Different Types of Marijuanas Products:
16 Marijuana Product Formulations You Should Know

It’s safe to say that the types of marijuanas products are many and growing every day. Whether you’re new to cannabis products or not, it can be a challenge to stay on top of the selection of goodies on offer online or at your favorite local dispensary.

Not to worry — we’ll cover the common kinds of weed products so you know what’s what. By the time you’re done reading this, hopefully you’ll feel confident in your knowledge of the different types of THC products available to you.

Kinds of Marijuana Items — An Overview

To get you oriented, this high-level information may be helpful when we delve deeper into the wide world of pot products in the next section.
Administration Methods
Cannabis items are either for internal use or external use. They come in many preparation styles that can be consumed in one or more of the following ways:
  • Orally (ingested)
  • Sublingually
  • Topically
  • Transdermally
  • Intranasally
  • Smoking
  • Vaping
  • Inhaling
  • Injection
Not Just For People
Just a fast final note before we dive in, we’re focusing on cannabis products for people. But, there are tons of similar products and formulations designed especially for animals out there as well. Our non-human friends can benefit from the power of plants, too!

How To Consume Different Types of Marijuana Products

We also wanted to mention a few things about consuming cannabis because informed, responsible, and sensible cannabis use is the best approach.

  • Most cannabis products are intended for adult use.
  • Always read and heed the product instructions and guidelines. They should be on the packaging, inserts, and/or labeling.
  • Wash your hands before and after applying or using cannabis products.
  • If you have a health condition or are taking medications or supplements, it’s advisable to consult with your doctor before starting to take cannabis.

What Are the Different Types of Marijuanas Products for Medical or Personal Use?

If you’ve poked around anywhere that’s selling weed products, you know that the list of dispensary items is very loooong! It seems you can find a cannabis product for just about any need.

With that in mind, here’s a fairly exhaustive rundown of the types of marijuana products you may find on the market. So, next time you’re wondering, “What do they sell at dispensaries?” — there’s a good chance it’s a plentiful mix of these goods.

Flower (aka Buds)

These are the holy grails of the cannabis plants. They’re packed with tons of plant goodness — cannabinoids, terpenes, and more.

Your local dispensary probably has a mind-boggling selection of different strains, each with its own taste, scent, and effect profile. Some varieties may be more recreational, while others are more medicinal.

The flower you find for sale has probably been dried, cured, and packaged in jars, tins, or bags.

How to Use Flower Types of Marijuana Products*

Buds can be smoked in a joint or pipe of some sort. This is the most common way for consuming flower. There’s no need to decarb buds that will be smoked as the smoking process achieves the same effect as decarboxylation.

Flower can also be ingested. Raw cannabis can be consumed (in foods and beverages) for the potential nutritional benefits it offers.(6) But, to get the full force of marijuana (or CBD for that matter), the flower needs to be decarboxylated. When making edibles or homemade cannabis goods (e.g., infused butter, hand salve, etc.), the cannabis should be decarbed before extraction or infusion.
Pros
Readily available & accessible
Versatile
Lots of product options
Control of product preparation
One simple ingredient
Often cheaper than other product types
Accessible to many medical marijuana users
Cons
Smoking is hazardous to one's health
Hard to dose accurately and consistently
Can get moldy or spoil if not properly stored
May contain harmful residuals from the growing or manufacturing process
May require specialized, often expensive, equipment to use
Can be a hassle/time consuming to prep

Edibles

Including Gummies, Candy, Foods & Beverages
If your marijuana comes in a form that you have to chew, sip, or suck on — it’s an edible! Edibles are ingested products and can include baked goods, chocolates, jellies, teas, milks, and more. You may find them pre-made and ready to consume, or you can make your own.

Once you’ve downed your edible, it travels through your digestive system. The cannabinoids enter your bloodstream from there.

How to Consume Edible Types of Cannabis Products*

An appropriate amount — e.g., a serving — is eaten or drunk.
Pros
Unlimited options of edibles (if you’re willing to make your own)
Quick and easy to consume
Great for newbees
A range of doses/potencies available
Single-serve items make dosing simple
Many edibles are in travel-friendly formats/sizes
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
May provide a more gradual onset, high, come-down than some other formulations
Cons
Slower acting than formulations that enters the bloodstream directly
Perishables have a short shelf life
Ready-made products may not be widely available or may be prohibited in your area
Ever-changing legal landscape
No definitive regulatory oversight of manufacturing or product quality
Not suitable for those who have difficulty swallowing
Some products may be hard to properly dose
Good or Bad? You Decide!
Effects may last longer
Systemic effects
May have lots of ingredients besides cannabis

Pre-Rolls

As you might guess from the name, pre-rolls are already-made-for-you cannabis cigarettes. They come in a whole slew of varieties: different fillings, wrappers, potencies, sizes, shapes, and quantities.

How to Enjoy Pre-Roll Types of Medical & Recreational Marijuana Products*

Pre-rolls are lit up and smoked like a regular cigarette or homemade joint.
Pros
Convenient
Quick onset of effects
Portable
Readily available
Lots of product options
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
No mess or fuss
Highly effective delivery method
Cons
Smoking is harmful to lungs
May contain other ingredients that are harmful
Expensive
Smoking can lead to tooth, nail, or skin discoloration
Smoking can accelerate the aging process and wrinkles

Concentrates

Concentrates are just what they sound like — extremely concentrated forms of cannabis extract. In these products, the percentage of THC (or other cannabinoids or terpenes) is typically very high.

Common forms of marijuana concentrates include: oil, hash, rosin, wax, shatter, budder & crumble, sugar, sauce, and sand.

How to Consume Concentrate Types of Cannabis Products*

Cannabis concentrates are smoked or dabbed using a dab rig, nectar collector, or vape device.
Pros
Lots of different product options
Widely available
Quick onset of effects
High potency
Purer form of cannabis
May be easier to discern the nature and magnitude of the product’s effect on your body
Cons
Smoking is harmful to lungs
May require having specialized smoking/dabbing paraphernalia
May contain harmful residuals from the growing or manufacturing process
Can be messy
Smoking can lead to tooth, nail, or skin discoloration
Smoking can accelerate the aging process and wrinkles
Greater risk of burn injury
Possible legal risks

Vapables

These are all the rage these days. Vapables are products that you’d use with a vaporizer. The devices heat up the concentrate so that its compounds are released and aerosolized.

How to Consume Marijuana Vapable Products*

The vapables are available as an oil in a cartridge that is then loaded on a battery to heat and vaporize. Once the product is loaded into a vaping device, it is then activated and operated per its instructions. The cannabis-infused vapors the device produces are then inhaled.
Pros
Highly effective delivery method (5)
May be safer than smoking
Quick onset of effects
High potency
Convenient
Portable
Can be a very discreet consumption method
Lots of device and flavor options
Cons
Can still be harmful to lungs
Likely contains other harmful ingredients
Can be tricky to get the hang of at first
Often more expensive than other options
Devices usually require batteries or charging

Tinctures & Drops

Cannabis tinctures and oil drops are ubiquitous. They’re many and pervasive!

Tinctures and drops are a form of cannabis product made by diffusing the compounds of marijuana or hemp into a solution or carrier oil. The result is a dilution of cannabis that’s user-ready.

This kind of marijuana preparation offers a lot of flexibility. It can be administered in a number of ways. It can be used as-is or integrated into other things (e.g., DIY edibles or topicals).

How to Consume Tincture-Types of Marijuana Products*

Tinctures and drops can be taken orally, sublingually, and/or topically. They can be consumed straight-up or added to recipes.
Pros
Infinitely versatile!
Quick and easy to use
Great for newbees
Usually fast-acting
Long shelf life with proper storage
Widely available in a variety of sizes, flavors, and potencies
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Appropriate for daily usage routines
Cons
Some may have an undesirable taste or aroma
Can be difficult to accurately do partial doses
May contain harmful residuals from the growing or manufacturing process
Messy if spilled or not carefully administered
Not in travel-friendly formats/sizes
Not suitable for those who have difficulty swallowing
Good or Bad? You Decide!
Systemic effects if taken internally
Localized effects if used externally

Topicals

Including Creams, Lotions, Oils, Tinctures, Serums & Ointments
Topical marijuana comes in a range of products, from lip balms to bath bombs to massage oils to lubes. They’re an easy go-to for beauty and wellness applications. As such, topicals can have a place in both medical and personal care regimens.

With topicals, the THC and other cannabinoids tend stay near the surface of the skin — they don’t enter the bloodstream in the same way as other formulations might. Because of this, topical marijuana products are likely to have a more localized, shorter-lasting effect.

How to Use Topical Cannabis Items*

Topicals are for use on top of the skin. The topical of choice is simply rubbed into the skin at the desired area.
Pros
Easy to use
Readily available
Great for newbees
Available in a ton of varieties to suit diverse needs
Near-immediate onset of effects
Long shelf life
Some products may be in travel-friendly formats/sizes
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Appropriate for daily usage routines
Cons
Can be messy to apply
May transfer to other surfaces
Hard to gauge dosing
Difficult to be precise or consistent with application
May require more frequent re-application
May be expensive
Good or Bad? You Decide!
Effects wear off sooner (often within a few hours)
Localized — not systemic — effects
May have lots of ingredients besides cannabis

Capsules, Softgels & Tablets

Marijuana also comes in pill forms. The different kinds of pills — softgels, capsules, and tablets — have their own unique features. Some are oil-based; some are coated; some have time-release mechanisms.

How to Take Pill Types of Marijuana Products*

Regardless of variety, softgels, capsules, and tablets are intended for internal use via oral consumption.
Pros
Extremely quick and convenient
Precise dosing
Easy to use
Widely available in a range of doses, and quantities
Travel-friendly formats/sizes
Good shelf life with proper storage
May provide a more gradual onset, high, come-down than some other formulations
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Appropriate for daily usage routines
Cons
Relatively expensive per dose
Not suitable for those who have difficulty swallowing
Partial dosing may not be possible
Good or Bad? You Decide!
Effects may last longer
Systemic effects
Frequently available as functional wellness formulations (e.g., sleep, mood, or muscle recovery aids)
May have lots of ingredients besides cannabis

Transdermal Patches & Gels

Transdermal products are similar to topicals in that they’re designed for external use and go on the surface of your skin. But, there are significant differences that set transdermals apart — like their formulation and how long the effects last.

Transdermal gel is specially made to deliver substances through the skin and into the bloodstream in a time-release manner. Patches are pre-loaded with transdermal gel.

Transdermal patches and gels are commonly used by those with persistent, recurring, or chronic body aches.

How to Use Transdermal Medical Cannabis Products*

It’s important to be careful when using transdermal products so as to not get the gel anywhere but its target area. They should only be applied to clean, dry, unbroken skin. It may be necessary to change the application site each time. Patches and gels are intended to be put on the skin over the trouble zone.
Pros
Patches last for a long time (Some can be worn for hours or days.)
Quick onset of effects
Sustained or prolonged effects
Patches are readily available
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Patches are no mess or fuss
Highly effective delivery method (1)
Cons
Expensive
Gels not as commonly accessible
Gels are messy
High risk of contaminating other surfaces (e.g., other areas of body, clothing, etc.)
May not be able to reapply in same spot
Can’t use patches on irritated skin or areas with hair

Sprays & Mists

Squirtable marijuana? Yup! Oral, nasal, and facial cannabis sprays are a thing. They simply have a liquid that’s infused with THC, CBD, and other plant compounds. You’ll see cannabis sprays for an assortment of beauty and personal care purposes.

Effects and other usage characteristics depend on which type of spray you opt for. Oral and nasal sprays will cross the tissue barrier and enter the bloodstream like sublingual/ingested and intranasal products. Facial sprays are topicals.

How to Use Sprayable Types of Cannabis Products*

Oral sprays are spritzed into the mouth, nasal sprays are spritzed into the nose, and facial sprays are spritzed onto the face.
Pros
Convenient
Easy to use
Quick onset of effects
Readily available
Relatively fast acting
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Great for those who have difficulty swallowing
Decent shelf life with proper storage
Cons
Imprecise application and dosing
May be difficult to do partial doses
Not necessarily a great option for travel

Dissolvable Strips

You may be able to find marijuana-laced tabs. These work like those breath strips that you place in your mouth and let melt away. Some of the cannabis will enter your system sublingually while the rest is ingested.

How to Consume Strip-Type Cannabis-Infused Products*

The strip goes under the tongue and is left there to [quickly] dissolve.
Pros
Portable & convenient
Rapid onset of effects
Dosing is variable, easy and precise
Great for travel or on-the-go people
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Sublingual administration is a relatively effective delivery method
No mess or fuss
Cons
Not as easy to find
Taste may be off-putting, especially for higher-dosed strips
May contain other ingredients that are harmful
Fragile — easily ruined if they get wet or are in a humid environment

Intranasal Creams & Gels

The main distinction between these and run-of-the-mill topicals is that intranasal creams and gels are immediately absorbed through the nasal membranes. This means the cannabis directly enters the bloodstream and essentially impacts your body like an internal-use product.

How to Get the Most from Intranasal Marijuana Products*

Intranasal creams are dabbed onto the insides of the nostrils and gently, but thoroughly, rubbed in. It can help to lightly press the nostrils together after applying the product to help ensure coverage.
Pros
Highly effective delivery method (2)
Quick absorption and onset of effects (3)
Easy to use
Portable
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Cons
Not as available as other products
Could be messy
May contain other ingredients that are harmful

Suppositories

At first blush, this may seem surprising. But, there’s definitely a place for cannabis products that are inserted into the bum or vagina. Most often they’re used for therapeutic purposes, like alleviating pain.(4)

Depending on the product and way it’s use, suppositories can act like a topical and/or like internally-consumed cannabis. This is because the groin area has areas of membranes or very thin skin that let the cannabis pass through to the bloodstream.

How to Use Suppository Types of Medical Cannabis Products*

It may take some practice and finesse, but basically the product is positioned at the opening of the rectum/vagina and then pushed in with the finger.
Pros
Can be a very effective delivery method
Onset of effects is fairly rapid
Portable (usually individually wrapped)
Pre-dosed for ease and convenience
Readily available
Doesn’t require any special accessories or equipment to use
Cons
Some may find application of suppositories uncomfortable
Could be tricky to get the hang of using
May contain other ingredients that are harmful

Inhalers

Cannabis inhalers look and function like asthma inhalers. A little pressurized metal canister filled with a marijuana-infused solution fit snugly into a plastic actuator that has a metering valve.

Because of the anti-inflammatory and bronchodilation properties of cannabis, this formulation is aimed at addressing airway ailments.

How to Take Inhaler-Based Medical Marijuana Products*

There’s a bit of art and science that goes into proper use of an inhaler. The gist, though, is that one deeply breathes in (through the mouth) the aerosolized marijuana that’s expressed from the canister when it’s pushed on.
Pros
Highly effective delivery method (5)
Portable & convenient
Quick onset of effects
Pre-dosed for ease
No mess or fuss
Cons
Not as widely available as other formulations
May contain other ingredients that are harmful

Isolates

aka Crystals or Crystalline
This is the purest form of cannabis. The processing techniques extract and isolate a single cannabinoid — like THC or CBD. All other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. are stripped away. What’s left is almost 100% pure crystals, which are often pulverized into powder. Isolates have no flavor, fragrance, or color.

Many isolates require heating or decarbing to yield the full effect of the cannabinoid.

How to Use Isolate Marijuana Products*

Isolates can be taken orally or smoked. They may be used as-is alone or incorporated into things like tinctures or capsules. Crystalline can also be added to other cannabis products to amplify the effects.
Pros
Versatile
Highly concentrated
High potency
Retain tons of control over dosing
Readily available
Cons
Can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing
Not ideal for newbees
Highly processed product
No benefit from other cannabinoids or plant compounds
May contain harmful residuals from the growing or manufacturing process

Injections

We’re including these here because they do exist. But, injectable marijuana products are only used in certain medical or research settings.

How to Consume Injectable Medical Marijuana Products*

Don’t. It’s not intended for personal use or administration. Generally, it’s only delivered this way by a professional as part of a formal clinical study.
Pros
Medically prepared and supervised in a controlled environment
Cons
It’s dangerous. Don’t do it.

What Are the Different Types of Marijuanas Products for Medical or Personal Use?

As you can see, there’s no shortage of marijuana dispensary products. You could try something new every day if that strikes your fancy!

But, to dial in to the cannabis formulations and products that work for you — you’ll really have to assess your needs and preferences, consider the pros and cons of each preparation, and do some research. It may take some trial, error, and patience, too!

A good first step is to browse the internet or go down to your local dispensary. Explore the personal and medical marijuana products for sale. Get answers to your questions. And, when you’re ready, maybe give a few products a try.

Resources

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*FDA Disclaimer: These statements and products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
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