This issue I’ll discuss one of my new favorite ways to get high: cannabis-infused food and drinks, more commonly known as “edibles.” And what could be better than getting stoned from your favorite tasty treats? If the standard pot brownie doesn’t tickle your taste buds, don’t worry. Within this rapidly booming industry, virtually everything can be infused. Anything from infused chewy caramel to mints, to soda pop is available to you now. Also, if you have any unique family recipes that call for butter or oil, there is a good chance that you make your own edibles. My infused baked mac and cheese is always a hit for “Danksgiving” and Christmas dinner.
Edibles can be a good alternative for smoking if you’d like to spare your lungs or would rather not smell like a dispensary. Be sure to read the packaging and ask a budtender if you’re unsure of what to do regarding dosage. The most important thing about edibles is getting the right dose for you. This can be challenging since everyone’s bodies react to edibles differently. These days we don’t have to fly blind since legally edible manufacturers have to be label their THC or CBD contents in milligrams. 10mg is usually a single dose for recreational edibles, but for some, even a single dose can be too much. Another common recreational dose is 100mg, which can be a lot more potent, so that can be split into 10 or more doses. However, depending on your metabolism, even an entire 100mg container of edibles may not be enough. This is the tricky part about edibles: you don’t want to eat too many and feel uncomfortable for several hours, but you also want to feel the effects. The easy way to prevent that is to start with a low dose, wait patiently, and eat a light meal beforehand as edibles can kick in faster on an empty stomach. The main reason why you need to wait at least 30 minutes to 2 hours to feel the effects is because edibles can potentially be stronger than smoking or even vaporizing cannabis. Inhaled THC goes directly to the brain, whereas eaten THC must pass through the stomach and then is metabolized by the liver – which is why finding the right dose can be so difficult. Although when you do, the effects can last for several hours. Most folks enjoy the long-lasting effects especially if they have any chronic pain. For that reason, using edibles in combination with some CBD can work wonders for pain, nausea, and help increase appetite.
If you’d like to infuse your own edibles, a quick, easy way to do it is by using concentrates. Ask your budtender for either “decarboxylated,” or “distillate” oil in syringes and they should be able to help. I personally prefer using distillate syringes, which is a more refined, flavorful, and potent concentrate. These syringes are already activated, so all you have to do is put the syringe oil into your batter or in with your oil or butter. For example, you can mix it into say, a homemade pumpkin spice butter, and it will infuse instantly!
If you’re planning to try edibles for the first time, get a buddy to sit with you to help keep any anxiety at bay. When you’ve figured out a good dose for yourself, keep in mind that even though edibles are portable, they can also be potent. Make sure that large doses are done at home where you’re most comfortable so that you can eat, sit back, relax and enjoy!
From Page 37 of our Fall 2018/Winter 2019 Issue.
