EDIBLES: How they're made, How to Dose

One of the most popular ways to ingest marijuana is in edible form; think brownies and soda that get you high. Edibles are literally a food infused with THC or CBD. Edibles come in many forms from soda to lollipops to cake, so there is a type for everyone.

A lot of people choose edibles over smoking because it’s easier and doesn't pose the same lung risks as lighting up. Some people are intimidated by smoking so they choose the yummy edibles route. 

Edibles take 30 minutes to a few hours to kick-in unlike the instant satisfaction of smoking a joint. This can be a positive or a negative depending on why you're partaking. For example, edibles are good to take before bed as they slowly kick in which in turn will slowly make you sleepy. But if you're using marijuana for pain, smoking a bowl when the pain starts will give you quicker relief than if you took an edible. The high from edibles lasts longer than smoking, so if planned accordingly this could be used as a preventative for pain.

Edibles cause a more intense and couch locking high than smoking. With this in mind it is important to always dose yourself correctly. Taking too much isn't going to literally kill you, but the high can become so intense that you become paranoid and unsure. It can be a horrible experience. I've been there. The room starts spinning. You're body feels so heavy and hard to control. It's not a good feeling. It's better to take too little and have to take more later than to forever despise edibles because of a bad experience.

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Now how do you know how much to take? Well it honestly depends on how much and how often you smoke, how your body reacts to the edible, your body size and the potency of the edible. 

But edibles can sometimes be unpredictable. Sometimes the potency isn't consistent. This happens especially in homemade edibles. 

Still everyone is different. For example, I am 5' 2" and smoke a few blunts a day. When I take edibles I take around 70mg. This gives me a nice, happy high. I'm not stoned out of my mind, I'm comfortable. However, my friend is 6' 4" and smokes maybe a blunt a day, and when he takes edibles he eats 5mg, then 5mg an hour later. And he gets baked like a cake. This is the perfect example as to why body size isn't the only factor.

According to WeedMaps, beginners should start with 1-5mg, intermediate 5-20mg and experienced 20+ mg. This sounds reasonable. You can always take a few more milligrams an hour or so in if you aren't getting the effects you want to achieve.

Don't try to be the "tough guy" and take more than you think you should, trying to look cool. You won't look cool when you start getting paranoid and keep asking your friends if they 'hear that too.'

There are a few ways to make edibles: with an infused fat like oil or butter, rosin and distillate. The old-fashioned method is using cannabutter or oil. It's not too difficult to make but it has a strong taste. Edibles made from this method will have an earthy, weed taste. Some like the taste but I personally don't favor it. When I eat an edible I want to taste the food, be it a chocolate chip cookie or some fruit punch gummies.

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Rosin is literally smooshing the flower under lots of pressure and heat. This leaves you with a very pure form of the plant as there were no solvents or chemicals used. It still contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes and flavors. And it's easy to do.

Then there is distillate. Distillate is 100% pure THC or CBD. It has no smell or flavor. All the terpenes and impurities are removed leaving you with the purest form of CBD or THC. Since there is no taste, it can be added to almost everything. 

Edibles are digested and then metabolized in the liver and the remaining THC circulates through the heart and brain. People with fast metabolisms and people with slow metabolisms will be affected differently.

I could go on for days with more information but I wanted to cover the basics. Edibles hit different, but they have a place in the medicinal and recreational sectors. Hopefully you can use this as a reference next time you munch on some edibles!

sources:

https://potguide.com/pot-guide-marijuana-news/article/cannabis-distillate-and-edibles-the-wave-of-the-future/

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bj5mza/edible-high-vs-smoke-high

https://weedmaps.com/learn/products-and-how-to-consume/edibles/