Edibles: A tasty alternative to smoking
When most people think about edibles, they think back to brownies and cookies that their college friends used to make. Edibles, while they do come in brownie and cookie form, now come in a vast selection, including medicated chips, medicated tomato sauce, and medicated coffee. With so many different types of edibles to choose from, patients can easily find the perfect type of edible along with the perfect dosage of cannabinoids.
With edibles, it’s important to “Start low and go slow.” Since edibles have a longer onset, inexperienced patients may make the mistake of eating too much of their edible before the effects kick in, which can lead to an unpleasant high. When eaten, THC is metabolized by the liver, which changes the chemical structure from Delta-9 TCH to 11-hydroxy THC, a more efficient form of the cannabinoid. The psychoactive effects from 11-hydroxy THC are both stronger and longer lasting than Delta-9 THC, the cannabinoid a patient ingests when smoking or vaporizing.
The potency of edibles can range from dosages as low as 5mg, a single low dose of THC, all the way up to 1500mg of THC per edible, or around 25 doses. The variation in doses makes the edible cannabis experience available to any level of user, from the first time patient to the experienced cannabis veteran. High potency edibles are an easy way to introduce high doses of cannabinoids directly into the system of someone suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or Irritable bowel syndrome.
As a new patient, using high-potency edibles may lead to unpleasant feelings of paranoia or uneasiness, which can be prevented by following the “start low and go slow” rule. If a patient experiences unpleasant feelings from eating too much of an edible, drinking water and sitting or lying down can make them feel better. Some patients say that taking CBD capsules can also relieve sensations of paranoia, due to the anti-anxiety properties of CBD.
For many users, edibles are a safe and easy way to dose oneself with higher levels of cannabinoids than one would receive from smoking. The different form factors, along with the different dosage levels create a novelty aspect to edibles that isn’t replicated with a joint, pipe, or vaporizer. Eating “weed” gummies may appeal more to some users than smoking a joint due to both the “fun factor,” and the dosage levels.
Another important benefit of edible cannabis is that patients don’t have to smoke. Some patients may want to choose edible cannabis over smoked or vaporized flower due to lung or esophagus conditions, or simply because they don’t want to inhale smoke. This lack of smoke make edibles the safest and easiest way to consume cannabis, which to some patients with chronic illnesses can mean the difference between living a comfortable life, or a painful one.
Edible cannabis’ benefits greatly outweigh any sort of negative effect. It’s easy to avoid feelings of anxiety or paranoia from taking too much by simply following the golden rule of edibles: start low and go slow. The fun and convenience of edibles along with the medical benefits make them the ideal way to consume cannabis for any patient.
Click here to learn about other options for consuming medical marijuana.