Essay Example on the Significance of the Development of Cannabis-Infused Drinks

Consumers preferences change with time and the road to failure in the soft drink industry is paved with the health risks associated with the products. Following the legalization of marijuana in various states across the country, there is an upsurge of users seeking more social ways to consume the substance. Consequently, there is a new opportunity for big corporations in the drinks industry to follow a new trend in consumer preference which is the cannabis-infused beverages. Cannabis is known to have two components, and that is THC which is the psychoactive element that makes users high and CBD which is used as a treatment product. The brew in question here would not focus on THC but rather the medicinal product of CBD. Subsequently, the development of cannabis-infused drinks can be considered as significant development since they offer an alternative to smoking medical marijuana, have different effects on the body and offer longer effects to users.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Marijuana-infused beverages are a significant development since they offer a convenient and healthier alternative to traditional smoking. Majority of patients using medical cannabis consistently or inconsistently are aware of the traditional ways of taking the medication which involves vaping or smoking. Sadly, the belief is that the only possible way to cash on the health benefits of marijuana is to smoke it. Without a doubt, smoking is the fastest way through which the effects of cannabis can be achieved (Tashkin 1706). However, smoking is not ideal especially for starters who will hate the stench of the smoke in the house or clothes and considering the social stigma of smoking. Also, there are health risks that vaping or smoking can pose especially to individuals battling respiratory illnesses or mouth and throat afflictions (Pletcher, Eric and Ravi 176). With such pitfalls in mind, the development of cannabis-infused drinks can offer a gentler and healthier alternative to smoking. This is the reasons for cannabis-infused drinks becoming increasingly popular among individuals looking for a convenient alternative to the traditional method of consuming medical marijuana and wanting to evade the associated risks of smoking.

Besides this, cannabis-infused drinks bring a different effect to the body as compared to smoking. It is significant to indicate that not all THC can be removed from the cannabis. However, there are reduced effects of THC that can be felt on patients who ingest medicinal cannabis rather than smoke it. According to Gold, when an individual smokes marijuana, the body converts the THC which is initially in its non-psychoactive state to delta-9 THC which brings the mind-altering effects of binge eating behavior and giggling that cannabis is famous of. However, there is a different form of effects that is realized with the ingestion of the substance. The non-psychotic THC is converted to delta-11 THC which rather than making the user high produces a changed effect on the body and mind (42). In this way, ingestion through cannabis-infused drinks can be beneficial since many patients are looking for the medical benefits of marijuana rather than the high effects of smoking a joint. Yang emphasizes that patients alternating for marijuana beverages have confirmed on feeling renewed with the mild euphoria that comes with drinks considering them as an excellent choice for those who wish to avoid becoming over intoxicated (20).

The other worth of marijuana-infused beverages is that they offer longer but milder build of the effects of cannabis. Smoking marijuana has a quick reaction time because the effect is distributed to the central nervous system via the lungs. The effect of smoking marijuana can be felt 2 to 3 minutes after the first puff (Melis, Sara and Ettore 33). This effect will typically last for about one to two hours. On the other hand, cannabis-infused drinks will take more time to create effects on the body due to the digestive tract's absorption of the liquid's active ingredients. A person using cannabis-infused beverage might find the effect not showing until at least an hour or so after the consumption, and sometimes this can stretch to three hours (Liivi). Such time can depend on some factors which include how empty or full the individual's stomach is. Cannabis infused drinks do not generate the heavy and stoned sensation of smoking but rather a milder and slower effect that can remain in the body for up to seven hours. This extensive effect is a relief to anxiety, depression or pain which is not created by the effects of smoking.

In summary, cannabis-infused drinks can be regarded as a significant development to humanity. Such beverages do not focus on the high effects of marijuana but rather health benefits. As a result, the cannabis-infused drink can be a good substitute for traditional smoking and a healthier alternative. Additionally, these beverages have different effects on the body that users who do not seek for the high effects of marijuana can exploit. Ultimately cannabis-infused drinks offer a mild and lengthier effect of marijuana that makes them better than smoking joint.

Works Cited

Gold, Mark S. Marijuana. Vol. I. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.

Liivi, Hess. 6 Reasons To Eat Marijuana Instead Of Smoking (And How To Do It. 3 October 2018. < https://www.thealternativedaily.com/reasons-to-eat-marijuana-and-how/>.

Melis, Manuela, Castiglioni Sara and Zuccato. Ettore. "Illicit Drugs in the Environment: Ocurrence, Analysis, and Fate using Mass Spectrometry. ." Metabolism and excretion of illicit drugs in humans. Hobokenm, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2011. 31-52.

Pletcher, Mark J., Vittinghoff Eric and Kalhan Ravi. "Association between marijuana exposure and pulmonary function over 20 years." Jama 307.2 (2012): 173-181.

Tashkin, Donald P. "How beneficial is vaping cannabis to respiratory health compared to smoking." Addiction 110.1 (2016): 1706-1707.

Yang, Chun-cheng. ""Production of a Fructus cannabis beverage." The Beverage Industry 12 (2012): 20.