Medical cannabis has come a long way in our country! Before legalization, most patients were able to use either dried marijuana or infused oils as treatments for pain and symptoms. But now that recreational cannabis is legal across the United States, cannabis edibles are becoming more popular than ever.
Edible forms of medical cannabis can be much more effective at treating certain conditions due to how they are processed by your body. Because cannabis products contain both active ingredients and inactive ones (like fats), you have to eat more of them to get the same effect. This makes ingesting cannabis less risky and easier to achieve the desired outcome.
Some common edible ways to treat pain include eating chocolate, drinking liquids, smoking oil extracts, and eating salve. While each of these practices may work for some people, not all are appropriate for everyone’s health condition and medicine regimen.
It is important to do research and read up on potential risks before experimenting with new methods. As professionals who help educate individuals about cannabis, The Weed Team wants to share information with you so that you are aware of every option available. That includes knowing which types of edibles are safe for use.
In this article, we will talk about what kinds of cannabis edibles are allowed in California, whether they are needed for treatment, and if they are safer than other options.
History of cannabis edibles
Before people were allowed to enjoy marijuana in various forms, such as salves, tinctures, or oils that could be applied onto food, they needed to ingest it directly. Because THC is a compound that can affect many systems of the body, users needed ways to avoid an overdose.
One method was eating something sweet like chocolate or dessert pizza that contained marijuana extracts or drops. This type of edible product is called a “edible pot product” because of this purpose.
These products are usually made with either pure cannabidiol (CBD) oil or whole plant CBD extractions that have been mixed into some kind of solid form. The most popular formats include gummies, tablets, and beverages.
History notes that while there have been warnings about overconsumption of marijuana since its legalization, these concerns seem rather hypothetical at present due to how few reports there have actually been.
Popular edibles
One of the most popular cannabis products is eating mixtures or recipes that contain either chocolate, coconut oil, peanut butter, or gel capsules. These are typically referred to as edible marijuana products because you can ingest them by putting it in your mouth and swallowing.
Edible weed snacks like cookies, brownies, gummies, and truffles are usually made with raw cannabis material, cocoa powder, melted fats (such as butter or coconut oil), and dried fruits such as raisins or apples.
Some people also add special additives to enhance the effects of the THC including sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, salt, and flavor extracts like vanilla, alcohol, or citrus. People who enjoy edibles may mix up their favorites until they find something that works for them.
Many individuals begin experimenting with adding additional ingredients to make new edibles.
How to choose edibles
When choosing your cannabis edible, make sure it is legal in your state! Many people begin with products that say “edible” on them because they are easier to access than marijuana.
However, these may contain pharmaceutical ingredients or alcohol which are not safe for consumption. If you find an ingestible product online or from someone you know, do your research before trying one!
Make sure it does not contain any kind of alcohol, such as vodka, wine, or whiskey-these can add up and be harmful when consumed by children or adults who are still developing their systems.
Xylitol is a natural sugar found in some plants but has been linked to serious health complications including tooth decay and diabetes. People with glucose intolerance or insulin resistance may have symptoms after eating foods containing xylitol like diarrhea, stomach ache, or weight loss.
Popular cannabis recipes
Many people enjoy edibles as an easy way to consume marijuana. These recipes usually contain either sweets or oils that have been infused with weed.
Some popular edible recipes include chocolate, salted caramel, gummy worms, and others. People who like these recipes may already know how to make them, but if you are new to cannabis then this article will give some tips for making your own!
You do not need special equipment to make our most common recipes. All you require is a food processor or blender, a mortar and pestle, and a pot to heat up the ingredients in.
This article will go into more detail about what products you can use in cannabisedible recipes and where to get them.
Tips for edibles
Now that you have your cannabis medicine, it is time to learn how to use them! Luckily, the way most people consume marijuana has gone through some changes with the legalization of cannabis.
Traditional ways of consuming THC (the compound in cannabis that gets users high) include smoking or vaporizing dried flowers or plants or eating foods infused with pure THC. However, CBDs (another major component of cannabis) can also be consumed by mixing them into beverages or tinctures. But what about ingesting products such as salves or gummies? Or eating food that contains THC?
Luckily, since marijuana was legalized at the state level, there are now several options available for consumers. Medical dispensaries and recreational stores both offer cannabis-infused oral sprays, liquids, drops, capsules, and baked goods. Some even have cookbooks and tools to help you make your own recipes!
Legal restrictions still apply when it comes to edible dosage limits as well as whether you should mix brands or not, but using cannabis medicinally has never been easier.
Are edibles safe?
Although cannabis has been used for centuries as an ingestible product, only recently have people really started talking about how safe it is to use marijuana salves, oils, drinks, and gummies. Before legalization, people knew very little about what was in their weed products and whether or not they contained harmful chemicals.
Since cannabis plants contain some of the most powerful cannabinoids, users can now apply them directly onto your skin, in liquids, or even eat them!
Before we dive into which types of edible cannabis are available, let’s talk about something that many people may be concerned about: safety.
People often worry about two main things when it comes to consuming cannabis – too much THC and poor quality CBD. Many believe that because THC is the compound in cannabis that makes you feel high, then eating foods with large amounts of THC could potentially get you “high.” This fear is completely unfounded!
THC is a cannabinoid so it does bind to receptors in your body where it can interact and influence everything from pain regulation to sleep cycles. However, this doesn’t mean that one dose of THC will make you feel altered or intoxicated. It simply means that if you choose to consume enough food sources of THC, you will eventually reach a threshold at which time the effects of cannabis will begin to occur.
Similarly, there are no rules saying that you must have pure CBD in order to receive benefits from using cannaboids.
Does it get you high faster?
Sometimes, people seem to think that cannabis edibles are not as effective because they take longer to kick in. This is definitely untrue!
That’s like saying drinking alcohol isn’t as good because it takes longer for your body to drink it down. It doesn’t make sense!
Edible marijuana products contain THC (the main compound in cannabis) and most of them are actually absorbed into your blood stream much more quickly than smoking.
This means that one dose has the same effect as smoked weed – just quicker. And since some people can’t be bothered to roll or smoke a joint, consuming an edible version is the better option.
However, bear in mind that this does mean you will need to wait up to two hours before experiencing the effects of the drug.
What effects will it have?
Medical cannabis is usually consumed by patients as oral sprays, oils or pills that are mixed in with food. Because of this, its effects depend on what you eat while using it!
Some people find that eating before smoking helps mitigate some of the negative effects of smoking. For example, eating can help reduce dry mouth, which may make it easier to breathe.
But for others, eating can actually be counterproductive because it offsets the effect of the marijuana being ingested. This can include neutralizing the THC content or canceling out the benefits of the medicine.
Certain foods can also interfere with how well your body processes medication. That’s why it is important to know the common side effects of each type of medical cannabis.
Your doctor can advise you about whether eating is a factor that needs to be adjusted or if there are other alternatives like taking a more direct route into ingestion such as vaping or topical applications.
