Tips on Safely Dosing and Enjoying Marijuana Edibles

Pre-legalization, it was difficult to imagine taking marijuana in any form other than the smoked forms. These days, however, marijuana edibles are widely popular. Edibles may present a safer and more discreet way of enjoying the amazing benefits of marijuana. Thankfully, legalization also means more attention would be paid to standardization. Manufacturers of edibles have to follow strict standards of production, processing, as well as labeling; all in a bid to give consumers the best dosing experience.

Still, many consumers report an unpleasant experience the first time they try edibles. Sometimes, it’s so bad they promise themselves not to try it again, missing out on the numerous advantages of cannabis edibles. But it doesn’t have to be so. We’ll share a few tips to safely dosing and enjoying cannabis edibles, especially as a first-time consumer. But before that, you should know what makes edibles different

What Makes Edibles Different?

You probably would have heard that eating marijuana edibles give a different kind of high that smoking or vaping. Some even say smoking gives a ‘mind high’ while taking edibles gives you a ‘body high’. Research confirms that eating cannabis may indeed give you a slightly different feeling than smoking the drug.

For one thing, the effects of cannabis edibles take time to kick in. and when it finally does, it’s usually more intense than the smoked or vaped forms. A lot of people make the mistake of eating even more cannabis during the ‘lag phase’ and it doesn’t take a genius to guess that the high would be even more intense.

Furthermore, cannabis edibles are extensively metabolized in the liver in contrast with the inhaled forms that bypass the hepatic first-pass effect. In simple terms, most of the THC in your edible is converted to another compound before it has a chance to make you high. But if anything, shouldn’t that make the high less intense? The problem is that the metabolic product of THC, 11-hydroxy THC, is also psychoactive. Some studies even suggest that it could be more potent than its cousin. And it stays in the body for much longer.

Unfortunately, most of the studies surrounding 11-hydroxy THC focus on how it can be detected in your blood or urine. There’s little investigation into its potency as a psychoactive agent and a definite conclusion cannot be made on whether it’s more potent than THC. However, if user accounts are anything to go by, there may be some truth to the claim.

Even with the obvious differences in how your body processes marijuana edibles vs inhaled forms, you can still enjoy your cannabis edibles without qualms. We hope this guide would come in handy whenever you’re in the mood to try cannabis edibles

Read the Label Carefully

As mentioned earlier, the edible industry is now subject to strict regulatory standards. As long as you’re buying from a registered dispensary, you can be sure any edible you lay your hands on will come with a product label. On the label, you’d find how much THC and CBD is present in the edible and you can easily determine if it’s right for you, or not.

Generally, the standard dose of THC in edibles is 10mg. But as a first timer, you could start with a product containing 5mg THC. If the expected effects do not kick in after a few hours, you may then add another 5mg. Remember, starting low and going slow is the ultimate rule when it comes to dosing cannabis.

Medical marijuana patients would tend to need much higher doses. That’s why preparations containing as high as 10mg THC are on sale at dispensaries. However, you would be making a huge mistake if you start anywhere near that. Even if you’ve been vaping highly concentrated oils for your condition, you should approach the world of marijuana edibles like the newbie that you are. Testing the depth of the river with both feet may lead to a very unpleasant experience. But in any case, there’s an almost zero chance of fatality from a cannabis overdose.

Consider your Tolerance Level

Even if your friend who is also a newbie successfully ate a concentrated edible without repercussions, you cannot know for sure that your own experience would be just as good. We all have varying tolerance levels and your body may react differently to the drug. If you are a low tolerance user, you are more likely to experience the negative psychoactive effects of THC. And it would get much worse if you’re trying to keep up with some with a high tolerance level.

At the end of the day, an underwhelming experience would be better than an overwhelming one. Plus, it’s almost impossible to get the best dose for your condition at the first try. An underwhelming experience could even be your goal for the first time you’re using an edible. You can then up the dose gradually until you get the dose that’s just right.

Have Patience

If you’re a regular smoker of medical marijuana, you’re probably already used to feeling the effects of your marijuana as soon as you take it. Edibles are another ballgame entirely. Usually, you’ll have to wait for at least 30 minutes or even a few hours in some cases. We understand having to wait while you still have some more servings of infused cannabis could be quite the punishment. However, you could end up regretting your actions if you let your patience wear thin too quickly.

When you take a dose, relax and wait till you start feeling the effects. This technique gives you the best chance of having a good first-time experience with cannabis edibles. The differences in the way our body processes drugs make it difficult to give you a specific waiting time. However, if you do not feel any effects after waiting for about 2-3 hours following your first dose, you may then go ahead and much another edible.

Know that your Stomach Contents could Affect the Onset of Action

When taking cannabis via the oral route, your gastric emptying time could easily make your experience a hit or miss. When your stomach is empty, your body would process the edible much faster and the effects would kick in quickly. The reverse is the case if you’ve just had a wholesome meal before downing the edible. Consequently, you should think about taking the minimum dose possible if you want to take the edible on an empty stomach.

The amount of alcohol in your system could also influence your experience with edibles. Alcohol is known to increase the concentration of THC in the blood and the effect could be significant enough to give you a more intense high when you consume THC. It’s generally advised that you should not take both together. But if you must, dose your cannabis modestly.

Take your Edible in your Comfort Zone

One major advantage of cannabis edibles over inhaled forms is their discreet nature. You could be munching on your infused brownies in the bus and the guy sitting beside you would be none the wiser. However, you’d be taking a huge risk if you try out edibles in a public place if you’re not used to it already. We advise that you find a comfortable place, such as your home or a friend’s place. Having someone sober around won’t be a bad idea either. Getting too high could precipitate anxiety-related side effects and a familiar environment or face would serve to keep you calm.

As you garner more experience with edibles, there’s a high chance you won’t need to think about the tips shared here. However, most people end up getting skeptical about trying cannabis edibles a second time after an unpleasant first-time experience. It’d be a shame if you miss out on the numerous benefits of edibles because you didn’t pay enough attention while taking it the first time. And if you’ve had a bad experience already, there’s nothing stopping you from picking yourself up and trying again.

When using cannabis for any medical purpose, it is important to get legal. Self-medicating could put you at risk of a wide range of conditions you may not even know about. At KindHealth Florida, we have experienced marijuana doctors that would evaluate your case and help you obtain your medical marijuana card. Call us today to schedule an appointment.