This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.
Consuming edibles is often tricky, especially when you have no idea what your body can tolerate. We have different bodies; the way you react to a specific dose of cannabis edible may not be the way the next person does. Body chemistry is unique, and so many factors react with it to determine the intensity of an edible session.
Edibles could make you go from “Oh god, this isn’t working, let me have some more” to a delirious “I think I’ve had too much, where’s my head”? In recent times, the search for fast-acting weed edibles has intensified, whereas a better option could be learning how to hasten the effects of the edibles. Ironically, it’s entirely possible to get an edible labeled “fast action” and still experience the usual delay.
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In all honesty, it’s almost impossible to determine whether or not an edible would react quickly in an individual on the first trial. People are instead encouraged to find a variety that does take as much time to induce the high as possible. Get prepared to learn about the various ways to hasten and intensify a high from cannabis edibles as we go along this trip together.
The Art of Eating Edibles
When edibles are consumed, the food material, as well as the cannabis, has to be digested and broken down in the stomach before the cannabinoids can make their way into the bloodstream. This is unlike smoking and vaping, when the inhaled smoke or vapor moves from the lungs and delivers the cannabinoids into the bloodstream immediately, causing the user to feel the buzzing effects of weed in less than 10 minutes.
The main advantage of consuming edibles is that it results in a more intense or potent experience. However, many are dissuaded by the time it takes to feel any effect. The wait time after eating edibles could be up to 60 minutes. In some, it’s longer.
If you’re new to edibles, here are the factors that determine how long it takes an edible to be broken down and metabolized.
Tolerance
Tolerance describes the amount of cannabinoids the body is used to. If you are a regular weed user, a certain amount of cannabinoid may not be sufficient to induce an effect. For example, if you consume about 7 mg of edibles regularly, at a point, it might not give you the expected strong results. However, if you rarely smoke or vape, that same quantity may seem more than enough.
Basically, you may need to ingest more than the usual quantity to feel a strong effect.
Type of Edible
Some edibles kick in faster than others. Edibles such as infused beverages, baked goods, and gummies take about 50 to 60 minutes to hit. In contrast, sublingual edibles like lozenges, lollipops, or mint strips kick in within 15 to 30 minutes, as the cannabinoids are delivered directly into the bloodstream.
Metabolism and Body Weight
At the end of the day, the delivery rate is mainly dependent on the user’s rate of metabolism and body weight. This determines how long it takes for the edibles ti kick in, how long the buzz would last, and how intense it would be.
Tricks to Make Edibles Kick in Faster
We’ve come a long way from when you had to wait for an hour or two for your edibles to kick in. With these options, you can hasten up the onset of cannabinoid effects.
Try Sublinguals
Sublinguals are edibles you can place on or beneath your tongue. Use lozenges, lollipops, mint strips, or tinctures; these allow the THC to quickly enter your bloodstream through your mouth tissues. Within minutes, the effects start to show.
While this method results in a hastened onset of the buzz, the effects will fade faster than regular edibles. This is because these sublingual edibles aren’t fat-based.
Consider Infused Drinks
Cannabis- Infused beverages and other drinkables go through the normal digestive system cycle. However, drinks are less bulky and move faster through the route, causing the cannabinoids to be delivered earlier.
You can make your infused drinks with beverages and juices, or you could purchase premade products. Either of these works and is guaranteed to get you high faster than usual edibles.
Take Edibles on an Empty Stomach
This is one of the surest tricks to make an edible hit faster. When you consume edibles alone on an empty stomach, your digestive system has no choice but to process them. When your stomach and digestive tract is filled with food, your body has to process all the food first. There’s no way to modify the digestive process; you have to wait.
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As good as this trick is, it’s best practiced by experienced smokers. If you’re a novice cannabis lover with little or no experience, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage by doing this.
It would be best if you had more than the calories from a dose of edibles to handle the expected high. Rather than enjoy the buzz, you may be left with an unpleasant experience. This is the same regardless of the method of consumption. So, if you’re a regular cannabis user, the best time to consume a THC edible is when you’re hungry. When your body asks for food, you settle it with edibles, i.e., food and some cannabinoids.
Take a Tolerance Break
Try to take a brief break away from consuming cannabis. It could be for a day, weeks, or even a month. The next time you take an edible after this break, expect the effects to kick in faster and feel more intense.
Bottom Line
Edibles for medical purposes are getting more popular by the day. Not everyone can or prefers to smoke cannabis — not to mention that smoking or combusting cannabis is really not healthy.
Gone are the days when edible lovers have to accept the status quo of waiting for one or more hours as unchangeable. Sure, that’s how edibles work, but still, you can improve the products or hasten their effects with the above tips without compromising the amount of time you’ll remain noticeably high.
This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.
