Nearly half of all adults in the United States have admitted to using marijuana. As cannabis continues to go mainstream, people are starting to discover that there are ways to consume the drug other than just smoking it.
One of the most popular ways to consume marijuana is by eating cannabis edibles. While marijuana edibles are a great way to feel the effects of THC, it’s also not the cakewalk that it first appears to be.
It’s very easy to eat too many edibles. And it’s not uncommon to hear about people taking too high of a dose by accident. Luckily for you, we’re here to help. So keep on reading and we’ll take you through our highly informative beginner guide to cannabis edibles.
Table of Contents
What Are Cannabis Edibles?
Cannabis edibles are foods and drinks that have been infused with cannabis. These foods contain “activated” cannabis. For people who don’t know, consuming the raw cannabis plant won’t actually get you high. You need to heat the oils or the plant material so that the substance can be chemically transformed and used by the body.
Edible marijuana has actually been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years. In India, people would consume a milkshake-like drink called bhang that contained marijuana and other spices.
In Western countries, you can find many different types of edibles. People like to put it in drinks like cola and lemonade. You’ll also find cannabis in pasta sauces, pastries, candies, olive oil, gummies, and much more.
How Are Edibles Different from Other Types of Cannabis?
It is important to understand that eating marijuana is not the same as smoking it. In fact, you’ll get a much stronger high when you consume weed edibles than when you inhale weed.
Both types of marijuana can give you the notorious marijuana high. Edibles are going to give you more of a high that’s centered around the body. When you smoke weed, you tend to get more of a “head high.”
If you’ve only ever smoked marijuana then you might be surprised by how strong cannabis edibles are. While edibles aren’t going to intoxicate as badly as consuming too much alcohol will, you’ll still want to take it slow when just starting out.
You should only consume a very low dose of cannabis edibles at the start. Then, as your tolerance gets better, you can work your way up to a dose that you’re comfortable with.
What Are the Benefits of Edibles?
For people who are new to cannabis, they might prefer to start with edibles instead of smoking the herb. Eating cannabis is much less complicated and intimidating. There are a number of benefits to eating cannabis edibles. First off, it’s a lot easier to measure out the dose, whether you make them yourself or buy them from a supplier.
You’ll also experience more powerful and longer effects. It’s also simpler to consume edibles and you’ll get more of a body high, which is usually preferred. Some people can’t vape or smoke marijuana because it’s too harsh on their throats. It can also make you cough a lot and make people nauseous. Plus, the smell of smoking weed can be pungent and off-putting.
Edibles are inconspicuous, simple, convenient, and efficient. In fact, you can even get edibles delivered right to your door with services like Get Sava (https://www.getsava.com/edibles-delivery/).
How Long Does It Take for Edibles to Take Effect?
If you’re looking for an immediate high then edibles aren’t for you. After smoking marijuana, you’re likely to feel the effects in just a couple of minutes. When it comes to edibles, it might take thirty minutes to a few hours before you start to feel the effects.
Of course, it’s going to vary from person to person when it comes to how quickly the edibles take effect. This is why it can be a little difficult to get the dosage right.
Each person’s body metabolizes food at a different rate. Also, if you’ve eaten before or if your stomach is empty will impact how quickly the edibles affect you. Your body needs to break down the edible. So if you just ate a big meal right before then it’s going to take longer for the drug to take effect. If you take an edible and don’t feel anything, you shouldn’t immediately take more. You should generally wait a few hours before you take more.
How Long Do the Effects of Edibles Last?
Edibles don’t just take longer to kick in. When you finally do start to feel their effects, you could end up experiencing them for up to six hours. If you take a large dose of edibles then you might end up feeling residual effects for as long as one day.
With all that said, the effects of edibles tend to peak within the first four hours. You’ll likely have an edible hangover the day after consuming a lot of edibles. This hangover can consist of headaches, lethargy, and fatigue. You might have brain fog and not want to do a whole lot that day.
Why Are Edibles so Powerful?
Edibles are stronger than other forms of marijuana because of how the body breaks them down. When you smoke or vape marijuana, the active compounds in the plant are absorbed quickly by the lungs and go straight into the bloodstream.
From that point, they move to the fatty tissues like the brain. Here, they connect with receptors that are on the surface of the cells. When you smoke marijuana, the effects tend to peak around thirty minutes after you inhale. The total experience will usually only last for around two to three hours.
It’s much different when you eat cannabis. After the edibles are consumed, the substance first needs to be digested in the intestinal tract and the stomach. It also needs to be broken down by enzymes that are in the liver. These liver enzymes are going to break down the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is what’s responsible for the psychoactive effects.
When you eat marijuana, the THC is actually broken down into a more potent compound known as 11-hydroxy-THC. The material that gets broken down is smaller than THC. This means that it is more easily able to get to the brain than when you smoke THC. Edibles last longer and are stronger because of the way in which THC is broken down.
Can You Overdose on Weed Edibles?
It’s not possible to overdose on marijuana. Whether you smoke it or eat it, you won’t die. With that said, it is possible and fairly easy to have an uncomfortable experience with edibles if you don’t dose them properly.
When people talk about overdosing on edibles, they don’t talk about actually dying or becoming seriously ill. Instead, you’ll be uncomfortable for several hours. Some of the negative effects that come with taking too many edibles are red eyes, dry mouth, and slow movement. You also might have a skewed sense of time, feel very drowsy, and become anxious, paranoid, and nauseous.
If you start to feel that you’re too high, don’t panic. The only thing that you can do is wait it out. Remember that you took a psychoactive drug and the effects will be over soon. There are several things that you can do to alleviate the negative symptoms. This can include lying down in bed, getting some fresh air, and distracting yourself with a game or some music. You can also chew on some fresh peppercorn balls to help ease the anxiety. Remind yourself that cannabis can’t hurt your body. And if you start with a low dose then you likely won’t have to worry about these problems.
Why Don’t I Feel the Effects of a Marijuana Edible?
Sometimes, even if you wait for several hours, you won’t feel the effects of a cannabis edible. If you don’t feel the effects then it might be due to something known as “first-pass metabolism.”
This is when the enzymes in the liver are too efficient and clean out compounds like THC. Instead of breaking down THC into something that the body can use, the enzymes clear the compound out completely. First-pass metabolism isn’t just for marijuana. People who take prescription medications will also experience it sometimes.
You can reduce the chances of this happening by eating some food before taking an edible. In fact, eating foods that are high in fat, like almond butter, avocados, and butter can help the body better absorb the THC.
How Do You Make Cannabis Edibles?
For a lot of people, they can just go to a vendor and buy a pack of edibles. But some people prefer a DIY approach. Luckily, it’s actually pretty easy to make your own edibles. Of course, you need to remember to activate the cannabis before you make the edible. Most of the time, edibles are made by infusing activated cannabis with some kind of cooking oil.
Marijuana compounds are fat-soluble. This means that they melt into fatty substances. A lot of baked goods are made with coconut oil, milk, olive oil, or butter that has been infused with cannabis. Oils are infused with cannabis by using low heat over a long period of time. You can activate dry cannabis by baking it in the oven at a low temperature. You need a low temperature so that you don’t burn the cannabis.
You don’t want to activate cannabis with high heat. Temperatures below 340 F are ideal.
How to Dose Cannabis Edibles?
Properly dosing your cannabis edibles are going to depend on your own preferences and tolerance. With that said, there are several states that have put a limit on how much THC can be in a serving size for edibles.
If you’re a beginner, you usually want to start at five milligrams or lower of THC. Ten milligrams can be fairly strong for someone who is new to edibles. Sometimes, a person taking edibles for medical reasons will need to take a higher dose. This dose should be determined by a doctor.
Tips for Having a Good Time With Cannabis Edibles
When it comes to edibles, it’s very easy to have a wonderful experience and also easy to have a terrible time. Just because someone had an awful time with edibles doesn’t mean that they aren’t for you.
As long as you approach edibles with caution, you should be able to have a nice, enjoyable experience. When you’re planning on consuming edibles, it is important that you know exactly how much you are going to eat. You should start off with two to ten milligrams of THC.
Remember that it could take up to two hours to feel the effects and you shouldn’t up your dose until several hours after that. You can always eat more edibles to increase their potency. However, you can’t reduce what you’ve already eaten. That’s why it’s best to start small and work your way up.
The Importance of Knowing About Cannabis Edibles
Hopefully, after reading the above guide, you now have a better idea of what cannabis edibles are, how they work, and the effects that they can have. Cannabis edibles aren’t meant for everyone but if you follow our guide then you should be able to increase your chances of having an enjoyable experience.
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