There are a million ways to use cannabis. You can smoke it, eat it, vaporize it, drink it, or consume it in just about any way thinkable. While many patients who have received a medical marijuana certification in Louisiana may be familiar with more traditional consumption methods, one product is somewhat unique in the market – metered dose inhalers.
In this article, we’ll cover what metered dose inhalers are, who they’re designed for, and how they stack up to comparable cannabis products in Louisiana!
What is a Metered-Dose Inhaler?
If you’ve ever seen someone with COPD or asthma use an inhaler, you’ll be familiar with how fast and easy they can provide critical relief. Traditional inhalers work by introducing a bronchodilator solution directly to air sacs in the lungs called alveoli. This provides incredible relief for people suffering from lung impairment and can be a lifesaver for those with severe asthma.
Metered-dose cannabis inhalers work exactly the same way!
Though instead of a solution designed to help impaired lung function, metered-dose cannabis inhalers provide a pure concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes to the alveoli in the lungs, which is one of the most effective transmission methods to get cannabis into your bloodstream.
This is because of the high level of bioavailability that this consumption method provides, which is defined as the ability or ratio of a substance to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Are Metered-Dose Inhalers Safe for the Lungs?
Metered-dose cannabis inhalers work identical to the same inhalers that asthma patients or those with impaired lungs use and are considered one of the healthiest ways to introduce cannabis to your body.
Cannabis inhalers are much safer than smoking cannabis because smoking cannabis causes the plant material to combust and create some toxic compounds that are linked to certain cancers.
Metered-dose cannabis inhalers also provide accurate dosing, you can determine the specific level of THC you’ll be ingesting with each breath from the inhaler, as well as a total THC content for the entire product itself.
Are Metered-Dose Inhalers Better Than Vaporizing?
Metered-dose inhalers are also a safer alternative to vaporizing, which is one of the healthier consumption methods for cannabis products.
Because concentrate extracts can contain residual solvents, or in the case of solventless extracts, contain large amounts of whole plant material, there will always be minute parts of the extract that will be undesirable for consumption, though typically safe in extremely small numbers.
Although vaporizing offers one of the healthiest alternatives to smoking cannabis, they are also one of the more complex products to properly dose. Often, concentrates are burned at a temperature that is far too high for their intended use, causing combustion of materials as a way to achieve larger volumes of smoke.
All these problems vanish with metered-dose inhalers because there is no possibility of combustion, and the ingredients are natural cannabinoids and terpenes only. There’s no residual solvents because there typically aren’t any solvents.
Especially for those with impaired lung function or conditions that prevent smoking cannabis, metered-dose inhalers offer one of the easiest and safest ways to get cannabis into your bloodstream.
And as an alternative to edibles, which can provide dosages that are in many cases too high for patients to be able to competently function after consuming them, metered-dose inhalers provide exact dosages and can be controlled very easily.
Where Can I Find Metered-Dose Inhalers in Louisiana?
As of right now (December 2021), there are metered-dose inhalers available at several pharmacies in Louisiana.
WellCanna partnered with LSU’s AgCenter, and currently maintains a line of metered-dose inhalers that provide ½ gram of cannabis oil, preset for 4mg dosing sessions in 0.5mg increments. That means you’ll be getting a 0.5mg THC hit with each inhale from the inhaler, and the devices are advertised for 150-200 uses.
These metered-dose inhalers are battery driven and come pre-charged and pre-filled with THC, cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes. The devices also have a light display that allows the patient to visibly observe the dosage that they are inhaling.
It’s likely that we’ll see more metered-dose inhaler products available at Louisiana pharmacies in the future, with new strains and flavors coming soon!
Get Your Louisiana Medical Marijuana Certification
Metered-dose inhalers are an incredibly effective and safer alternative for consuming cannabis in Louisiana. Offering precise dosing and natural ingredients, patients can find these products in many of the pharmacies in Louisiana.
Louisiana makes getting a medical marijuana certification simple and stress-free, and you can even get certified online for ease of use and convenience.
For questions about Louisiana’s medical marijuana program, or how to become a medical marijuana patient in Louisiana, consult with one of our trusted doctors and book an online medical marijuana appointment today!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Louisiana Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (833) 253-2943, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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