Over the last few years, legal cannabis has seen a significant uptick in edible sales. Edibles are ideal for medical users who want to receive the plant’s therapeutic benefits without the abrasiveness of inhaling smoke. Edibles can also provide an intense, recreational high, even for the weathered Stoners. With the attraction to such a broad base of customers, it is easy to grasp the $3.6 billion in the U.S. in 2021.
Cannabis and food consumption have been complementary because the endogenous cannabinoid receptors in our brains, which are stimulated by the consumption of marijuana, are responsible for regulating our ability to taste various foods by promoting our sense of smell. Smoking, as well as consuming weed, enhances this natural mechanism in the brain. Therefore cannabis is recognized as an appetite stimulant (back in the day, we simply called it the munchies). The fact that cannabis stimulates the appetites of individuals suffering from ailments like AIDS, chemo treatments for cancers, and Crohn’s Disease, is believed to have been the catalyst for researchers to reconsider the science underlying drug prohibition, in turn creating a new demand for the edible marijuana market.
It wasn’t that long ago that patients had the slightly dangerous task of determining the proper dosage for themselves. In contrast, the edible cannabis manufacturer’s had difficulties knowing what an ideal dose to sell was. Industry standards have aided the manufacturer’s side of the equation, with most brands using 5mg or 10mg increments. Only recently has the U.S. Federal Government granted permission to conduct medical research. And what they have allowed is insufficient to get a safe and concise understanding of the cannabis plant. It will take the Federal Government to follow most states and legalize cannabis consumption. Once this happens, restrictions for research will be relaxed, and more institutions will be more comfortable conducting research.
It needs to be stated that it is possible to overdose on edibles. It is essential to learn the safe way to experience edibles and understand what is happening in your body once an edible has been ingested. There are more resources now than in the past to help you navigate edibles if you haven’t tried them. This post will help start your journey to a positive edible experience.
We have come a long way since pot brownies bought in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show were the only edibles available. We can now infuse practically any food or beverage with distilled cannabis oil. Cannabinoids, specifically THC and CBD, are now available in a wide array of products and have inspired chefs and craft bartenders to bring the ingredient into the mainstream of consumers.
Before we get too hungry talking about cannabinoid-infused food, it is essential to understand the chemistry of cannabis and why it works in edible forms.
“Food is drugs,” according to Gary L Wenk Ph.D.’s TED Talk. Dr. Wenk believes we should view food as drugs since food is just a bunch of chemical carbon bonds that affect how you think, feel and age, which are every bit as addicting as so-called hard drugs. People are also not used to viewing Marijuana as a food, which it absolutely is, according to Dr. Wenk.
Cannabis can be consumed in its raw state, although it isn’t recommended since doing so wastes many of the plant’s effects on the body. Studies have shown that juicing raw cannabis has health benefits from THCA and CBDA (the non-psychoactive cannabinoids that become THC and CBD when activated by heat). Blending fresh cannabis sugar leaves with fruit creates a healthy beverage packed with nutrients and a calming, focused energy boost from the addition of cannabis,
Despite containing the same basic chemistry as the flowers, the high is not the same in edibles. Activating (called decarboxylating) THCA and CBDA cannabinoids into THC and CBD through heat application by combustion or vaporization is a different chemical process from ingesting refined cannabis oil.
When cannabis is smoked or vaped, the THC goes rapidly in and out of your brain as the specific chemical compound delta-9-THC. You feel the effects of smoking pot within 10 minutes, often lasting one and a half to four hours at best. When taking an edible, the cannabinoids take longer to enter your bloodstream. Once they enter your bloodstream, they are metabolized in your liver, creating a compound known as 11-hydroxy-THC; this compound is twice as potent and lasts twice as long as the delta-9-THC compound. This means that it can take up to two hours for the effects to kick in, and the effects (although diminished) can last up to 10 hours.
Most people describe the effects of edibles as a total relaxing body high versus the “head” high typically experienced when cannabis is smoked. Many edible products are made with distillate, which concentrates the THC but sacrifices the terpenes that give the full spectrum high enjoyed through smoking weed. Live resin edibles are starting to make their way onto dispensary shelves. Live resin’s extraction method maintains the terpenes creating a different experience when consumed orally. Live resin doesn’t mean “better,” but it is closer to the smoked experience, meaning the quality of the bud is key to the quality of the high.
The significant advantage of smoking and vaping marijuana is that you have much more instant awareness and control over how the THC and CBD affect you because the delta-9-THC goes directly to your brain. This is why the tried-and-true saying “you can never smoke too much weed” is common among seasoned stoners in the cannabis community. However, the same common wisdom does not apply to edibles.
Since edibles take longer to feel, people often take too large of a dose, thinking it isn’t working. Once the body does react to overeating cannabis, it is common to experience extreme drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure changes, and a lack of focus and concentration. It can even result in the need for hospitalization. Although hospitalizations are rare, it was a significant concern when Colorado first legalized cannabis. In the past, many hospital visits were because people were unaware they ate something infused with cannabis. This has also happened to children who think it is candy.
It is illegal to operate a vehicle when under the influence of cannabis. Since the effects take longer to kick in, and when they do, it is more robust, using a vehicle after consuming an edible is illegal and dangerous. Never get behind the wheel high.
Properly determining your dosage is the most effective way to have a positive experience and avoid the symptoms of consuming too much. Eating homemade edibles is not recommended since it is impossible to know how strong it is. All manufactured foods and beverages are required by state laws to list the amount of THC infused in a product. Not all states have to list the strain of origin, but many products market the effect it will cause. Results like “Focus,” “Calm,” “Sleep,” or “Energize” can help narrow the type of strain used in the product.
Although everyone reacts differently, most of the industry subscribes to these guidelines, so be conservative until you know your own body’s reaction.
2.5 mg: most report psychoactivity equal to a glass of wine or a beer. Doses in this range are popular for social anxiety, encouraging the munchies, and focus.
5 mg: nearly all occasional users will note significant psychoactivity. Significant appetite stimulation. Mild psychoactivity, akin to two to three glasses of wine.
10 mg: Strong psychoactivity for most occasional users. Significant distraction from pain. Physicians often recommend this dose to stem nausea from chemotherapy.
15 mg: Most occasional users report uncomfortable levels of psychoactivity at this dose. Regular users of cannabis do not.
Culinary students learn early not to over-season dishes. Salt can always be added but can’t be removed if you add too much. Nobody thinks an overly salty dish is enjoyable. The same approach should be taken with edibles. Start slow. A general guideline is not to consume more than a quarter of your total dose per hour until you feel it kick in. You can always add more THC to your system, but you can’t take it back once it’s in there. Some of these new creations are delicious, but restraint is needed until you learn your comfort zone. Also, orally, THC can hit quicker and stronger on an empty stomach. Have something in your belly. It will help your overall experience and make you less tempted to eat the whole candy bar.
Everyone one of us has our own genetics and will react uniquely to everything we put in our bodies. If you take the time to find your own “Goldilocks” zone, you will set yourself up for many beautiful experiences. Good luck, and Bon Appetit’!
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