10 ways to smoke or ingest weed, ranked
Mashable’s Ranked series crowns the best and sorts the rest.
Like many stoners, I don't discriminate against any method of getting high. Whether I smoke or vape or eat weed, I know the result is going to be the same: getting hella blazed.
This 420, however, I want to spark up conversation — which is why I ranked 10 ways to smoke/ingest cannabis. Have at it, stoneys:
10. One-hitter
The one-hitter is last because it's just that — one hit. Next!
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9. Tincture
THC tinctures are bottles filled with cannabis oil containing THC, dispensed by a dropper. You ingest it sublingually, meaning you drop oil under your tongue. There's nothing wrong with the humble tincture, except that it's a bit boring. It's very medicine-like but, hey, that's exactly what cannabis is!
8. Dabbing
Dabs are super-concentrated THC that you smoke via a dab rig, which looks a bit like a bong. Dabbing can catapult you into the stratosphere, especially if you're not used to it. If you're new to weed smoking, do not dab. Even if you're a longtime stoner, dab safely. I've warned you.
7. Blunt
A blunt is cannabis rolled into a cigar or tobacco wrap. Consuming tobacco and weed at the same time produces an unparalleled buzz, but if you're not into cigars, you probably won't be into blunts.
6. Spliff
A spliff is like a marriage between a joint and blunt. It contains both tobacco and cannabis, but it's wrapped in rolling paper. It's a little less gross than a blunt, but still contains tobacco. If you're not a cigarette smoker, you may wanna skip this one.
5. Vape
Let's take a break from smoking to talk about its hip cousin: vaping. There are multiple ways to vape weed — a dry vape (which uses flower), oil vape, wax vape — but they're all pretty similar, so I'm lumping them into one rank.
Vaping isn't necessarily safer than smoking, so if you're concerned about your lungs, stick with tinctures or edibles. But there are other benefits to vaping, like that it's less conspicuous than smoking, and it may take less cannabis to get you high. Those exact pros can turn into cons if you overdo it, though.
4. Edible
Homemade "special" brownies have been a classic for decades. As cannabis becomes legalized in more states, though, there's more and more options for high-quality, lab-tested products. But edibles can be a wildcard — even if they're tested — and will impact you differently depending on tolerance and what else you've consumed that day.
3. Joint
Joints are sleek, sophisticated, and portable. So why aren't they at the number one slot? Honestly, because every time I roll and smoke a joint, I feel like I don't get the bang out of my buck as I do smoking out of glass or ceramics. Joints are perfect for when you're on the go but for home smoking, I'll stick with one of my pieces.
One point for joints that's against pipes and bongs, however, is the lack of cleanup.
2. Pipe
Pipes are wonderful because they're endlessly customizable — choose a traditional pipe or banana pipe or anything in-between — and easy to use. It's also not as ripe for sharing as a joint is. If you smoke a joint in front of others, it'll be hard to deny puff puff passing. But you may skate by with a bowl all to yourself if you're smoking a pipe.
1. Bong
Bongs are my favorite method of smoking weed. Like dabs, they're not for beginners, but they also won't shoot you to the moon (well, maybe they will). Bongs are simple, beautiful contraptions that utilize water and let you hit without wasting a crumb of weed. These days, you can buy any kind of bong that suits your style from a Rick and Morty bong to an antique bong. The only downside to the bong is cleaning it, but it can be done with a little elbow grease.
There you have it! My totally-objective, not-gonna-piss-anyone-off ranking. Happy smoking, friends.
The information contained in this article is not a substitute for, or alternative to information from a healthcare practitioner. Please consult a healthcare professional before using any product and check your local laws before making any purchasing decisions.
Topics Cannabis
Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.
