The tropes surrounding THC edibles have become all too familiar now, thanks to their long-standing representation in media. Everything from movies, TV shows, and music has a subsection where these potent treats shine.
More often than not, it revolves around a joke. Something like an unwitting family member or friend eats a few cookies only to find out they were cannabis edibles, followed by a highly potent trip with their friends or loved ones laughing hysterically.
While the comedic aspect is pretty straightforward, it still can leave inexperienced people a little apprehensive about edibles and if they are something too intimidating to try.
For those unfamiliar with THC edibles, or even THC in general, the general portrayal of these potent snacks can be scary. That doesn’t mean that all edibles are created equal. Everything from concentration levels to the strain itself impacts an edible’s strength.
Today, we hope to help clear up some of the stigma surrounding these treats and give those new to the scene a little more light on the subject.
How Do Edibles Work?
One of the oldest sayings about food is “You are what you eat,” which couldn’t be more accurate. Edibles, by definition, are food infused with THC. Understanding what you are eating and how your body is utilizing, it can help paint a picture of edibles with more transparency and less wonder.
To better understand edibles, knowing how your body uses them is important. Traditional marijuana is portrayed as a smokable, ground-up product rolled in paper or placed in a smoking piece. The general idea is that smoking places THC in the lungs, quickly absorbing it into the bloodstream.
Edibles, however, have a bit of a trip through the body. This longer route also changes THC since it isn’t immediately introduced into the bloodstream.
Since the active THC is locked within a food source, it must travel through your stomach and liver. The effects even change, believe it or not. The alteration happens thanks to the liver and its powerful filtering abilities.
Once the THC reaches your liver, a chemical change occurs before being introduced into the blood. Not only does it keep its potency, but it also becomes a much stronger version.
After the liver finishes its intensive cleaning, the new and concentrated THC is pushed through the body, where the user can begin to feel it.
Why Do Edibles Provide a Different High?
As we mentioned above, the THC from an edible changes as it goes through the body. The high has often been described as longer lasting, stronger, and slower to set in. That has a lot to do with the changes mentioned above and the slower release that eating edibles provides.
Since the THC is processed through the liver and altered, it isn’t added to your blood all at once. That accounts for the slower ramp-up and more extended trip. This is also the reason that eating too much at once can become uncomfortable for some.
The slow release and delayed onset may make some people think they didn’t use enough. Those same people may decide to have more, but the first batch has not kicked in yet. Once it finally starts, the trip can build up to become somewhat overbearing thanks to the delayed activation and additional edibles eaten before finding out how strong it is.
Where Can You Get THC Edibles?
Wondering where to get THC edibles – even in a non-legal state? Per the federal law on hemp, hemp products can contain up to 0.3% delta-9 THC.
Fortunately, our products are dense, which means we can add a lot of THC!
We also offer delta-8 THC for something different. That means you can get access to virtually any THC edible you have your eye on through our shop online.
We offer a variety of edibles, so have fun trying them out and finding your favorite!
3 Tips for Dosing with Edibles
If you are new to the world of THC edibles, or even THC in general, remember a few things before picking out an edible. While you may know people who use edibles or even read some about them, that doesn’t paint a complete picture of what will work best for you.
Below, we will review a few key points that can mean the difference between a long, relaxing high or an uncomforting evening of anxiety.
1. Always Read Labels First
This bit of advice serves two purposes. First and most importantly, a label will help you determine if a reputable source makes the THC product. The edible market is vast and less than reliable products are made by people who tend to cut corners.
Not only will labels help you determine the best manufacturers, but they will also help you decide what kind of experience you want. This can range from heavy head highs to buzz-less microdosing.
Also included on the list is how many doses the container holds so you don’t accidentally eat a week’s worth of edibles in a single session.
Labels help determine the strain, concentration, and trip time by listing all the information on the container. With the highly competitive legal edible market, manufacturers have learned that going above and beyond is the best way to snag a loyal customer base. So always look for the most clearly labeled and comprehensive packaging.
2. Start Low and Slow
This advice is helpful for THC in general. When trying something new, like edibles or even a new strain, going full force into the experience is never recommended.
Most people new to the world of edibles start with less than 5g since it will allow you to feel mild effects on an extended release. That way, you can judge if the feeling is something you can handle.
The average dose for someone not trying to blast off into space is 10mg. Even though these sound a little on the low side, remember that the experience is not the exact same as smoking. The feeling will be different and last longer, so it’s best not to overdo it unless you are experienced and understand what you are signing up for.
3. Understand Everyone is Different
Not only is the edible experience different from smoking, but the effects of edibles are different for everyone. No two people metabolize things the exact same way, so the experience of edible THC will vary by user.
Even if you have a family member who can routinely put away a monstrous dose of THC edibles without feeling it that much, you may have the opposite result.
It is good to understand the dosage of an edible and the strain used in its production so you can get a rough idea of what it is meant to accomplish. The best thing to remember is that your personal experience will be unique to you, and you have to find the best match for yourself.
How Many Milligrams of THC Should You Eat? THC Calculator
A litany of factors goes into determining proper dose strength. Things such as body weight, prior experience, and even metabolism all impact how an edible will feel to you.
Before trying a THC edible, it’s best to understand the exact amount in a dose.
Let’s look at the breakdown chart for a firmer understanding of THC per serving.
Microdose – 1mg to 2.5mg THC
Microdoses are considered the lowest effective dose. This dose level is not designed to achieve an intense, full-body high. More often than not, a microdose is taken to help alleviate things like mild pain, anxiety or to help focus.
Microdosing works well for people looking to add a small, beneficial amount of THC to their routine that won’t cause psychoactive effects.
Microdosing is also an excellent starting point for those new to THC.
Recommended edible:
- 4mg Delta 9 Hard Candy – 2 mg CBD + 2mg THC
Low Dose – 3mg to 5mg THC
The 3-5mg dose range is a solid step up from the microdose. This range is much stronger regarding things such as pain relief. This is also the threshold for people to start experiencing the euphoric effects of THC.
While 3-5mg isn’t a substantial dose, it might catch someone new to THC off guard with its effects. This is considered the standard dose for mild recreation and people looking for a good night’s sleep.
Recommended edible:
- 300mg Delta 8 Milk Chocolate Bar – a quarter of a piece!
Moderate Dose – 10mg to 15mg THC
Once each dose contains 10-15mg of THC, you start getting into those with a decent tolerance. Both recreational and medicinal patients who have been using THC for an extended period will begin to find an effect in this range.
People without a strong tolerance will also start feeling adverse reactions at this point. These can include symptoms of coordination loss, mild occasional anxiety, and altered perception.
Starting a THC journey here is not recommended if you are unfamiliar.
Recommended edible:
- 12mg Delta 9 gummies – one gummy
High Dose – 20mg to 30mg THC
At 20-30mg, a user will experience intense euphoric episodes and perception alteration. In addition, the effect on motor control becomes much more apparent.
Doses this high are recommended for people with a long THC history and very strong tolerance. Those dealing with decreased GI absorption due to medical reasons or genetics are also candidates for this dose level.
Recommended edibles:
- 20mg Delta 9 Live Resin Maui Wowie Seltzer – the whole can!
- 30mg Delta 9 Peanut Butter Nuggets – one peanut butter nugget
Higher Dose – 50mg to 100mg THC
Once this range is in use, Extreme side effects are to be expected. For example, users can expect to experience seriously impaired coordination, nausea, anxiety, and increased heart rate.
If you are inexperienced with extremely high doses of THC, this could lead to a long, uncomfortable trip that lasts a few hours.
Consumers making up this user base tend to be those with very high experience, cancer patients, and others with debilitating medical issues that necessitate wildly high doses.
Recommended edible:
- 50mg Delta 9 Crinkle Cookies – one cookie at a time
To the Moon – 100mg to 500mg THC or MORE
These are the upper echelon of dose strengths. The range above 100mg per serving is intended for those with chronic or life-altering conditions seeking relief.
Most people who use this dose for recreational purposes are at the extreme end of the experience. This dose has the highest chance of the user experiencing acute negative side effects, including high anxiety levels, nausea, debilitating motor control issues, and rapid heart rate.
Anxiety attacks and long-lasting bad trips are possible for those not prepared for this level of intensity.
Recommended edibles:
How Much Should You Eat the First Time?
As mentioned above, “Low and Slow” is a moniker for a reason. Regardless of how experienced you may be in other fields related to THC, it’s always a good idea to start low and see how you feel.
It is always possible to increase doses over time, but taking too much, on the other hand, can result in a bad trip that you can’t walk back.
Even if you only start at the beginner level once, trying the 1-2.5mg dose first is good to understand how well your body is handling the change.
Can You Overdose on Edibles?
A concern that might be floating around by this point is, “Man, those doses can get pretty high. Can I end up overdosing?”
This kind of question is valid, and concerns about the bad side effects involved definitely set off some red flags.
The short answer is no; there are no fatal doses of THC.
However, you can take too much and feel negative side effects. The important part about this is that the severe effects involving hospitalization are EXTREMELY low. Even so, negative side effects are still involved.
Some known side effects of taking “too much” THC include:
- Chest Pain
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Visual and Audio Hallucinations
- Trouble Breathing
- Severe Anxiety or Panic Attacks
Fortunately, the effects will fade after a few hours and leave your system. You should seek medical attention if someone experiences a THC overdose that includes multiple vomiting episodes or if they develop feelings of aggression, confusion, or debilitating anxiety.
How Long Do Edible Effects Last?
The defining factor of edibles is the length of effect. While smoking cannabis can carry the effect for a few hours, edibles are an entirely different experience.
A well-made edible can last up to 12 hours, with residual effects spanning 24 hours. It’s best to plan around the edible instead of working edibles into an existing agenda.
Lower-dose edibles will last a shorter time, and stronger ones tend to linger, so plan accordingly.
What Edibles Get You the Highest?
Our delta-8 gummies are particularly potent. They’re our bestsellers for a reason, after all!
Not to be outdone, though, our delta-9 gummies are a take on a classic. Everyone is different, so one edible may get you higher than the other. Try out a handful to see which you prefer most!
How Long Does it Take for Edibles to Kick In?
Regardless of dose strength, an edible can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to kick in. After the initial start, the edible high will peak at about 4 hours. The slow set-in might come as a bit of a shock for those used to how quick smoking THC is in comparison.
Using edibles requires patience and an understanding that the returns are not immediate.
What to Do if You “Don’t Feel it Yet”
Thinking the edible isn’t strong enough or feeling like your tolerance might be too high for a particular starting dose is common. More often than not, someone will approach the two-hour mark and think that the edible was not strong enough since they are not feeling any reactions to it.
This can lead to taking too much since the full effects have not had time to set in. One of the best pieces of advice in this situation is to eat a light snack to stimulate digestion, such as some fruit, so that your body will increase absorption.
People new to edibles may require multiple low-dose sessions before they can feel the effects. The average amount is around 2-3 doses over a few days. This will give your body time to adjust and maximize absorption.