Best Ways to Enjoy Delta-8 THC
If you’ve been hearing a lot about delta 8 THC products, you probably know there are a few when it comes to how you’ll enjoy that delta 8. From tasty delta-8 gummies to vapes, everyone seems to have their favorite product and delivery method.
A lot of this is pretty personal, of course. Depending on the time of day, your dosage needs, how potent the products are, the best way to consume your delta 8 might be different.
In this post, we’ll cover how to figure out the best ways to use delta-8 based on preferences for effects and how long they last, flavor, potency, and more. Whether you’re a novice or diving deeper into delta-8 THC every day, we’ve got some new information for you here in our list of the best ways to use delta 8.
How to Choose Delta 8 Products
Personal Taste
The most important factor in the best way to consume delta-8 is your personal preferences. Some users just prefer some forms of cannabis or THC over others, and some delivery methods just end up feeling like your favorites.
For example, recreational cannabis users might find more medicinal delivery methods like sublingual tincture strange or less appealing than smoking or vaping. However, once they try a smooth, tasty delta-8 gummy that lasts for hours, they may leave the vape carts in the drawer.
No matter who you are, trying high quality products–like our Diet Smoke gummies is the best way to figure out what works best.
Time of Use
Depending on the time of day you’re hoping to use your delta-8, the best delivery method might change. For example, high-strength delta-8 gummies could be best in the evening, because some users have reported sleepiness. Daytime users still have lots of options, because delta-8 offers a lighter high and comes in so many different products.
Effects: Duration and Onset
Are you trying to fight nausea and keep yourself from getting sick moment to moment? Or are you just waiting for an evening of enjoyment to unfold and take its course? Depending on how quickly you want or need to feel the effects of your delta-8, delivery method matters.
Bioavailability is the main factor to consider here and this means how much of the delta-8 actually ends up in your bloodstream. Delta 8 products of different kinds deliver different levels of bioavailability.
For example, anything you need to eat and digest is less bioavailable simply because it needs to get past the digestive system before the cannabinoids hit your bloodstream. On the other hand, those effects also last much longer, so it depends on what you need. Delta 8 THC vapes are probably the most bioavailable consumption method, followed by sublingual products that enter the bloodstream through tiny capillaries under the tongue.
How long do effects from different forms of delta 8 consumption last? It varies*
- Inhaled delta 8 THC can last around 1 to 3 hours
- Sublingual delta 8 THC products like drops can last around 3 to 5 hours
- Delta 8 gummies can last for 6 hours and up to 10 hours
*These are just estimates based on how the body absorbs other cannabinoids–this is not medical advice.
Potency
Of course, another important factor in the best way to enjoy delta 8 THC is the potency of your product. How potent your delta 8 is determines how intense of a buzz it delivers. Many delta 8 THC products can deliver less delta 8, but delta-8 gummies are more concentrated. And because they take a bit longer to “hit you” than smoked or vaped products, use caution.
The Best Consumption Methods to Take Delta-8 THC
There are lots of ways you can consume delta-8 THC. How should you make this subjective call? Mostly it will depend on why you are using it, how quickly you want to achieve the desired effects, and how long you want the effects to last.
Here are the basics for each of the most common methods of consuming delta-8 THC:
Edibles: Slower to Act but Long Lasting, Reliable
Obviously, we love our delta 8 in gummy form! There are lots of reasons.
There are actually two main types of delta-8 edibles on the market right now: gummies and softgels. Both act reasonably quickly, especially for edibles, and are easy to take and free of all hemp extract taste.
Delta 8 gummies are also tasty, fruity, colorful, and generally way more pleasant than your typical cannabis products. It can take up to 2–3 hours for the effects to peak, as your liver needs to break them down and metabolize the cannabinoids in the gummies. But this is also why the effects from edibles like delta-8 gummies last so much longer and can feel so much stronger than other products.
In short, you get all of the benefits but they last a lot longer, plus a delicious, fun experience. Win!
Sublingual: Compromise on Uptake
Sublinguals like drops that you take under your tongue help your body absorb cannabinoids more quickly, but still bypass the digestive system. Still, sublinguals last longer than smoking or vaping—not as long perhaps as classic delta 8 gummies and other edibles, but longer.
The downsides with these are that you’ve got a hempy taste in your mouth for extended periods of time, plus it can be messy if you’re not careful. Still, this is another good option for people who want faster onset than edibles but don’t want to smoke.
Vaping: Easy Come, Easy Go
When you vape delta 8 carts, you feel the effects almost immediately. However, you also feel them slip away faster than other methods! Just like any kind of smoking or vaping, inhaling right through the lungs allows the substance to get right into your bloodstream.
But in addition to the need to “re-up” all day or evening long, vaping can present some risks, especially in this unregulated market. Counterfeit delta 8 vapes are sometimes untested and incorrectly labeled. Watch for contaminants such as heavy metals and residual solvents.
Topicals: Unproven, But May Work for Acute Aches and Pains
Some manufacturers are now offering topicals with delta-8 THC in them. Unlike edibles or vapes, topicals work externally, and there’s definitely no concern about getting high. If sore muscles or chronic aches and pains are your complaint, this may be your method.
The idea behind using cannabinoids like delta-8 topically is that massaging it into the skin allows it to bind with cannabinoid receptors in your skin and stay put where you are sore or hurt, possibly delivering targeted relief. The jury is out on how effective this is, but now you can find delta 8 topical or transdermal products in the form of balms, creams, lotions, ointments, and salves.
Are There Delta-8 THC Hemp Flowers?
Delta-8 THC occurs in tiny amounts in nature, and any cannabis plant including a hemp plant will have only very small levels of delta 8 naturally. Of course, cannabis breeders are probably working to cultivate special strains even as I type this, but delta-8 THC concentrates and other delta 8 products are going to remain the way to go for now. (And that’s what’s in things like gummies anyway—pure, concentrated delta 8 extract.)
How Much Delta-8 THC Should You Take?
Everyone has their own sweet spot, just like with regular cannabis, actually. There is no one amount that works for every single person.
That’s why it’s not so easy determining a recommended dose. A lot of science and research goes into it.
Start low and go slow, as we always say, and go with the smallest dose can–even if that means breaking down one of our gummies into quarters (or smaller!). Titrate your way up gradually to the dose that delivers the feeling you want in the least amount of time.
And as always, read those labels. It’s critical to understand not only the potency of what you’re consuming, but also its formulation and other ingredients, if it has any.
If at any point it seems like you’ve gotten used to your dose and it doesn’t work like it used to, don’t worry, this is pretty normal. You can simply take a break for a week or so, and when you come back to your favorite delta 8 products, they’ll feel just like they did before.
We all have our favorite way of consuming legal cannabis products. Whether you love popping a sweet, fruity delta 8 gummy for the day or night or just hitting a vape as needed, there are lots of ways to enjoy delta 8 THC. We challenge you to beat the long lasting effects and simplicity of the best delta 8 gummies on the market, though!