Cannabis food is a culinary trend that is slowly catching on with many curious and connoisseurs who do not smoke cannabis but would like to experience the psychedelic effects of recreational cannabis in a more discrete manner or for those who are interested in marijuana’s medical use.
It can be easy and fun to eat or drink something, but it can also be scary. Especially if you’ve never tried them before or had a bad experience with them. Fortunately, ensuring an enjoyable, safe, and responsible experience is easy.
What Are The Different Types Of Edibles?
There are plenty of cannabis edibles, including some classic options such as baked goods like brownies and cookies and other types of candy, such as gummy bears. However, it is possible to prepare any food with marijuana, and some of the most innovative savory snacks on the legal market are chocolate bars, candies, potato chips, lemonade, truffles, coffee, and even honey.
When you eat cannabis, unlike when you smoke or vape it, the compounds go through your digestive system and into your bloodstream. Because of this, they take much longer to take effect.
Vegan Gummies
Gummies (which are also vegan because of their natural compounds) are the best option for the correct dosage, unlike other edible cannabis products. This is an edible product that you should have knowledge about if you are into medical cannabis, given that gummies are mainly used for that purpose.
The margin of error in the production of a gummy per unit is practically nil, and its size helps perfectly adapt small doses.
Brownies
They are known as “happy brownies” and are probably the most popular edible cannabis product. When you consume cannabis brownies, the nervous system begins to be activated, and it also gives the taste buds certain stimulations to taste its bittersweet flavor. It takes 30 to 90 minutes for a brownie to take effect. It is recommended to have just one edible dose of brownies, which goes from 5 to 10 mg.
Cookies
Cookies are also among the most popular edibles, perfect for a sweet tooth, but beware: it is much easier to overdo it with a cookie than with a brownie or cake. This is because some can be of a lower dose, leading you to eat several of them. Also, a single cookie can contain more than one dose of THC, so you might have to break it into portions.
Hard Candies
If you don’t want to wait two to three hours to get the desired effects, you can use hard candy instead. Its effect is faster because it falls into the category of sublingual absorption: the component is absorbed through blood vessels, which makes it skip the hepatic metabolic process and enter the systemic circulation directly.
What Type of Edible Should You Try?
HealthCanal provides an answer to this question in many of its content, saying that it will depend on the purpose of the edible, as Cannabis plants have different strains, each with their own, different effects, but let’s dive deeper here
Sativa Edibles
Sativa strains have a stimulant effect, so they tend to be uplifting. It gives a more euphoric effect, makes you feel more creative, and gives you a stimulating psychoactive effect.
Indica Edibles
Indica strains work as sedatives, and they are primarily used as a treatment for chronic pain, insomnia (OG Kush, an indica strain, is used to treat sleep disorders, for example), and even anxiety.
Hybrid Edibles
Hybrid cannabis is produced when different types of cannabis (Indica and Sativa) are combined to create a new variety. Most cannabis strains today are hybrids. By combining Sativa and Indica, a plant will show the genetic properties of both, meaning that it will have sedative and stimulant effects.
Cannabis Oil
Cannabis ingestible oils are used for therapeutic purposes, i.e., they can be used as an effective anti-seizure medication. For those who do not wish to consume THC, this is the go-to option.
It is recommended to learn about the effects and other pertinent information before deciding which type of edible to consume.
Recommended Edible Dosing
If you can buy groceries with a marked dosage, knowing how much to eat will be easy. You just follow the instructions on the package and modify the serving size to suit your needs. As a general rule, it’s better for you to stick to the following dosages, depending on your goals and level of experience:
- Microdose (2.5mg THC): a great starter dose for newcomers to edible products. It produces a mildly uplifting effect and improves concentration, as well as calming anxiety.
- Low dose (5mg THC): A dose of this size induces a more stimulating and invigorating effect. You may also experience an increase in creativity or sociability.
- Normal dose (10mg THC): What is usually considered a standard THC dose. After ingestion, it usually takes effect after about an hour and produces relaxing feelings that last 4-6 hours, depending on your metabolism.
- High dose (+25mg THC): Therapeutic users and people with a high tolerance level may need 25mg or more THC to feel a substantial effect. But for novices, this amount could cause psychoactive effects.
While dosing your home edibles is a bit more complicated, you’ll be able to calculate how much THC you put in your edibles as long as you know the THC/CBD percentage the herb contains.
Conclusion
Edibles are getting more and more popular every day because they are a healthier way to use marijuana than smoking it. Still, they do have a few drawbacks. But if you are well informed, you can easily avoid the unpleasant side effects they can cause.
It’s a matter of doing it the right way. If this is your first time eating marijuana edibles, it’s best to stick to the package’s instructions because beginners have low tolerance and require a lot more cerebral stimulation at doses that may have only minor effects on more experienced Cannabis users. Also, remember that marijuana can interfere with other medications, so you should always consult your doctor before consuming it.
