Cannabis edibles are one of the most common ways to use the plant but what should you know about them before using?
While smoking cannabis is the most common way to consume, edibles are a fantastic option, particularly if you don’t like smoking or vaping. You can find a wide variety of foods and drinks to match your taste while still getting high. Keep in mind that consuming cannabis edibles offers a slightly different set of effects than smoking or vaping.
What’s the difference between smoking cannabis and using an edible?
When smoking cannabis, you feel the effects almost instantly, but edibles take a while to kick in and stay in your system longer. Most edibles take around an hour to two hours to fully show their effects, so it’s important to remember to wait a bit before taking more if you aren’t feeling anything.
The length of your cannabis high depends on several factors. It varies depending on product potencies, the amount you consume, your metabolism and if you have food in your stomach before getting high.
Smoking cannabis can typically last for one to six hours, but edibles will last much longer. The effects of an edible can last between four and up to 12 hours, so it’s key to watch your dosage and not take too much.
For many people, edibles are a fantastic consumption method to avoid smoking or vaping. There's also an expansive variety of edibles available, including chocolates, gummies, drinks and a whole spectrum of unique items beyond these.
THC and CBD balances
One of the first decisions to make when selecting edibles is to consider whether you want to use THC, CBD or a combination of the two. THC is a psychoactive cannabinoid and gets you high where CBD has similar effects without being intoxicating. These two cannabinoids attach to the same receptors in our bodies, so combinations of the two will create a lighter-feeling effect from the CBD counteracting the THC.
What options are there beyond foods and drinks?
If you want to try an edible that isn’t the typical chocolates, gummies or drinks available in Canadian cannabis shops, there are other selections to pick.
A novel concept first introduced in Canada’s legal market by The Green Organic Dutchman (TGOD) is dissolvable powders. They come in packages around the size of a standard sugar packet and can be added to any food or drink you can imagine.
Edibles have a longer onset time than smoking or vaporizing cannabis because they break down in the stomach before absorbing into the bloodstream. Dissolvable powders take effect much faster since TGOD’s proprietary technology made the cannabis particles smaller, so absorption happens within 15 to 20 minutes instead of the typical hour or longer.
If you’re looking for other options, there are also sublingual strips you can take. If you’ve ever had a Listerine strip to freshen your breath, you already know how to use a sublingual cannabis strip. They’re thin cannabis films you place on your tongue to quickly and discreetly get high. They similarly take effect quicker since they bypass your gastrointestinal system and are absorbed almost instantly.
How much should I use?
Once you’ve determined the effects you’re looking for, the next step is understanding your tolerance. Currently, edibles in Canada are limited to a total of 10mg of THC per package, while CBD can range in higher amounts since it’s non-intoxicating.
For some people, 2 milligrams of THC can be a lot, where someone with a higher tolerance will find 10mg too light. It’s always best to start low and slow with dosing, so if you have never tried edibles, it’s best to begin under 10mg for your first time and build up to find what your sweet spot is.
Doses under 2.5mg of THC are suitable for first-time users or people looking to microdose for a light effect. Between 2.5mg and 10mg of THC is fitting for someone looking for a typical recreational high. People with higher tolerances will usually find between 10mg and 50mg of THC as the right amount, and people with extremely high tolerances could need doses above 50mg.
If you accidentally take too high of an edible dose, don’t worry since it will pass. Like any form of cannabis, you won’t hurt yourself from taking too much and can just wait until the effects wear off. If you’d like to make the high wear off faster, try ingesting CBD oil to lessen the THC effects, drink a glass of water, eat some food and find a quiet room to lay down.
Want to try out some edibles for your next cannabis session? Shop one of our Canvas Cannabis locations locally!