Edibles have always been a popular form of marijuana consumption. There is a long history marijuana brownies, gummies and cookies popping up at parties for decades.
Here at Tennessee Marijuana Card, we want to give you accurate information about the different marijuana formats so you can have the tools you need to make the best decision for your health and wellness!
There is a lot more that people should know about edibles before trying them for the first time.
Today, we will be going over what edibles are and why they can be beneficial. We also will be discussing how to properly dose them and how to make your own once Tennessee has a fully functioning marijuana program.
Continue reading to become an edibles connoisseur!
The Basics of Edibles:
Edibles are just that. They’re edible marijuana products! Edibles are any food that contains marijuana.
Cannabis is usually infused into a fat-soluble base such as butter or oil. Once you have the butter or oil infused, it is easy to use the infusions in foods such as brownies or cookies.
Edibles are consumed orally and are digested through the stomach and the liver. This is why they are more potent and have long lasting effects. With this also comes a longer time for the effects to kick in.
Benefits from consuming edibles:
There are many benefits that come along with using edibles as your medical marijuana format of choice!
One benefit is that the dosing is spot on. If you buy your edibles from a licensed dispensary once they’re open in Tennessee, the dosing will be accurate. This will give you a consistent method of consuming marijuana that you can depend on. This can be harder to get with other formats that marijuana comes in such as vapes or joints.
Edibles also have long lasting effects! They take longer for the body to feel the effects since they are absorbed through the stomach and liver, but once they are fully absorbed, the effects can last for hours. This is great for those who have medical conditions that want relief for a long period of time such as chronic pain, anxiety, or insomnia.
Edibles are also discreet. If you are concerned about the cannabis stench that is very potent, edibles will help you avoid that. Or if you just have a noisy mother snooping through your things, edibles just look like any other brownie, cookies or gummy. Just make sure no one else eats it by accident!
The Right Dosage of Edibles:
The right dosage of any marijuana product varies based on the individual. But why is that?
There are many factors that are involved in how a person reacts to cannabis (and just medication in general). These factors can include one’s cannabis use, GI issues, or how sensitive or functional one’s endocannabinoid system is.
About 3% of individuals are extremely sensitive to THC so they do much better using very low doses, such as 1 mg, when consuming edibles.
If one consumes a 50 mg edible or higher, you could risk experiencing an uncomfortable high. Over consuming marijuana can cause nausea, paranoia, and anxiety even for those that are seasoned users.
Be patient:
The number one rule when consuming edibles is be patient!
Because edibles take longer to be absorbed, many consume an edible, don’t feel the effects right away and then consume more. This can lead to an uncomfortable feeling and can insight paranoia or anxiety.
This may seem a bit intimidating to some but it is fairly easy to avoid with a few tips. Just make sure to start with a low dose and patiently wait for yourself to feel the effects. Remember, it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour for you to feel the full effects of an edible.
Proper Dosage:
There is a general amount of an edible you should consume based on the effects and the relief that you need. Below are the basic guidelines but remember these vary so start low and slow and keep patience in mind!
2 - 15 mg THC edibles:
Within this amount you can get strong relief from chronic pain, insomnia and anxiety as well as experience some euphoria. This is a good dosage if you are looking to treat symptoms that have not been treated previously by lower doses.
25 - 50 mg THC edibles:
With this slightly higher dosage you are more likely to feel an intense euphoric effect. This is a good dosage for those that have a high tolerance of THC and for those who do not absorb cannabis well.
50 - 100+ mg THC edibles:
At this amount you could possibly feel negative effects and have an uncomfortable high which could insight paranoia, nausea and increase heart rate. This could be a dosage could still be beneficial for those with cancer or other serious medical conditions.
The CBD:THC ratio:
Finding an edible that has CBD with THC can actually enhance the medicinal properties of cannabis while at the same time decreasing any negative effects. CBD is a partial blocker of the psychoactive effects that THC has. So if you wish to get the medicinal values without too much of the “high,” a CBD/THC hybrid is best for you!
As the ratio of CBD:THC increases, the likelihood of negative effects decreases! So for example at a 4:1 ratio the negative effects are less likely unless a person takes an extremely high dose. So if a person takes 5 mg of THC and they feel impaired, they could take 20 mg of CBD and 5 mg of THC together and feel less impaired or no impairment at all!
Making Edible at Home:
It is definitely possible to make your own edibles at home and in fact many people do!
Since THC and CBD are fat-soluble so most people use butter or oil to infuse with marijuana.
Marijuana buds need to be decarboxylated before infusing which means it needs to be heated for our bodies to feel the effects. When marijuana is smoked, this happens when it catches fire but for edibles this happens by heating weed up in an oven at a low temperature, then using it to infuse oil or butter.
Right now, making edibles at home illegal as there is not a fully functioning medical marijuana program in Tennessee. But it could be on it’s way to the state sooner than you think so stay up to date on all things medical marijuana in Tennessee here!
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Tennessee Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at (833) 781-5611, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Tennessee Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information.