One of the best and most effective ways to absorb cannabinoids is through a liquid beverage. As far as edibles go however, drinks are not the most popular for some reason. However, marijuana beverages are some of my favorite edibles for a number of reasons.

When consuming edibles, there are two different absorption methods: an oral uptake and a gastrointestinal uptake. Both of these methods have their own benefits and differences.

Oral uptake involves things like tinctures, candies, sprays, and the like. These all involve a form of THC that is absorbed through the user’s saliva, and makes its way to the blood faster. The effects are normally quick to onset, and the high tends to last less time than the gastrointestinal method.

The gastrointestinal uptake are what people associate with edibles more often, things like brownies, chocolates, chex mix, and many others. This way of consuming edibles takes longer to feel the effects, up to an hour or two, due to the fact that the food has to digest to be absorbed into the blood stream. The high from these edibles, while taking longer to onset, tends to last much longer than the oral method and is often more intense than people expected, often because users do not wait for the effects to take hold before consuming more.

Marijuana drinks, however, are a wonderful mixture between the two. There is an amount of THC absorbed through saliva that allows for a quick, almost immediate feeling of a high, and there is THC absorbed through the stomach and digestive tract, making the high last a good while too. So, they are one of the most perfect balances of edibles.

The absorption rate of marijuana drinks is also another benefit. Smoking marijuana is one of the worst ways to absorb THC, and has one of the lowest rates. With edibles, THC is absorbed at a much higher rate, and drinks often absorb a little better than regular edibles.

Marijuana infused drinks often have lower doses of THC than other edibles, normally due to this absorption fact. Most drinks often contain 100 mg of THC or less. There are several exceptions however, like CannaPunch. Their OMG Sons of Sativa drinks contain 200 mg of THC, one of the highest concentrations of THC in a beverage, making this a favorite of those with a high edible tolerance. Dixie Elixirs normally contain 100 mg of THC, also towards the higher end of infused beverages, although they recently also came out with a 200 mg drink as well.

Other beverages, like Quigley’s, only have 50 mg of THC, and that’s their higher option, with the other being 10 mg, which is fairly common. These drinks are much better suited for “light weights” or those new to edibles or cannabis in general.

Despite marijuana infused beverages not being popular, they are some of the best type of edibles due to how they’re absorbed. They also taste decent, especially in the darker sodas like colas. This is coming from a guy who hates sweet edibles, too.

Collegian Blogger Dylan Simonson can be reached online at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @DylanSimonson0.