Edibles are food products that are developed using cannabis. They may be gummies or they may be brownies or anything that has one or both contents of marijuana in it.
Edibles have been legalized and hence have gained a lot of popularity lately. It might take a longer time for edibles to kick in than smoking or Vaping.
Though it is not as potent as smoking, the edibles can affect your health very badly. Managing edible consumption is the key to enjoying cannabis.
Factors That Affect The Speed of The Edibles Kicking In
You can expect the edibles to kick in very soon or very late. It all depends on the various factors. Many factors affect the time of the drug staying in our body like metabolism, amount of the drug consumed, body fat etc. Let’s see them one by one.
1. Percentage Body Fat
The THC that is present in Cannabis is fat-soluble. It is possible that if you have more body fat, you can have the potential to store the THC for a longer time. Body Mass Index (BMI) can be the method to test the body fat percentage. So the bottom line, the person with more body fat metabolises the drug slower than the person with less body fat.
2. Sex
It is said that females have less body fat than males. So naturally, they can metabolize faster than men. Again, females with more body fat can have more negative effects than those females with less body fat.
3. Regular Exercise
Exercise has been the key to many problems. You can solve anything in less time with exercise. It boosts your energy and can help you metabolize faster.
4. Dosage & Potency
This is self-explanatory. The amount of the drug intake is directly proportional to its effects. The more you consume the more you get affected and the more time you take to metabolize it. And if you consume more of it then it is obvious that you will take more time.
Difference Between THC Edibles And CBD Edibles
For those who think that THC and CBD are almost the same, let me tell you the huge difference between these two.
- THC produces psychoactive effects whereas CBD gives the complete opposite effect. THC can do the charm of sedation meanwhile CBD leaves your mind clear and blank.
- THC leaves your system day by day while CBD builds in your system day by day.
- If you want to enjoy it, you should prefer THC if you are a beginner and you need to go for CBD for you to forget yourself.
- CBD is usually consumed for medical purposes. THC gives you the feeling of
Forms of Edibles.
Edibles can come in any form. They’re just the food products that are infused with marijuana content.
The legalization of edibles has encouraged suppliers to produce them in many unique ways.
Many products are available in the market.
- Bakery goods: Bakery items like brownies, cookies, waffles etc may contain marijuana.
- Sweets and candies: Chocolates, chewing gums, gummies also may contain marijuana.
- Beverages: Tea, Coffee, soda etc.
- Other items like butter, milk etc have the highest possibility of containing marijuana in them.
How Long Does It Take For Edibles To Affect Your System?
It usually takes two to two and half hours for edibles to kick in and last up to six hours. The most common mistake people make is consuming it more because it hasn’t affected them yet. But it is really dangerous to do that and can have many severe effects. You need to be
careful while consuming. The more you consume the faster it is to detect. The number of times you have consumed the drug can affect how long it will take to detect.
According to the study, it is said that if you have consumed marijuana only once, then it takes 7 to 8 days to detect it after the last usage. If you have consumed it 2 to 4 times in a month then it takes 15 to 18 days to detect. Likewise, if you consume it 2 to 4 times a week it takes 25 to 35 days and if you have consumed it 5 to 6 times a week then it takes up to 50 days to detect it and if you consume it daily it could be detected for 70 days.
Advantages of Edibles
- The burning of marijuana can cause many lung diseases. Since the edibles do not require burning, there is no respiratory risk.
- There is no doubt that edibles last longer than smokes or vapes.
- It doesn’t require different places to go or such things. Edibles are legal and are available anywhere.
- They are odourless which makes it impossible for others to know, unlike smoking and Vaping.
- We feel relaxed and have no anxiety.
- CBD also acts as a pain reliever.
- It is medically recommended to use cannabis for muscle spasm treatment. It has also been used to treat epilepsy and is used as an anti-seizures.
Disadvantages of Edibles
- Since they can be found in any edible, it is possible for pets and children to unknowingly consume them.
- It can affect the brain development
- Edibles can cause many heart diseases
- It can harm our mental health.
- Overdose can be very harmful and dangerous.
- You might encounter hallucinations, panic attacks, seizures and many such shocking experiences.
- Mood swings and nausea also are side effects of edibles.
What Is The Right Amount of Dosage?
It is difficult to know the right amount because it differs from person to person. I am just writing down the average amount.
If you are a first-time consumer or regular consumer then 2.5 – 15 mg THC edibles would be the better choice
If you are a Standard user or looking for a good night’s sleep, then you can increase the dosage to 30 – 50 mg THC edibles
If you have a very High tolerance and your GI systems don’t absorb cannabinoids well then you should go for 50 – 100 mg THC edibles
Anything more than this can have severe effects.
As for CBD, 2.5 and 10 mg is more than enough. If you have more than that, it would create havoc.
Tips For The First-Timers
If you are doing it for the first time then I would suggest you be even more careful. Because most of the time the enthusiasm will cost you too much. So here are the few best tips to enjoy your edibles.
- Firstly, eat before you consume the edibles.
- Stay hydrated.
- Be patient. Be careful.
- If you see that even after an hour there’s no effect, you can try eating snacks like apples or something to turn your digestion on.
- Always start with the smaller doses because it affects very late.
- Be calm and do not over-consume.
Conclusion
Although edibles are not risky, it is better to limit the dosage of these edibles. If you adhere to the recommended dosage then there won’t be much problem. The CBD is legal on the federal level, so always be careful. While starting, always start with the smaller dose and go up to the bigger doses because edibles can take up to several hours to affect you. With the right amount of Dosage, you could produce the desired effect.