Prompted by “Dazed & Infused: Five legit reasons why an edible’s high is unpredictable”: http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/06/05/marijuana-edibles-pot-effects-highs-unpredictable/33489/
I predict edibles will go the way of the dinosaur, and smoking may even follow, because vaporization is the intake method expanding into the future like an exhale of vapor from a premium puff.
My primary reason for that major shift is the cost difference of flower for the vapor user, which (due to vastly superior intake efficiency) is much less expensive. For example, even an eighth can last months, because a very small pinch of leafy flower (of basically any high-quality strain) contains a lot of psychedelic power. For beginners, even that small pinch can produce a ‘wow’ effect for worst through best.
Note that vaporization is radically less odorous, which can also play into vaporization’s likely intake method dominance (especially in places where cannabis odor is lawfully condemned as a nuisance).
Intake consistency is riding the rapidly moving technology train in the form of electronic vaporization. Precise temperature control allows a highly accurate intake (including filtering out unwanted toxins that release into the vapor/smoke at higher temperatures). Dynamic convection (memory serving) is the latest tech trend in vaporization, and it promises (albeit apparently with a learning curve) to allow the user to ‘surf’ their intake (assuming I read the Leafly article right) to achieve a “whole plant” experience (i.e. at least more closely experience the full strain profile).
For my state-licensed medical cannabis “caregivee” (who never used cannabis before), I opted for the PuffitX vaporizer (despite poor review results of the original Puffit), because it looks like a familiar medical device known as an inhaler (in a nice purple color, no less). Moreover, the chamber is small enough to allow for small pinches (or more for more cosmos leaning).
The PuffitX is still apparently the only portable vaporizer with ‘fan assist’, so people can press the top button upon the device’s vapor release to fan in a more convenient puff for the user.
Even though the device is about $170 (I got it for $130, but forgot where online offhand), the savings from using a device like that versus smoking will quickly accrue. So far, there are no complaints with this device (it works perfectly).
Experienced users may also enjoy manual (lighter based) intake (e.g. using the Vapor Genie, which costs around $50). As cannabis legality continues to spread (exacerbated ironically by the likes of governor Chris Christie wanting to insanely reignite federal interference into state legality as an obscene Republican hypocrite — speaking of releasing toxins), I maintain poor neighborhoods will embrace vaporization for many reasons (near the end of my Respect Cannabis campaign basics, I go into more detail on that society-benefiting point).
Another aspect of the prompting article is:
“When buying marijuana flower at a dispensary, it’s not difficult to find something tailor-made for your needs: Sativas for energy and focus, indicas for pain relief and sleep, hybrids for something in between.”
Like a computer fractal at a low iteration, a lot of detail is missing in that common view. It’s like saying rock music is for energy, classical music is for relaxing, and (um) “rocical” is for something (probably very special) in between.
There is a lot of detail in a strain profile. Some characteristics are user-unique (e.g. synesthesia sense of coloration), but common experience does exist (an obvious conclusion when identifying the fact that some strains are more popular than others — e.g. Blue Dream).
Upon (at least) state recreational legality here, for public safety, I will likely increase the iterations (perhaps even dramatically so) to better inform people of the highly detailed distinctions between the rapidly evolving strains (perhaps even using audio sculpting to convert strain signatures to a brief listening experience that may form a much more accurate sense of that signature than verbal description for potential buyers overwhelmed by the ocean of strain varieties).
Perhaps a radical transformation of edible quality (including consistency) will emerge against my prediction, but I sustain the point that edibles will not match the quality and character of cannabis vapor (nonetheless the cost savings). People wanting the ‘edible trip’ might find more satisfaction in vaporizing concentrates (at least until sanity prevails to lawfully recognize the equally safe utility of other psychedelics — e.g. Hoffman-grade LSD — for this kind of relatively lengthy and perhaps highly spiritual journey), although flower potency can be serious upon multiple puffs (a seriously high a2u ratio — i.e. altered to unaltered perception ratio — roughly put, the ‘strain effects drive reality’, not the other way around as easily achieved upon mild vaporization).
So much more to come, but meanwhile, lawful cannabis users (nonetheless anyone else) can feel free to freely listen to (and even download) my fitting and unique (and in this case, positivity encouraging in the more energetic sativa sense) brand of highly sculpted audio that also provides a hint (by my meticulously highly detailed spatial effects work producing a level of sonic richness likely unlike any other publication ever reaching your ears) regarding the possible audio sculpting translation of strain signatures to audio presentation…
I am an honest freak (or reasonably responsibly balanced "misfit", if you prefer) of an artist working and resting to best carefully contribute towards helping society. Too many people abuse reasoning (e.g. 'partial truth = whole truth' scam), while I exercise reason to explore and express whole truth without any conflict-of-interest -- all within a sometimes offbeat style of psychedelic artistry.
Spirit Wave Journal 
Leave a Reply