Edibles are a discreet and convenient way to consume cannabis, particularly for those who cannot tolerate smoke.
Made by infusing cannabis with food, many find that edibles offer a high that is more calm and relaxing than smoking pot.
On the other hand, the effects of edibles can be hard to predict and tend to differ between individuals.
Before sinking your teeth into edibles, do yourself a favor and get to know the facts.
What are Edibles?
When thinking of edibles, my mind usually screams marijuana brownies. But edibles actually come in many shapes and sizes. These include cookies, gummies, hard candies, chocolate bars and so on and so on.
Unlike smoking cannabis, where cannabinoids enter the body through the lungs, edibles introduce cannabinoids through the gastrointestinal tract. The result is a high that is much more intense and lasts much longer.
Some edibles products are manufactured to contain as much as 100 miligrams of THC, and therefore should be used for multiple servings. Other edibles have lower dosages of THC such as 5 or 10 miligrams.
Effects of Edibles
There is a large difference between eating and smoking cannabis that should be kept in mind. This is 'cause the active ingredients are absorbed by different parts of the body.
The most traditional form of ingestion is smoking marijuana by pipe, joint, blunt or a bong. The effect from smoking pot generally affects users immediately, but also begins to diminish quite fast.
Marijuana edibles take longer to start working - usually 30 to 60 minutes. However, the effects can last between 4 to 12 hours depending on the dose.
Edibles are often a preferred method for ingesting cannabis because of the negative impact smoking has on one's health.
Additionally, edibles can be discreetly consumed in places where smoking is not allowed.
The high that we get from edibles tends to be more relaxing than the high experienced through smoking, giving you more of a ''body'' high rather than a ''head'' high.
Eating and Dosing Responsibly
Some state laws require that total miligrams of THC and number of servings be included. Take Colorado, for example, one serving constitutes up to 10 miligrams of THC.
New users or people with smaller ''frames'' might find 10 miligrms is too much, and therefore might be better off starting with 5 miligrams.
Keep in mind, a single chocolate bar can contain as mush as 100 miligrams of THC.
Rich and dense products such as brownies or chocolate also take longer to digest, which means it will take longer for you to get high.
On the other hand, infused drinks begin to work much faster.
Of course such as weight, metabolism, gender and eating habits also play a role in how fast you'll feel the effect from edibles.
It is recommended that edibles be taken with food and not an empty stomach, but hey.. if you wanna intensify the high - go for it!
Consuming Too Much..
Consuming too much edibles is rarely a pleasant experience. In fact, eating less may give you a better buzz that eating too much. It's hard to determine how much your body needs to get high, so it's best to wait at least one hour to assess the effect. Sighs of an edibles overdose include paranoia, lack od coordination and hallucionations.
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Stay high and careful!