This article was originally published on 2Fast4Buds and appears here with permission.
WHAT ARE EDIBLES
Edible products (aka edibles) are cannabis-infused products that can come in many different forms such as gummies, brownies, cookies, or any other type of edible, and can contain THC, CBD, or a mix of both. With legalization, this type of cannabis product has become more and more popular as it’s a great way to benefit from the medicinal properties cannabis has to offer without posing risks to your respiratory system such as when smoking cannabis. But the experience of edibles differs from other consumption methods because the effect usually is more potent and lasts much longer.
Edibles have gained somewhat of a notorious reputation because of their potent effects. Less than accurate dosing in homemade creations often place users in a bad position, in that they take on board more THC than intended. This, of course, leads to a battery of adverse events, including anxiety, paranoia, and full-blown panic attacks. However, many cannabis lovers manage to have a good time after consuming edibles when they take an appropriate dose. People find the high more intense, stoning, and even slightly psychedelic at times. Microdosing, the act of taking a sub-threshold dose of a substance, has also become a more popular way of consuming edibles in recent years and mimics a similar trend seen among users of numerous psychedelic compounds.
Despite their unpredictable nature, edibles have several benefits that place them above other routes of administration for some users. The ability to consume cannabinoids without inhaling anything makes them very popular among both health-conscious and medical users. Even though vapes are much less risky than joints and other methods that involve combustion, they still pose some health risks. Some users who aren’t fans of edibles and really don’t want to inhale choose to take cannabis products sublingually. Simply put, this refers to placing an exact or oil under the tongue. Here, it has rapid access to the bloodstream and comes on quickly, without causing the same intense high as an edible.
But why are edibles themselves so strong? Why is it that they can often even through the most experienced of cannabis users into a spin? Well, it all boils down to metabolism. Whenever you smoke or vape weed, you're experiencing the effects of THC. When it comes to edible, you’re under the effects of an entirely different molecule. Instead of entering through the lungs and gaining instant access to the bloodstream, edible cannabis must first pass through the throes of the digestive system. After processing in the stomach, THCA passes through the gut lining and gets transported to the liver. Here, our major detoxification organ converts the molecule into a metabolite called 11-hydroxy-THC. Like THC, this compound also binds to the CB1 receptor of the human endocannabinoid system but produces much more intense effects.
So there are a lot of things to have in mind when consuming edible products. So read along to read more about cannabis edible products, how to use them, the right dosage, and precautions.
COMMON FORMS OF EDIBLES
As mentioned, edibles are any type of food that has been infused with cannabis, the most common ones are usually cookies and brownies but nowadays you can find several other types of edible products, such as:
- Beverages including tea, coffee, energy drinks, and syrups;
- Candy including gummies, chewing gum, lollipops, and marshmallows;
- Baked goods including biscuits, waffles, cakes, and cookies;
- And other products including butter, sugar, milk, beef jerky, and oils.
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU TAKE
If you’re making your own edible products or getting them from a friend, it’s hard to say exactly how much you should eat as you would need to know how much THC or CBD the edible contains. Legal cannabis products usually identify what cannabinoids they contain and how much THC or CBD you are consuming per serving or the total cannabinoid content of the food item. Reding this type of label can be confusing at first, so this takes us to our next topic.
BE SURE TO READ THE LABEL
It’s super important you read the label carefully. So first …