Can You Inject Cannabis?

Ever wondered what would happen if you were to inject cannabis products?

“Injecting marijuana.” We’ve all seen the memes. It doesn’t take half a brain to know that it’s hyperbole. But what would happen if you were to try it?

Today, Chronic Haze seeks to answer that which should not be asked: can you “inject marijuana”? And if you did, what would happen? If you’re the morbidly-curious type, read on.

Disclaimer: The following information is intended for educational purposes. Intravenous use of cannabis products is highly unsafe and can lead to poor health outcomes. Only use cannabis products in their intended method, and under no circumstance should you ever inject cannabis products.

“Injecting Marijuana”?

When we ask if a particular method of using cannabis will work, we are actually asking about the bioavailability of cannabis in said method.

Bioavailability refers to how much of an ingested chemical your body is able to use. For example, when you smoke cannabis, recent studies state that you only absorb between 10-35%. When you eat cannabis products, that amount becomes 4-12%.

Conversely, toxicity refers to the amount at which the ingested chemical becomes dangerous. This changes depending on the ingestion method; the same amount can be toxic when ingested in a different way. For example, the amount you’d normally take orally will hit differently if you, say, take it as a suppository (yes, it’s possible).

So why are we telling you this? Basically, you can inject THC. This makes sense; when you smoke cannabis, the cannabinoids travel from your lungs to your bloodstream before making it to your brain. Injecting the chemical simply takes a step out of the process.

However, the bioavailability changes. In this case, the absorbable amount increases (we weren’t able to find an exact figure). This means that injecting THC produces stronger effects than you’d experience from a joint or an edible. What exactly happens? We’ll explain below.

So What Happens If You Do It?

It probably won’t surprise you that intravenous use of delta-9-THC has been applied in a research context. Scientists have experimented with injecting THC for research on psychotic illnesses. The results were pretty clear-cut, though.

A Connecticut study published in 2004 took 22 individuals and injected them with either 2.5mg THC, 5mg THC, or a placebo. After three days of continuous injections, they found that the subjects who received THC experienced schizophrenia-like symptoms. Additionally, they had higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), as well as memory and speech issues.

But that’s just in a research setting. What might actually surprise you (or not) is that there are users that have experimented with recreational injecting. And it didn’t go so well for them.

In the 1970s and 1980s, there were 25 known cases where cannabis users experimented with intravenous methods. Specifically, they boiled cannabis flower into a “broth” and filtered it through a cloth before injecting it. The users experienced nausea, vomiting, muscle pains, and cardiovascular issues following the injections.

The condition was termed “intravenous marijuana syndrome” by experts and was said to be potentially life-threatening. Fortunately, there haven’t been any known cases following these incidents, indicating that cannabis users have gotten a lot smarter since.

So what’s the takeaway here? It’s pretty simple: don’t inject cannabis products. It’s not worth it. You’ll just end up hurting yourself and wasting your product. There are better ways to get stoned into oblivion if that’s what you’re looking for (try these, for example).

Wanna Learn More?

As long as you’re not injecting them, Chronic Haze has plenty of cannabis products that we’re sure you’ll enjoy! We do same-day delivery and curbside pickup in select Ontario cities, as well as nationwide delivery all across Canada!

If you’re looking to buy cannabis online, visit our online store, make an account, and experience the difference today!

And while we’re on the topic of what not to do, check out this blog post on why you shouldn’t hit blinkers with your vape pen!