Marijuana pills, colloquially named “chill pills” and “happy pills,” are becoming more and more popular in the cannabis community. All jokes aside, marijuana pills offer some serious benefits for medical cannabis patients and allow recreational users a discrete, odorless option for consumption.
Similar to an edible, pills provide longer lasting effects in addition to being more portable and cost-effective. Here are five of the main reasons why you might just reach for marijuana pills instead of your pipe!
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Provides Stronger, Longer Lasting Pain Relief
The main reason why most people switch from smoking or vaping cannabis to ingesting marijuana pills is that they provide strong, longer lasting pain relief. If you take cannabis for medical purposes, there is really not a better option. The number one reason why doctors prescribe marijuana to their patients is for pain relief. Some studies have shown that cannabis works just as well as mild opioids like codeine for pain relief, and without all of the negative side effects.
One such study was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley in 2017. Researchers examined the use of cannabis as a substitute for opioid-based pain medication by looking at data from 2,897 medical cannabis patients. They found that 97 percent of medical cannabis patients were able to significantly decrease the number of opioids they were consuming for pain when using marijuana instead. This is a pretty significant finding considering that prescription drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in the United States.
Discrete & Odorless
Another great benefit to using marijuana pills is that they are discrete. Not everyone likes to broadcast their use of cannabis to the world – especially if you need to take it in more conservative environments from time to time. If you suffer from chronic pain, you already know that pain doesn’t discriminate between time at work and time at home. Having a little jar of marijuana pills in your purse or briefcase can come in handy if you find yourself in need of medication during work or times when smoking marijuana would not be appropriate.
Additionally, marijuana pills don’t smell or taste like cannabis. You don’t have to worry about your breath or clothing smelling like cannabis – which again, is helpful if you need to consume it discretely. This is probably the number one reason why recreational users enjoy marijuana pills.
Gets Deeper Into Your Gut
When you consume marijuana pills instead of smoking, the compounds in the medicine are absorbed slower and deeper within the gut. This allows for the cannabis to enter the bloodstream through the digestive system instead of through the lungs, making the effects stronger and longer acting. Marijuana pills are the perfect solution for chronic pain if you need something that will least nearly all day.
Keep this in mind though: you do need to take the same precautions with marijuana pills as you do with edibles. Don’t make the classic mistake of consuming too much! Taking too high of a dose of cannabis in edible form can cause strong dissociative, hypnotic effects and paranoia, plus it’s just darn uncomfortable. But rest assured, you cannot overdose on marijuana so if you do accidentally take too much, it’s best to find a safe space to ride it out.
Has Fewer Negative Health Side-Effects
Aside from accidentally taking too much, marijuana pills have almost no negative health effects. That comes in stark contrast to smoking cannabis, which can cause lung irritation and coughing. It’s a well-known fact that people with respiratory issues should avoid smoking marijuana, but that doesn’t mean they need to miss out on all of the amazing benefits of cannabis. Marijuana pills allow you to take advantage of the benefits without inhaling smoke.
Allows You Consistent Dosage
One of the final benefits of using marijuana pills is that they allow medical patients to measure out consistent doses. Once you find a level that works for you, it is easy to recreate that experience consistently – especially if you stick to the same brand of marijuana pills. When you are smoking or vaping cannabis, it is much harder to measure how much THC or CBD was consumed. Marijuana pills remove much of the trial and error process and also allow you to take in the benefits of terpenes better. When you smoke cannabis, a high percentage of terpenes are burned off in the combustion process. With marijuana pills, none of the medical benefits are spared.
Considering The Negative Aspects of Marijuana Pills
Marijuana pills are probably one of the safest ways to consume cannabis, but there are some downsides. First of all, marijuana pills are digested in your body instead of smoked ? so that means the effects are similar to taking an edible but without added ingredients like sugar or gluten. Like an edible, marijuana pills come on slowly and last a very long time, which is considered a benefit for some and a downside for others. It is important to be mindful of your dosage and allow up to two hours for the effects to come on before taking additional doses.
Also, it goes without saying, but avoid leaving your marijuana pills lying around outside of the container. Like any medication, you want to keep it inside a childproof bottle and stored safely away from kids, pets, and unsuspecting housemates.
