Smoking remains the most prevalent method of marijuana consumption, but edibles infused with cannabis are becoming a favored means for enjoying cannabis for many reasons. One reason is that there are a lot of people who don’t want to breathe smoke into their lungs, and edibles let them enjoy the benefits of cannabis without inhaling. Many individuals ingest edibles for recreational pleasure because once it takes effect, a cannabis edible high can last for hours. Others use them to help with pain management and inflammation reduction, anxiety relief, prevent seizures, and regular users appreciate that with edibles they can accurately portion out the THC or CBD dosage.
However, with cannabis there can be side effects as a result of ingesting too large a dose or combining a cannabis edible with other medications or alcohol. This is especially true with people enjoying an infused edible for the first time may eat too much of it or grow inpatient waiting for the cannabis to take effect. There is a delayed onset for edible cannabis which could take up to 3 hours, whereas smoking cannabis can have an effect in minutes. It’s not uncommon for people to consume larger amounts of the edible while waiting, which can lead to a cannabis overdose, also called marijuana intoxication. In addition, there are no uniform federal practices for cannabis product labeling, and requirements vary from state to state, so predicting edible potency can be a challenge. It can be even harder if the edibles are home-made. Additionally, everyone will have a different response based on factors like weight, amount of food in the digestive system, and concentrations of THC throughout the edible. The best rule of thumb with edibles is to take it slow, start with low doses of no more than 2.5 mg of THC, and give it time to take effect before consuming more.
