What are Cannabis Edibles?

Cannabis edibles come in many different forms. From the classic brownie or gummy to chocolate bars, cookies, energy drinks, hard candies, caramels, dried fruit or even popcorn…the possibilities are endless! 

Edibles are, you guessed it, an edible goodie that has been infused with cannabis. For those who are either new to cannabis or do not wish to smoke, edibles are a great option. Gummies have grown to particular popularity in the edible world. Why? You may not always want to eat a whole brownie or cookie (or maybe you do!) but a gummy or two is always easy to eat. Plus, beyond convenience and taste, gummy dosage is consistent and easy to keep track of.

How do Edibles Work?

Edibles interact with your body differently than flower or concentrates. Rather than inhaling cannabis into your lungs, the cannabis in edibles goes through the digestive system before entering the bloodstream. Keep in mind! This means edibles take longer to kick in and the duration of effects will be longer. Because each person has a unique internal physiological environment, edibles will affect everyone differently depending on past or present cannabis use, gastrointestinal factors and the sensitivity of your personal endocannabinoid system. 

Dosing and Usage

Dosing edibles is quite different from other forms of cannabis consumption. One of the great things about edibles is the defined dosage per serving. For example, a gummy can have 5mg or 30mg of THC and be the same size. A brownie can have 25mg or 150mg of THC and be the same size. But you almost always know exactly how much cannabis you are consuming.

If you are new to cannabis or even just to edibles, start small (5-15mg) with a classic gummy or chocolate and work from there. Give your edible time to kick in, at least 45-60 mins and expect a longer duration of effects. If you’d like the effects to kick in a little faster, try a cannabis beverage or tincture instead! If you aren’t feeling the effects of your edible, try a small snack like an apple to help kickstart your digestion before taking another gummy. You can always eat more edibles, but you can’t eat less!

If you ever overestimate your edible dose, (plenty of us have been there!) CBD on its own (50-200mg) can help counteract the psychoactive effect of THC. (Head to our blog about CBD to learn more) Talk to your patient consultant about all of our edible options! Please note for recreational patrons, the maximum edible potency is 10mg per serving and 100mg per package.

To learn more, visit The Prime Leaf online, or drop into one of our Tucson locations. Check out our Weedmaps guide to edibles!