Smoking

Smoking is inhaling the smoke produced by burning dried plant material, which delivers its compounds through the lungs within seconds.

Smokable hemp flower, pre-rolls and cannabis are consumed this way, and the heat of combustion converts acidic cannabinoids such as CBDA and THCA into their active forms as the smoke is drawn in. Onset is the fastest of any route and first-pass metabolism is bypassed, but effects fade within a few hours, and the amount absorbed varies with breath depth and how much smoke escapes. Combustion also creates tar, carbon monoxide and other by-products regardless of the plant burned, so the respiratory risks of smoking hemp overlap with those of smoking anything.

Smokable hemp is legal under federal hemp law but banned or restricted in some states, and inhalable products are not tested or regulated as dietary supplements. Smoke exposes household members, children and pets to cannabinoids secondhand. Smoking differs from vaping, which heats material without combustion, and both differ from the slower, longer-lasting oral route.