TOOL · CONSUMPTION METHODS

How much THC actually reaches you?

Compare bioavailability, onset and duration for the 5 main consumption methods — with an interactive effect timeline and per-dose calculation.

Key facts
Methods compared
smoking, vaporizer, edibles, oil, tincture
Bioavailability inhaled
10–35%
Bioavailability oral
4–20%
Usage
Free, no account
Origin
Indoor, Swiss producers
Members
—
across Switzerland
Last editorial review
20mg THC
2 mg (micro)20 mg (medium)200 mg (heavy)

e.g. 1 g flower at 20 % THC = 200 mg

Head-to-head comparison

Consumption methodBioavailabilityOnsetPeakDurationEffective THC in bloodstream
Vaporizer
Vaporising flower or oil
30–56 %1 min–5 min10 min–30 min2 h–4 h6–11.2mg
Joint / Bong
Combustion smoking of flower
10–35 %30 s–10 min15 min–30 min1.5 h–4 h2–7mg
Dab / Concentrate
Concentrates vaporised via rig or vape
40–65 %15 s–2 min5 min–15 min1 h–3 h8–13mg
Tincture (sublingual)
Oil under the tongue — mucosal
10–40 %10 min–45 min1 h–2 h4 h–6 h2–8mg
Edible
Cookies, gummies, drinks — digestion
4–20 %30 min–90 min1.5 h–4 h4 h–8 h0.8–4mg

Effect timeline

Bar shows: onset (lighter) · peak · comedown
Vaporizer
Joint / Bong
Dab / Concentrate
Tincture (sublingual)
Edible
0
1h
2h
4h
8h

Safety rules

  • With edibles, wait at least 2 hours before re-dosing.
  • Beginners: 5 mg THC for edibles, 1 draw on the vape.
  • Never combine cannabis + alcohol + driving — every combo amplifies risk.
  • Smoking is hard on lungs — vaporizer or tincture are gentler.

Your method, dialled in inside the club.

Members pick from lab-tested flower, vape cartridges and tinctures — with exact THC/CBD values per batch.

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Values are rounded averages from scientific literature (Huestis 2007, Grotenhermen 2003, MacCallum & Russo 2018). Individual response varies widely with tolerance, metabolism and context.

Methodology: how this tool calculates

The consumption method comparison contrasts smoking, vaporising, oral intake and topical use along four measurable axes: onset, duration, bioavailability and risk profile.

The calculation step by step

  1. 1. Onset

    Inhaled seconds to minutes, sublingual 15–45 minutes, oral 30–120 minutes, topical local with no systemic onset.

  2. 2. Duration

    Inhaled 2–4 hours, oral 4–8 hours. The later the onset, the longer and flatter the curve.

  3. 3. Bioavailability

    Inhaled around 25–30%, sublingual 12–35%, oral 6–20%. These ranges decide how much actually reaches circulation per milligram.

  4. 4. Risk profile

    Combustion creates pyrolysis products, vaporising largely avoids them, oral intake mainly carries overdosing risk through early redosing.

Worked example

  • Goal: even effect across an evening, no smoke exposure.
  • Smoking is ruled out by combustion; vaporising only partly fits due to short duration.
  • Oral: onset after 60–90 minutes, duration 4–8 hours, low bioavailability → higher mg amount needed.
  • Result: oral intake with a low starting dose and a single redose after 2 hours.

Limits of the method

  • All values are population averages; individual variation is substantial.
  • Product quality and preparation (decarboxylation, fat carrier) shift oral absorption considerably.
  • The comparison assesses pharmacokinetics, not the legal status of a consumption method.

Data basis

  • Pharmacokinetic review literature on cannabinoids.
  • Prevention and harm-reduction guidance from Swiss agencies.

Frequently asked questions about the tool

Is vaporising really gentler than smoking?

Yes: staying below pyrolysis temperature avoids combustion by-products, which markedly reduces exposure to harmful compounds.

Why do edibles feel so inconsistent?

Because oral uptake depends on stomach contents, fat and liver metabolism; bioavailability varies by a factor of three or more.

Do topicals work systemically?

Usually not. Balms and creams act locally in the skin and barely reach measurable blood levels.

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