Although cannabis is an approved medical treatment in most states, smoking it can cause adverse health effects. Heavy cannabis smokers show signs of damage to their lungs — that’s why more people are turning to edibles.
The term “edible” almost exclusively refers to a cannabis-infused food or drink product. Surprisingly, these have been around for a lot longer than the hippies of the 1960s. There is evidence that Indians had different uses for the cannabis plant way back in 1000 BCE.
The biggest learning curve for using edibles is figuring out how much edibles to eat. To find out how to get started, check out the guide below.
How Much Edibles to Eat
Unfortunately, consuming edibles is one of the most difficult ways to control dosage. There are many more factors involved than simply inhaling smoke. The length and intensity of the psychoactive effects depend on things like individual metabolic rates and digestive processes.
Still, there are some general guidelines you can observe when starting out with edibles.
Different Cannabis Infusions
Edibles come in many shapes and forms. They are often desserts, like candy, chocolate, cookies, or brownies. They can also be popcorn or even drinks.
The type of edible will affect the activation time and length of psychoactivity. Heavy edibles with ingredients like flour to digest will slow down the activation time. Still, the psychoactivity of these products is often much longer than smoking it.
The biggest mistake that novices make with edibles is to consume the entire product at once. These products often contain more than one serving of THC. Try to calculate a portion of 10 mg THC or less.
Types of Edibles
Edibles can contain different types of cannabis infusions. Often, these are cannabutter, cannabis oil, or cannabis distillate. Some edibles may only contain CBD and have no psychoactive effects at all — here’s a guide to CBD gummies.
The method of infusion is not as important as the ratio of cannabinoids. Many cannabis users seek edibles with a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC. The CBD may help round out any paranoia or anxious effects of the psychoactive THC.
Activation Time
Lighter edibles, like candy and chocolate, are more easily processed in the body and yield a quicker activation time. The psychoactive effects, however, don’t last as long as heavier products because they are digested faster.
Be careful with cookies and brownies that seem to take forever to kick in. You don’t want to consume too much THC because of a lack of patience. It can take up to 2 hours to work.
More Alternative Health Guides
There is no one-size-fits-all guide to how much edibles to eat. Everyone will process edibles differently, leading to different levels of intensity or different lengths of psychoactivity. When starting out with edibles for the first time, make sure to start out slow. once you’ve consumed too many edibles, there’s no going back.
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