the brain. In small amounts, 11-hydroxy-THC apparently induces restful sleep. In larger amounts it can induce vivid hallucinations and either interrupt or prolong sleep."


And finally: "The overall suite of effects produced by eating and smoking hashish are approximately the same excepting time course and intensity. When hashish is eaten the onset of the effects is slower and more intense, the peaks come in successive waves, are higher, and the effects last longer"