Eating Edibles:safety and benefits
People are becoming more concerned about the consequences of recreational cannabis on overall health as it becomes legal in more places. It's one thing to smoke marijuana, but what about edibles, such as brownies, gummies, muffins, doughnuts, and even peanut butter? Here's all you need to know about how cannabis affects your body when eaten.
What do we know about Edibles?
Edibles, made with marijuana leaves or higher potency cannabis extracts, are a popular, less-detectable alternative to smoking marijuana. They may look like common baked goods, candies, and beverages, and are often designed in a way that appeals to youth. Package labeling may indicate THC-laden contents, but when unwrapped the product may look like and be mistaken for normal food.
The active ingredient in edibles is called tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC. Just like food or medications, THC consumed via edibles is absorbed through the walls of your intestines. The more food that's in your system—say, you ate a weed brownie as dessert following a big dinner out—the longer it will take for the THC to get absorbed. This is where edibles are majorly different from a joint: When you smoke THC, it immediately goes into your bloodstream, whereas you might not feel the full effect of THC you've consumed until hours later.
What is the average serving of marijuana edibles?
Labeled and unlabeled packages of marijuana edibles can be confusing. A single serving of a marijuana-infused edible may be labeled 10 mg of THC per serving, but a package of edibles may contain 10 single servings. This may represent the difference between one puff or 20 of a marijuana cigarette. If eaten all at once, the psychoactive effects may be slow to appear but may be severe when they do.
How Long Do Edibles Last?
With edible cannabis, the intoxicating effects or “high” do not kick in for about 30 minutes to two hours and peak at about four hours. The effects can last up to 12 hours after use and residual effects can last up to 24 hours, so you could be affected into the next day. This timing differs from smoking or vaping cannabis, where the effects start to be felt within a few seconds or minutes and peak at about 30 minutes. When you ingest edible cannabis, the THC first travels to your stomach and then to your liver, before making it to your bloodstream and brain. This process varies across individuals, making it difficult to predict when you will actually feel the full effects of edible cannabis. Because it can take up to four hours to feel the full effects, consuming more cannabis within this time period can result in over-intoxication. Over-intoxication can take the form of anxiety and panic, nausea and vomiting, and symptoms of psychosis (paranoia).
Be patient and go slow, ingesting edible cannabis with no more than 2.5 mg of THC at a time.
Cannabis Should Not Be Mixed with Alcohol or Other Substances.
Alcohol increases the intoxicating and impairing effects of cannabis. Consuming cannabis and alcohol at the same time can significantly raise your risk of over-intoxication and impairment. As mentioned, cannabis over-intoxication can include anxiety, panic, nausea, vomiting and paranoia. To reduce the risk of these negative experiences, stick to either cannabis or alcohol, not both. Also, avoid mixing cannabis with nicotine or any intoxicating substance, including stimulants (“uppers”) and depressants (“downers”), as the mix can cause serious health complications. If you are taking or planning to take prescription medications, speak to a healthcare practitioner about whether cannabis interferes with them.
