Cannabis edibles offer a completely unique way to enjoy weed. However, taking edibles can be intimidating, especially if you are new to them or have had a negative experience. Luckily, ensuring a safe, responsible, and enjoyable experience with edibles is super easy. Read on to find out how.
How Many Edibles Should I Eat?
For most people, 1/4 is more than enough, also please don’t make the classic mistake of eating the rest of the brownie before it completely kicks in, as it would get gradually stronger,
Beginners Guide to Edibles
If you’re familiar with cannabis edibles then you’ll agree, that there is one major mistake many people make: accidentally eating too much.
Cannabis-infused foods and drinks are a healthy and effective alternative to smoking, and there are a few things newcomers should know before they take their first bite.
If you’re interested in this cannabis consumption method, here is a complete beginner’s guide to cannabis edibles.
You’ll discover the essential nuances around edibles and we’ll even get into some important dosing tips for THC edibles, and how to find the right edible for you.
What Are Cannabis Edibles?
Edibles, sometimes referred to as “medibles,” are cannabis-infused foods.
These food items typically contain “activated” cannabis.
“Activated” cannabis is plant material or oils that have been heated and chemically transformed into psychoactive substances that are easily used by the body.
Edible cannabis concoctions have been used by humans for thousands of years.
In Eastern Europe, edibles made from the cannabis plant were preferred among women and sometimes given to children as medicine.
In India, bhang has been used in food and drink as early as 2000 BC. Bhang is an edible preparation of psychoactive cannabis, used for medicines and spiritual purposes.
How Long Does It Take For Edibles To Take Effect?
When you inhale cannabis, onset of psychoactive and medicinal effects can occur within 15 minutes.
Edibles, however, need much longer to take effect. You may need between 30 minutes and two hours before you notice onset of effects.
The total length of time it takes before you experience effects from an edible varies from individual to individual.
This is why proper dosage for THC edibles can be a little tricky.
Your personal metabolic rate and whether or not you have eaten the edible on an empty stomach will impact the amount of time it takes for your body to break down the edible.
Since this delivery format has such a long activation time, it is recommended to wait until the AT LEAST two full hours after first trying an edible before increasing your dose.
Some experts suggest waiting as long as six to eight hours – or even until the next day.
Once you have figured out how a beginning dosage of an edible might affect you, you can slowly increase or decrease the dose over time.
How Long Do The Effects Of Edibles Last?
Not only do edibles have a longer onset time, but their effects can last up to six hours when appropriately dosed.
If you consume a particularly large amount, residual effects of the herb may still be felt within the first 24 hours.
However, the edible experience typically peaks within the first four hours after consuming.
The day after eating a high-dose cannabis edible, it is not uncommon to experience some fatigue, lethargy, headache, or simply feel like you are moving and thinking a little slower than normal.
While these effects are generally mild, this is the closest thing you can experience to a cannabis-induced “hangover”.
Why Are Edibles More Potent?
Edibles are more potent than other forms of cannabis because of the way that they are metabolized (broken down) by the body.
When you inhale cannabis, the active compounds in the herb are quickly absorbed by the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
From there, they make their way to fatty tissues like the brain where they connect with receptor sites on the surface of cells.
With inhaled cannabis, the peak experience typically occurs at about 30 minutes after consumption. The experience of inhaled cannabis only lasts two to three total hours at maximum.
Eating activated cannabis is different.
After being eaten, the edible must first be digested by the stomach and intestinal tract. It must also be metabolized by enzymes in the liver before the effects of the infused food can be felt.
Enzymes in the liver are what break down the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
When cannabis is eaten, THC is broken down into a more powerful compound called 11-hydroxy-THC.
This metabolite (breakdown product) is smaller than THC and is thought to more easily enter the brain than its precursor.
It is the way that THC is metabolized and digested that makes edibles both strong and long-lasting.
Can You Overdose On Cannabis Edibles?
It is impossible to fatally overdose on the herb, even when ingesting cannabis.
However, it is entirely possible to have an uncomfortable experience with edible cannabis.
An “overdose” on edibles will not cause you serious harm, though it might make for several hours of discomfort.
Some of the negative side effects of high-dose edible cannabis products include:
- Paranoia and anxiety
- Excessive drowsiness
- Skewed sense of time
- Slowed movement
- Red eyes
- Dry mouth
If you do experience too high of a dose, don’t panic.
The only thing you can do is wait it out.
There are however a few tips you might try to counteract a high that is too intense:
- Distract yourself with relaxing music or a favourite game.
- Chew on a couple of fresh peppercorn balls (can help ease THC-induced anxiety).
- Get some fresh air (be sure you have a ‘sitter’ if you go outside — safety first).
- Get some rest in bed.
- Try CBD (it can help modulate the THC in your system).
Again, in case of a cannabis edible overdose, no need to panic. You will feel uncomfortable for a while, but the cannabis in your system will not harm you.
And if you start with a small dose, 2.5 to 5 mg of THC, and are careful not to re-dose too quickly — you will likely not have any issues.
If you do take too much and experience discomfort, don’t let this put you off cannabis completely. Just listen to your body and take less next time for a much better experience.
Why Don’t I Feel The Effects Of A Cannabis Edible?
In some cases, you may not feel the effects of an edible even after waiting two hours.
If you do not feel the effects of an edible, it may be because of a phenomenon known as “first-pass metabolism.”
Sometimes, liver enzymes are very good at cleaning out unwanted compounds like THC.
Instead of breaking down THC into its more powerful metabolite, the compound is cleared from the body without effect.
First-pass metabolism is a problem that limits the effectiveness of many common substances, including pharmaceutical medications.
It’s because of this first-pass effect that some people may not experience strong effects from a cannabis-infused edible.
Eating a small meal before trying a cannabis edible may minimize this effect.
In fact, eating something fatty like cheese, avocado, or almond butter will help your body to better metabolize the THC and get the effects you desire.
Just be careful not to re-dose too quickly. You are best off waiting several hours before trying a larger dose.
Tips For Having A Good Experience With Edibles
If you have read stories about people’s experiences with edibles, chances are you have come across some horror stories.
Don’t let those stories deter you from trying edibles. It is very easy to have a great experience with edibles as long as you approach them with caution.
When you eat cannabis it goes into your bloodstream, and not your nervous system like when you smoke or vaporize cannabis.
As such, the effects are much stronger and last a lot longer. When cannabis is smoked or vaporized, the effects tend to last a couple of hours. But when you eat cannabis, the effects can last as long as 7 hours.
You will want to keep this in mind when you are consuming edibles, especially if you are new to cannabis. Other things that you need to keep in mind:
- Know exactly how much you are eating
- Start off with an edible that has 5-10 mg of THC
- It generally takes 45-90 minutes for a consumer to feel the effects of an edible
- Only eat more if after 1.5 hours you still don’t feel the desired effects
When it comes to edibles remember that you can always eat more to increase the effects, but once you have crossed a certain point the only thing that will help the overwhelming effects go away is letting time go by.
”“Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn’t the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit . . . unnatural?”
Bill Hicksstand-up comedian
