Edibles

Edibles mean all possible kinds of cannabis-infused food. Marijuana can be potentially infused in any product: from muffins to pizza, from guacamole to bacon. You may be curious what one can expect from edibles, how intense effects are and how long they last. We are here to discuss it.

Edibles are an alternative to traditional joints for those who can not tolerate smoking. They provide a discreet way to consume cannabis. Also, infused goodies offer stronger calming and relaxing effects than pure smoking or vaporizing. It poses a danger: this effect is hard to predict and may vary. If edibles are consumed responsibly, they provide body-focused effects and are excellent to those who suffer from pain or eating disorders. That is why it is important to know facts before trying to eat or cook something for yourself.

What are edibles?

When someone mentions edibles, people bring up marijuana brownies. Edibles are more than that; cannabis-infused products come in many forms. Many patients choose them because smoking can irritate their throats, or they care about hazardous health effects of it. Also, cannabis-infused products are much more efficient than vaporizing and provide longer lasting relief to pain.

Edibles can be sativa- or indica-specific. However, don’t jump to conclusion. Experiments show that it is hard to figure out what the possible outcomes of consuming strain-specific edible. It is an individual response that is hard to predict.

How do they work?

Smoking takes cannabinoids to the body through the lungs. There they go right into your bloodstream so that you can feel a difference almost immediately. Edibles go another way, to the gastrointestinal tract. When you consume marijuana through the edibles, THC passes through the liver and converts there into 11-hydroxy-THC. After that cannabinoids come to the bloodstream and kick more intense. That is why cookies or candies take longer to work, up to 60 minutes compared to 10 minutes after inhaling. The effects can last for 4-12 hours and are mostly body-high due to a different kind of metabolism involved.

Effects of edibles are tricky to predict, so there are some things that every patient needs to consider:

How to eat and dose edibles?

There is one rule you need to know: go small and wait. The way edibles are metabolized, it takes around an hour to kick in. Also, effects are longer than you can expect. Patients report stronger body effects. Some edibles could deliver psychedelic head high if a large dose were consumed. You need to be careful, or you’ll be having a bad time.

It is hard to determine how many THC is present in homemade goodies. Professional distributors can measure it more precise, but even they struggle to know the exact dosage. Coupled with a delay between eating and feeling, it can lead to overestimating the dosage.

State laws require indicating the total dose of THC and number of servings. For example, in Colorado, 10 milligrams of THC/CBD are considered a ‘standard’ dose. It is enough to deliver mild effects.
The dose of 100 mg is much more potent, and you need to be careful while consuming it. Split the product into several portions and try to wait before eating the next piece. Just to be clear: 100 milligrams can be found in a single chocolate bar.

If you feel paranoia, can not coordinate your movement and experience hallucinations, you have an overdose. The first rule is not to panic. Try to wait for a couple of hours. Stay hydrated and eat something else.

Always pay attention to the package. Check the dosage. Find out your comfortable way to consume edibles. Don’t be shy and experiment. Remember: you can not be precise when you cook your homemade edibles. Don’t overdo it.

Edibles are a convenient way to ingest marijuana and a healthy alternative to smoking. It is still a long way to strict regulations for edible testing and accurate labeling, so be sure that you are careful when consuming these delicious treats.

Edibles are for you if: