Beginner's Guide to Cannabis Edibles

Beginner's Guide to Cannabis Edibles

How many times have you had this experience: You mention cannabis-infused edibles to an acquaintance and they excitedly respond, “My friend gave me a pot brownie once and told me to just eat it, so I did and I got the most wasted I’ve ever been! I had no idea what was happening!”

These stories are usually funny, but your pal took a big risk by happily gobbling up the free goodie without a basic understanding of how edibles work.

 Eating or drinking cannabis differs from smoking or vaping in three ways:

  • Ingested, not inhaled – With edibles, the cannabinoids are metabolized in your liver instead of going immediately into your bloodstream and straight to your brain.

  • Feels stronger, lasts longer - Edibles are slow to take to effect, but produce a more intense high that lasts much longer.

  • Swallowed, not smoked – Edibles don’t create smoke that can burn your throat or lungs, nor do they require strong breathing capacity.

Learn your servings

We’ve all felt the surprise of learning that an actual portion size of our favorite food is way different than what we thought it was. Like, figuring out that a single serving of potato chips is just five or six individual chips and not the entire bag.

Servings are critical to know because potency and dosage are the keys to assuring effective relief and safe enjoyment. Some products are specifically packaged to identify a serving. For example, candy bars can be pre-divided into measured squares and drinks can be limited to a certain number of ounces per bottle.

 Dial in the right dosage

Other products don’t give a clear indication of what a serving actually is. A rule of thumb is to take the total amount of THC in the product and divide by 10. (10 mgs is the regulated standard for maximum amount of THC in a single serving for recreational products.) If you’re completely new to edibles and cannabis in general, then divide a standard 10 mg portion further into 5 mgs or 2.5 mgs. 

Always start with the smallest possible serving and work your way into the proper portion. As we say in Colorado, “Start low, go slow!”

Use your willpower

Any food or drink you can think of can be made with cannabis oil and be considered a marijuana edible. Most edibles you’ll find at a dispensary are sweet, dessert-like treats that taste good and are easy to consume.

You may fall in love with a gourmet chocolate bar or find a fruit-flavored drink wonderfully refreshing, but control yourself!  Eating an entire package of an edible can buy you an express ticket for a miserable trip.

 Get your timing down

The single biggest mistake people make with edibles is consuming too much in too short of a time frame. People expect the same immediate effects as smoking or vaping. When that doesn’t happen they get impatient and consume more (and more).

 Edibles have a delayed onset of effect, generally anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. This can make proper titration a challenge if it’s your first cannabis edible rodeo.

 Here are a few factors that contribute to the amount of time needed for edibles to kick in:

•   Gender – Women feel effects faster than men due to body weight and metabolism.

•  Full stomach – Edibles are best consumed on a full stomach.

• “Clean” liver – The more fat you have in your liver, the faster you will metabolize THC.

 In case of emergency…

The experience of being too high can be horrible to endure. While it’s impossible to actually die from consuming too much THC, plenty of people have thought they were going to die or that maybe they already had.

 The Huffington Post put together a handy list of things to keep in mind if you think you’ve consumed too much:

  • Try to breathe normally

  • You will make it through

  • You will return to normal

The only reliable, sure-shot antidote to being too high is to consume manageable doses. If you do make a mistake, the closest to a fix you can get is the cannabinoid CBD, which hinders the effects of THC.  In fact, the High Times magazine “10 Commandments for Marijuana Safety” includes, “Thou shalt keep CBD capsules on hand.”

 This is a good indication that once you’re on board the Misery Express you’ll just have to ride it out.

 Edibles are still food

It’s obvious to look at marijuana-infused edibles more from the “marijuana” than the “edible” perspective. But, as the name implies, edibles are food that’s produced the same as any product you buy at the grocery and need to be handled just as carefully.

 Food safety information to look for on edible label:

  • Ingredient list - This is critical for people who have to carefully monitor their intake of sugar or salt, or those who need to watch out for dairy, soy, wheat and nuts.

  • Expiration date - Production date and expiration date are key for edibles. These dates indicate food freshness and reduce the risk of consuming spoiled cannabis oil.

Edibles are for everyone

Stories such as your pal’s about the mystery brownie reinforce the notion that edibles are only for serious stoners; regular folks need not apply. In truth, edibles are an excellent, widely available alternative to smoking or vaping for every type of person.

  • Medical patients – Folks who can’t smoke or who must have medication throughout the day find edibles to be invaluable.

  • Recreational users – People of all ages and experience levels flock to edibles because they’re discreet, portable and easy to consume. 

  • Older folks or newcomers – Edibles are perfect for people who are more comfortable consuming something familiar that doesn’t carry a stigma.

Prohibitionists love to use stories about edibles to scare the public. They cite anecdotes of children accidentally consuming edibles, statistics of increases in ER visits due to adult over-consumption and deaths caused by accidents after consuming edibles.

But, as with most cannabis propaganda, the percentage of the bad events resulting from edibles compared to the good is actually very small. Consume carefully with intent and you can find wonderful treatment and enjoyment.

 Published on Green Flower Media, Oct 2015