Written and Fact Checked by S. Zulfiqar
In the cannabis world, the term edible is used to describe a food product that contains either one or both of the most popular active ingredients of the cannabis plant i.e. CBD or THC.
If you are a newbie, just know that CBD stands for cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive element found in the cannabis plant and THC stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or better known as THC. Unlike CBD, perhaps the biggest fundamental difference between the two is the fact that THC (mainly found in marijuana plants) produces mind altering effects loved by stoners worldwide.
Cannabis can be consumed via smoking and vaping, however there are plenty of benefits of consuming cannabis in the form of edibles in comparison. How does the idea of sweets that are both delicious and high-inducing sound to you? In this article, we discuss what edibles are and why you should try them!
Popular Forms of Edibles
Edibles are increasingly becoming more and more popular and refined due to their now consistent potency and ease of discretion since a single edible will last much longer, act faster, and will be stronger than a gram of flower.
For those who aren’t well-schooled in cannabis, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a diverse range of edibles including baked goods, sweets, beverages, and miscellaneous products available in the market. However, there are some important factors to keep in mind when you buy weed edibles online in Canada.
Before you rush off to your local cannabis dispensary in your vicinity to buy some of these delicious edibles, there is perhaps one key point that you need to keep in mind — otherwise, you might end up buying inferior cannabis-based edibles that can do more harm than good. Always read the label. This is extremely important as it will give you an idea about the dosage, extra ingredients (if any), contaminants, and the overall quality of the product. It is worth mentioning here that edible dosing is quite challenging to predict with 100% accuracy. Nonetheless, here are a few reasons why eating your cannabis makes sense:
- Smoking cannabis comes with the risk of carcinogens, something that is not even remotely the case with cannabis-based edibles. Will you opt for a method that poses a significant risk to your lungs or the one that is pretty much the safest way of consuming cannabis?
- The high induced by cannabis-based edibles lasts longer than smoking or vaping. Due to the slower onset of edibles, effects are released slowly over time, providing a long-lasting effect.
- Don’t want people to be uncomfortable or coughing when you smoke your cannabis? Wish to take your weed on the go? Then, it may be more convenient to eat a THC-infused cookie than smoking a joint.
- Some of you want to keep your love for cannabis a discreet matter, and that is perfectly understandable. Again, what would you choose for keeping things secret – a joint or a cookie?
So, exactly when will you experience a high? About 30-60 minutes is enough time for edibles to kick in— whether that’s a CBD or THC-infused edible. We should say that every person is different, so effects will vary one person to person and will depend on a number of factors. The primary factor that can influence time positively or negatively is the strength of a cannabis edible.
How Long Do The Effects of Eating Cannabis Last?
The answer to this question is a rather subjective one. It is believed that the high induced by consuming cannabis edibles can last for as much as 6-8 hours. Here, the amount of CBD or THC you are ingesting plays an important part in determining the ultimate time for which these effects can last. Researchers are still trying to figure out the exact time for which these effects can last.
Unfortunately, very little success has been made on that front. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that the time for which you will be high is still more as compared to smoking cannabis. So, can things go south?
As is the case with every cannabis product available in the market, there are certain side effects linked with overconsumption of THC/CBD-infused edibles. Potential side effects in the case of THC infused edibles include cognitive impairment, anxiety, delusions, nausea, and vomiting to mention a few. CBD, despite being the non-psychoactive element that it is, still poses a fair bit of a threat to the body. Commonly reported side effects include a general feeling of fatigue, diarrhea, and unhealthy changes in body weight.
Monitor Your Usage
Keeping some form of a cannabis journal can be great if you wish to optimize your cannabis consumption. So, what should you track? The answer can be different for different individuals, but here are some of the things that everyone should try to make a note of while taking cannabis or cannabis to treat a specific condition:
Basics: Date, time, and amount of cannabis used
Strain: it is important to know which type of cannabis you are taking. Types of cannabis can include Sativa, Hybrid, or Indica.
Record: It’s important to document when you took it and also how much of it you took as well as giving information on the brand and other details like the dispensary you bought it from and the batch number. These details are mostly available on the packaging or container.
Content: Not all cannabis products are the same. You should know whether the type you took had CBD or THC in it. More details mean better data.
Delivery – this will track if you inhaled, used a vapor pen, ate, or applied it as a topical.
Setting: This might mean insignificant, but knowing what you were doing and how you took your dose might help you understand the connection between your activities and cannabis action on your body.
Medications: note down if you are taking any other medication and its quantity.
Effects: One of the crucial factors is the effect it had on you. You must note down how you felt when you took it and periodically afterward, and how you felt before the next dose. Other things that you should consider jotting down can be:
- Response time
- Your mood before and after taking it
- Your physical activity levels, etc.
Conclusion
Finding the right edible is an important part of your cannabis experience. There are many styles and types to choose from and as we’ve learned today, cannabis edibles Canada are a much better and faster way to receive the beneficial effects of cannabis.
Interesting Reads
The Real Difference Between Smoking and Eating Marijuana, How to Take Psilocybin Magic Mushrooms, Cures for Greening Out Cannabis Edibles
