It’s been a little over a year since cannabis edibles have been on the legal market in Kitchener. Cookies, chocolates, toffees, and mints can now be deliciously “spiked” with THC, to enhance your snacking experience. If you’re one of the many Ontarians ready to try an edible, we have a few tips to get you started. 

HOW EATING CANNABIS WORKS

THC is absorbed differently through your stomach than through your lungs, here’s how it works:

 Step 1. After swallowing the goody, it travels down your esophagus, landing in your stomach.

 Step 2. The digestive acids and enzymens break down the edible into its components, including THC.

 Step 3. The THC gets absorbed into the lining of your stomach and heads straight for the liver. 

 Step 4. The liver transforms THC into 11-Hydroxy-THC, which makes it alot more potent than THC that’s inhaled because it can cross the blood-brain barrier. The BBB prevents materials in the blood from entering the brain. It’s semi-permeable, which means some materials can cross but others can’t. 

ALWAYS START SMALL

Eating THC is very different from smoking or vaping, where you feel its effects almost immediately. Health Canada warns that it can take from 1-6 hours to start feeling its effects and then can last from 3-12 hours. Additionally, these time estimates can fluctuate depending on how much food you’ve eaten already that day, or depending on what you’re eating it as, ie: gummy, tea or in the sauce on your pasta. This can make it hard to plan for. 

Looking at our edibles store, you’ll see we offer a variety of THC and/or CBD infused snacks from Cheetos with 150mg to chocolate bars with 500mg. Beginners should start small until they learn how their body handles the edible. 

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

A follow-up to the “start small” rule is to pace yourself. Remember, you can always eat more, but you can’t eat less… A mistake many consumers make when just starting out is to eat more because they’re growing impatient. They had their first cookie an hour ago and aren’t feeling anything yet. So they eat another cookie or two. This can cause a pretty harsh greenout in which case it’s best to just lay down, close your eyes and ride it out. 

Prevent greenout in the first place by eating a small amount and waiting for up to six hours as Health Canada recommends. Moderation is vital for enjoyment with edibles. 

  

BE AWARE OF ALL THE RISKS
It’s true that bad reactions to cannabis are non-fatal, as they will not restrain respiratory function; however, a bad reaction can make you feel uncomfortable. Knowing and understanding the risks involved in consuming cannabis is always important, no matter your consumption preference. Cannabis can be linked to anxiety, dizziness, and delayed reactions.  This is why you shouldn’t take edibles for the first time within 12-24 hours of driving or working. Experimenting with/practicing edibles should be done in a comfortable environment with plenty of time to cushion your experience. 

NOW, ENJOY!

You’ve made it to the end of our guide on enjoying edibles for the first time, that means you’re ready to take a bite. Just remember there is no one-size-fits-all with THC edibles, even if friends recommend a higher dose, read the package and start small.