Remember when two Toronto police officers ate too many cannabis edibles on the job and ended up calling 911 on themselves? Eating edibles shouldn’t be a guessing game that lands you in the hospital or on the front page of the Toronto Star (or both).
It’s possible to microdose edibles, find your perfect dosage, and enjoy all the benefits of a euphoric, productive, and stress-free high without unwanted side effects. People still lack the proper education about basic information like:
- Edibles Vs. Smoking: What’s the Difference?
- How Long Do Edibles Take to Kick In?
- How to Safely Consume Edibles
In 2018, Canada passed legislation to legalize marijuana for adults, becoming the largest nation ever to do so. To buy and store marijuana in British Columbia and Canada, you must be 19 years old. The minimum legal age or older is 18 in Alberta and Quebec.
If you’re curious about microdosing edibles, it’s important to start by educating yourself about what to expect. This guide to microdosing edibles will help you learn everything there is to know about edible cannabis and stop playing “edible Roulette” for good.
What is Microdosing?
Microdosing is the “practice of taking or administering very small amounts of a drug in order to test or benefit from its physiological action while minimizing undesirable side effects.”
Considerable media has focused on the benefits of microdosing psychedelic drugs like LSD or magic mushrooms, but a new trend had been gaining traction, microdosing cannabis edibles. It’s possible to take small amounts of active marijuana compounds and experience maximum benefits.
What Are Edibles?
Edibles are cannabis-based food products that contain active ingredients like THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) and come in creative forms, from decadent cannabis brownies to playful marijuana lollipops.
What Are the Benefits of Microdosing Cannabis?
Rolling Stone Magazine released a groundbreaking article Why Microdosing Is Taking Over Medical Marijuana and released a deep dive into microdosing edibles. Journalists spoke to a renowned Los Angeles doctor, Dr. Allan Frankel, who began prescribing patients less than 3 mg of THC a day to Cancer and AIDs patients.
Dr. Frankel sees marijuana from a medical perspective and believes the best prescription is the minimum effective dose. Based on direct case studies, 3 mg of THC a day was incredibly effective for treating most of his patients.
Rolling Stone says, “With microdosing, people are getting the maximum benefit from the minimum amount, without becoming stoned, paranoid or lethargic. Some are microdsoing to regulate their moods, boost their creativity, or enhance their workouts and yoga sessions.”
Have we been using edibles all wrong? A proper dosage of cannabis edibles could help you trade paranoia and hallucinations for a creative mood boost and relaxed high.
Practical Benefits of Microdosing Edibles
- Discreet: Cannabis edibles are easy to enjoy. You can simply eat a square of chocolate instead of sneaking off to a smoke-friendly location.
- Convenient: Cannabis edibles are easy to enjoy. Rolling a joint, lighting a bong, or fashioning a pipe out of an apple (we’ve all been there) is an experience but edibles are more convenient and accessible.
- Smell-free: Cannabis edibles don’t produce a lingering smell that could stick to your walls, hair, and clothing.
- Consistent: Consuming edibles allows you to choose your desired dose for a more consistent high.
- Tasty: Edibles come in the form of delicious treats like brownies, gummies, and creative candies.
Health Benefits of Microdosing Edibles
- Safe dosing: When done properly, you can consume micro amounts of edibles that maximize health benefits while reducing negative side effects.
- No risk to the respiratory system: Unlike smoking marijuana, edibles are absorbed through the stomach without ingesting smoke into the lungs.
- Boost mood: The right balance between THC and CBD has been shown to increase productivity, boost overall mood, and increase energy and focus.
- Reduce chronic pain: Marijuana can help reduce pain by altering pain perception pathways in the brain and benefit people living with arthritis, sciatica, migraines, and even undergoing cancer treatments.
- Improve sleep disorders: Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis is especially useful for promoting sleep.
Edibles Vs. Smoking: What’s the Difference?
Edibles Vs. smoking is different based on the biological process in the body. The way you consume marijuana impacts the way the body processes the active compounds and alters how quickly you feel high, the duration of your high, and even the experience of your high.
So, what’s actually happening in your body when you smoke marijuana versus when you have a cannabis edible?
Smoking Marijuana
Smoking marijuana is the most popular way to get high. When you smoke marijuana, cannabis smoke and active compounds like THC travel through your lungs, absorb into your bloodstream, and travel to your brain instantaneously.
The THC binds to CB1 receptors in the endocannabinoid system, which produces feelings of euphoria, otherwise known as the “high”. This process happens quickly in the body and as a result, you will feel high faster.
Eating Edibles
Eating edibles takes a little more patience than smoking. When you ingest edibles, the cannabis travels to your digestive system, is absorbed into the stomach, metabolized in the liver, and converted into a unique compound called 11-hydroxy-THC.
11-hydroxy-THC is more powerful and longer-lasting than THC. Due to the more complex biological processing, it also takes longer for edibles to kick in.
When it comes to consuming edibles, correct dosing is key. People often take an edible, wait 30 minutes, feel nothing, and continue consuming more, only to be hit with an intense high and paranoia hours later.
How Long Do Edibles Take to Kick In?
Don’t make the age-old mistake of consuming too many edibles and paying for the consequences later. Edibles typically take 30 to 60 minutes to kick in but this duration depends on body weight, metabolism, how much food you have in your stomach, and a variety of other factors. Patience and proper dosing are essential if you’re making the jump from smoking to consuming marijuana.
Tip: cannabis-infused lozenges and lollipops kick in faster than cannabis brownies and gummies because they’re absorbed sublingually (under the tongue).
How to Consume Edibles
If you’re experimenting with microdosing edibles, always start small. Jody Hall, founder of cannabis edibles company The Goodship recommends newbies start with edibles containing 2.5mg or 5mg serving of cannabis.
“We’re really big on micro-dosing,” Hall told Vice. “We really encourage people to start slow. The ongoing battle against ‘edible Roulette’ is real and we want to put the training wheels on that experience, the ability for people to dial in their ‘zone.’”
If you’ve ever had a scary experience on edibles, it’s likely that you exceeded the necessary dosage and did too much too soon. Microdosing edibles is a safer way to dip your toe in before you dive headfirst.
What Are the Best Cannabis Edibles in Canada?
In Canada, you can hop over to your local cannabis store or order cannabis products online. There are thousands of marijuana products out there and hundreds of brands of edibles that range from 5 to 500 mg of active compounds in all forms, from hazelnut spreads to strawberry syrups.
The following list outlines the best cannabis edibles in Canada in 2021.
1. Mystic Medibles
2. AJ’s THC Gummies
3. Iced Tea Mix by Mota
4. The Chocolate Bombon by Green Island Naturals
5. Jelly Bombs by Twisted Extracts
6. Budtella Hazlenut Spread THC by Sweet n Delicious
7. Gummy Candies by Aura Edibles
8. Fudge Brownie by Mary’s Edibles
9. Gummy Bears by Ganja Edibles
10. Milk Chocolate Cube by Mota
11. THC Strawberry Syrup by Exotica Farms
12. White Chocolate Coconut Cream Cookies by Sweet Jane Edibles
13. THC Cotton Candy by Mota
14. Sneakers THC by Herbivores Edibles
15. Gummy Candies by Tetra Bites
Respect the Plant
Cannabis is a special gift from nature that should be treated with respect. The Canadian cannabis company 7ACRES recently launched a campaign called Respect the Plant, a movement built on creating reverence for the history, production, and use of marijuana. The 7ACRES company promises to, “respect the industry, regulators, culture, people, and the plant.”
If you’re choosing to consume cannabis, use it responsibly. Before you decide to microdose edibles, educate yourself about the benefits and risks involved and consult with your doctor if you have preexisting health conditions. Marijuana is not intended to be abused. Respect the plant and respect yourself if you decide to smoke or consume marijuana.