1. Cannabis: Methods of Use
© Stanford University

2. What is that? Edibles Teacher Talking Points:
Today we’re going to talk about some of the different ways that cannabis can be consumed and how they affect the body.
Take a look at these pictures.
Can you name some of these cannabis products?
(Click the forward icon to arrive at the Break Out Activity page.)
References:

3. Smoking Cannabis: Joints & Blunts
Joint: cannabis flowers in a thin paper made for rolling cigarettes
Blunt: cannabis flower in cigar tobacco leaf
5-10 seconds to feel the effect
High lasts 30 minutes to several hours
THC concentration depends on cannabis flower used
Teacher Talking Points:
Joints and blunts are methods to burn and inhale cannabis.
When inhaled, THC is brought into the lungs, enters the bloodstream, and quickly reaches the brain.
(Click) A joint is made from cannabis flowers and a thin paper made for rolling cigarettes
Blunts are made by the tobacco leaf of a cigar and cannabis flower
This means that smoking a blunt exposes the user to harmful tobacco substances from the cigar paper, which is made from tobacco leaves, as well as the substances from the cannabis flower.
Why might this pose an even greater health risk?
The answer is NICOTINE! Which is a highly addictive substance.
The user is exposed to both the tobacco and cannabis substances
How long the high lasts depends on multiple factors, like how much is used and how strong the cannabis flowers are.
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4. Aerosolizing or “Vaping”
THC concentrate is aerosolized
5-10 seconds to feel the effect
High lasts 30 minutes to several hours
THC concentration depends on liquid; often mislabeled
Not harmless
Teacher Talking Points:
E-cigarettes aka “vapes” are also used to inhale cannabis
(Click) E-cigarettes aerosolize cannabis and still expose a user to the harmful chemicals from the plant or concentrate. Remember that what they are breathing in is actually an aerosol and not a vapor. In other words, this aerosol is not safe!
It is also important to know that the e-cigarettes devices (vape pens, pod-based device, etc.) have not been tested for safety
The long-term effects of aerosolizing cannabis are still unknown.
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Images:

5. Pipes and Bongs
Pipe: cannabis flower is burned and its smoke is inhaled
Bong: flower is burned, its smoke is cooled through water then inhaled
5-10 seconds to feel the effect
High lasts 30 minutes to several hours
THC concentration depends on cannabis flower used
Teacher Talking Points:
Another way that users inhale smoke from cannabis is with pipes or bongs
Pipes are usually made of glass, but can be made of metal, ceramic, or wood
Bongs are a type of water pipe used for inhaling cannabis
They come in different shapes and sizes, and the water cools the smoke prior to inhalation
(Click) Smoking with these devices exposes the user to many of the same harmful chemicals as tobacco smoke
Cannabis smokers also tend to breathe in more deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than if they were smoking a cigarette – this means that their lungs are exposed to the harmful chemicals for longer
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References:

6. Dabbing Concentrated THC wax is heated, the aerosol is then inhaled
5-10 seconds to feel the effect
High lasts 30 minutes to several hours
~80% THC concentration
One of the methods most associated with emergency room visits
Teacher Talking Points:
(Click) Dabs are extremely concentrated doses of THC
On average, cannabis flower has a THC concentration of 12-13%, while dabs can have up to 80%
They are made by extracting THC and other components using solvents, forming a sticky oil or wax
Dabbing is one of the methods most associated with emergency room visits
Why do you think that might be?
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References:
Images:

7. Edibles Cannabis infused foods and drinks
20 min – 2 hours to feel the effects
High typically lasts for hours
THC concentration varies greatly and is difficult to measure accurately
Very easy to over consume
Teacher Talking Points:
(Click) Cannabis is also taken orally.
When cannabis is used this way, the effects are not felt as quickly as with smoking.
Does anyone know why?
When someone eats cannabis, the chemicals travel through many parts of the digestive system before they get absorbed into the bloodstream.
This means the body processes the drug more slowly, so it takes longer to feel the effects.
It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to feel the effects of edibles.
It is very difficult to measure the levels of THC in edibles and it’s very easy to consume too much.
Many of the cannabis-related emergency room visits are due to overconsuming THC from edibles.
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References:

8. Sprays, Tinctures, Capsules
Sprays & tinctures: oil or alcohol-based liquids containing cannabis
Capsules/pills: contain cannabis, usually floating in an oil
15 min – 2 hours to feel the effects
Effects typically last for hours
These products are not closely regulated, so there is no way to really know what they really contain.
Teacher Talking Points:
Sprays and tinctures are usually oil or alcohol-based liquids that are applied under the tongue
Capsules contain cannabis, usually floating in an oil
All of these methods rely on the large surface area of the blood vessels under the tongue to get the drug into the body. There can be high amounts of THC in these products.
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References:
Images:

9. Break Out Activity 8 groups
Research and answer questions about the method
Use the materials given and one additional online resource
Report back to the class
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Teacher Talking Points:
You’re going to count off by 8 and then meet with the other people with the same number and work together.
As a group you will research a method of use and answer questions on that method.
I will give you some materials to find the answers and you will also need to use at least one more online source.
In about 10 minutes, each group will report back about what you’ve learned.
(When students are ready to present, click on their group number to display their questions. Click the forward icon to arrive at the Activity Debrief page.)

10. Report Back Group 1 Joints/blunts/smoking
What is the THC level of a joint?
What is the nicotine level of a blunt?
How have nicotine levels changed in the last 30 years?
What causes the burning sensation felt when smoking cannabis?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure
about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

11. Report Back Group 2 Vaping
What is the THC level of a vape/e-juice in a vape?
What are the long-term effects of vaping?
Why might someone choose to vape instead of smoke?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

12. Report Back Group 3 Pipes, bongs and waterpipe
What is the THC level of a pipe or bong?
Does the water from a waterpipe or bong make it safer?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

13. Report Back Group 4 Edibles What is the THC level of an edible?
Why would edibles be a major concern for middle school youth?
Are all edibles labeled? And if edibles are labeled, what is the information on the label?
Is there a difference between getting high from an edible and other methods? If so, what are they?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

14. Report Back Group 5 Edibles What is the THC level of an edible?
How long does it take for the THC to kick in?
How long does the high from an edible last?
Is there a difference between getting high from an edible and other methods? If so, what are they?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

15. Report Back Group 6 Edibles What is the THC level of an edible?
What happens when someone takes too much of an edible? What does “too much” mean?
Can one overdose on edibles?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

16. Report Back Group 7 Dabbing What is a dab?
What is the THC level of a dab?
Do we know the long-term effects of dabbing? Why or why not?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

17. Report Back Group 8 Tinctures/pills/capsules/sprays
What is the THC concentration of some of these products?
Why might someone choose to use this over other methods?
What information is on the label? How accurate is the labeling?
What are 3 or more concerns that your group have about this method of use?
What is a question or two that your group is still unsure about this method of use?
(Allow the group present their results.)

18. What did you hear? Teacher Talking Points:
What information did you learn from the group presentations? (Take a few responses.)
What was the most surprising information you learned? (Take a few responses.)
What was something you already knew before today? (Take a few responses.)

19. THC Concerns Different methods, different risks
Difficult to determine the amount of THC being consumed
THC negatively impacts brain development
Teacher Talking Points:
There are many ways that people use cannabis, and each carries its own, unique risks
Remember that no method of use is safe – especially for young people
It is very difficult to determine the amount of THC being consumed. This is a problem because certain methods can be really high in THC concentration
Also, the TCH concentration in many of these products has increased over the years
For example, the amount of THC found in the average blunt today is about 10 times as high as that in a blunt from the 1980’s
Research shows that THC can negatively impact the development of the teen brain.
Reference:

20. Edibles Takes longer to feel their effects
One serving of an edible can vary in amounts of THC
One serving size can vary
Different experience
No way to "sober up"
Almost impossible to know how much THC is in them
Teacher Talking Points:
Edibles are particularly concerning because it takes longer to feel their effects and that makes it difficult to control the amount of THC being absorbed.
This is partly because the amount of THC in one serving of an edible can vary.
Also, one serving size can be smaller than one bite, making it easy to consume a lot of THC in short time.
They also cause a different experience than inhaled cannabis and can be more intense.
The effects of edibles last a long time and there’s no way to “sober up” after eating them.
Homemade edibles are especially dangerous because there is no way to know how much THC is in them.

21. Inhalation Smoke is inhaled deep into the lungs
Damages the respiratory system
Blunts introduce nicotine, which is extremely addictive
“Vaping” cannabis is not a safe alternative
Teacher Talking Points:
Inhaled methods have unique risks as well.
Smoked cannabis is typically inhaled deep into the lungs and held there, which causes damage to the lungs, cilia, and airways.
Many people think it is safe to use a bong or waterpipe because they incorrectly believe the water filters out some of the chemicals, but this is not true.
Smoking blunts or other other products mixed with tobacco introduces someone to nicotine, which is extremely addictive.
”Vaping” cannabis is not a safe alternative. As a matter of fact, there is a recent outbreak of people having lung issues that have not been responding to typical antibiotics. It looks like these cases may be related to vaping cannabis.
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22. Conclusions Teacher Talking Points:
In addition to these concerns, it’s also important to recognize that the long-term health effects of cannabis use are not well researched and not well understood.
Some may think, “people have been using weed for centuries, how bad can it be?” but that doesn’t take into account the fact that cannabis that is on the market today is very different to the cannabis used centuries and even just a decade ago!
The THC levels are much higher and the long-term effects of using such high concentrations are unknown.

23. Kahoot
Teacher Talking Points: