Edibles: They’re tasty, they’re convenient, and they’re quickly becoming one of the most popular cannabis products.
If taking edibles is part of your usual cannabis regimen, you probably have them all figured out. But if they’re not very familiar to you, edibles can be full of unknowns. How long does it take them to kick in? About how long do they last? What dose do you take?
Well, don’t sweat it- edibles are the most idiot-proof way to get high, once you figure out what works for you. With that being said, if you want to have the best experience possible, you might have a few burning questions. We’re all about good experiences, so read on to clear up everything you’ve ever wondered about edibles.
What Dose of Cannabis Edibles is Right for Me?
As long as you’re in Washington, there’s not a lot of variance in dosage. 9 times out of ten, cannabis edibles you purchase here will contain the state-sanctioned maximum, 10mg of THC per serving.
This 10mg dose can be okay for first-timers, but remember: once you take an edible, there’s no turning back. We always recommend starting with 5mg of THC, waiting a bit, and then taking more to achieve your desired effect if necessary. Everyone’s metabolism and digestive system is different, and will respond to edibles as such.
It’s possible 5mg may not get you where you want to go, even as a newbie. But it’s also possible for 5mg of THC to be your ideal dosage.
So how do you only take 5mg of THC if 10mg is the standard dose? Well, fortunately, not every edible producer is shooting for the highest numbers. There are a still good amount of edibles on the market that are dosed out in manageable 5mg servings. In fact, the most popular edibles in the state, Mr. Moxey’s Mints, are a fantastic 5mg option.
Dosing for Wellness
If pain management, sleep, or mental wellbeing is your ultimate goal, you’ll need to approach dosing from a different angle. For wellness purposes, look for edibles with THC and CBD, ideally with enough THC to produce a psychoactive effect (5mg or more).
That last part of that is surprising, we know. CBD has gotten a lot of press for being the “healing” cannabinoid, while THC is still relegated to the “getting stoned” side of cannabis.
But the truth is, CBD is at its most beneficial when it’s paired with THC. The 1:1 CBD/THC ratio (usually 10mg of CBD, 10mg of THC) has been dubbed “the golden ratio”, as it seems to be when CBD and THC are at their most synergistic. If you’re seeking clearheaded relief, a 5:1 or 10:1 CBD/THC ratio is also suitable.
Another thing to keep in mind with THC and CBD edibles: CBD inhibits the psychoactivity of THC to some degree. So an edible with a dosage of 10mg of THC and 10mg of CBD will actually get you less “stoned” than an edible with just 10mg of THC.
But if it’s your first time, we still recommend starting with a 5mg dose with 1:1 edibles. Craft Elixirs’ CBD Cherry and CBD Pineapple Pioneer Squares are a great 5mg 1:1 option for beginners.
How Long For Edibles to Kick In?
You’ve picked your dose….now, how long does it take before you feel the effects?
Like a lot of the answers to other edible questions, how long edibles take to kick in depends on a variety of factors. One of those factors is the format, i.e., the type of food.
Edibles like brownies, cookies, chocolates, and gummies have the largest delay in onset time. These are the most work for the digestive system to process, meaning the cannabinoids present take longer to enter the bloodstream. For edibles in these categories, effects can hit you within 45 minutes- 2 hours.
Conversely, mints, hard candies, drinks or capsules will have the quickest onset time.
You break down mints and hard candies in your mouth before they even enter your digestive system, so you’ll absorb a good amount of their THC/CBD content sublingually.
Drinks kick in faster because liquids are easier for your body to process than solids.
And capsules have virtually zero filler ingredients, making processing and absorption much more straightforward. 30 minutes to an hour and a half should be enough time for edibles in these formats to kick in.
Those onset times can also vary from person to person depending on your digestive process. If you have a slower metabolism, expect an even longer wait for edibles to take effect.
But if it’s been 3-4 hours and you still aren’t feeling anything, that’s probably a sign to up your dosage.
Should I Take Edibles on an Empty Stomach?
If drinking alcohol on an empty stomach intensifies its effects, it seems logical that edibles would be the same way. If you eat an edible on an empty stomach, they’ll hit you way harder since there’s no other food in your stomach to absorb their contents. Right?
Actually, not quite.
If you take edibles without eating anything else, you may notice a quicker onset, and more intense effects- at first. But compared to the effects of edibles taken on a full stomach, these effects are short-lived .
THC is a fat-soluble substance, not water soluble. When you take an edible on a full stomach, particularly after a meal high in fat, its contents stay in your digestive system for longer than they would had your stomach been empty.
The outcome? It may take longer to feel the effects, but the high will last much longer, and you’re less likely to have a negative experience (paranoia, dry mouth, etc.).
If you’re using edibles to sleep, this distinction is especially important. What you eat before you eat your edible may be the difference between waking up too early and sleeping through the night.
How Long Do the Effects from Edibles Last?
If you read the answer to the question above, you know that an edible high can be shorter or longer depending on whether or not you eat before you take it. But just how long is that, exactly?
Short answer: a long time.
Undoubtedly, edibles are a great choice for symptom management with cannabis for that very reason. Compared to vaping or smoking, relief comes on slower, but lasts much longer. Typically, the high from smoking or vaping will last anywhere from 1-3 hours. With edibles, it can be anywhere from 6-10 hours before their effects wear off.
Once again, though, it depends. If you eat an edible without eating anything else, 4-6 hours is a more accurate timeframe. If you take more than your usual dose on a full stomach, it’s more like 8-12 hours.
One thing is for certain, though: if you don’t want long-lasting effects, or have something important to do later in the day, edibles aren’t the way to go.
Can You Have A Tolerance To Edibles?
Picture this: you took our advice, found a dosage and brand of cannabis edibles, and made them a part of your routine. All is good…except now they don’t seem to be working as well! Or is it just your imagination?
You’re not going crazy- your tolerance to THC is probably just higher now.
Despite their convenience, and their user-friendly format, there is a downside to edibles: compared to smoking cannabis, users notice a tolerance to edibles much sooner. Pretty quickly, you may find yourself needing to eat more to achieve the same effects.
This is normal and not typically a reason for concern. Cannabis consumption has never caused an overdose, and the risk to your health isn’t known to increase with the dosage.
Nonetheless, having a high edible tolerance can get expensive.
If you get to a point where you need a full 10-pack of edibles to achieve your desired effects, look into purchasing distillate oil or Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) instead. These are the same concentrates that producers use to infuse their edible products. A gram of distillate or RSO costs about as much as a 100mg 10-pack of edibles, and contains anywhere from 600-900mg of THC.
