Side Effects of Weed Edibles
We touched on the dangers of weed edibles earlier, now let’s go more into detail and discuss the side effects.
Perhaps the most common side effect of edibles is slow reaction time. This, coupled with an impairment in hand-eye-coordination makes activities such as driving more difficult.
It is a common misconception that driving while on marijuana is safer than when sober. Studies have shown driving while under the influence of large does of cannabis is indeed dangerous. Also, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) takes a strong stance against smoking up and driving. Additionally, more than half the Canadian public believes 3 hours should elapse before driving.
Furthermore, other dangerous activities such as operating heavy machinery are not advised. Ultimately, any dangerous activity that requires awareness and reaction time should be avoided at all costs.
In addition to accidents, cannabis is known to come with a handful of negative effects. However, it is widely reported that any side effects are often minor and short-lived. In fact, users often do not even notice the negative effect majority of the time.
However, there are cases when this is not the reality and negative effects take hold. This is usually due to some degree of overconsumption or mixing of substances. Usually, this can be attributed to improper use or irresponsible actions. It can even be just by accident at times.
So what are the main negative effects that a user needs to be mindful of?
Most Common Side Effects Associated With Cannabis Edibles:
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- Decreased in Blood Pressure
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How To Take Marijuana Edibles
Now that we know what they do, let’s talk about how to take edibles.
The first thing we need to do is understand the different types of cannabis edibles. There are ones that you eat like normal food items or drink like normal beverages. Also, there are edibles that are taken like regular medication.
Different Types of Cannabis Edibles
Baked edibles are usually what people picture when thinking about pot edibles. These delicious confections are made by infusing THC into the baked goods. The THC is added to the list of ingredients and is added to the mixture. These tasty treats can be eaten just like any other baked goods.
Perhaps the two most popular baked edibles are Pot Brownies and Weed Cookies.
Weed brownies have become so popular over the years from stoner movies making them look irresistible. Any serious weed smoker has come across a pot brownie or two in their cannabis career. These chocolate-filled ganja goodies are perfect for cannabis connoisseurs with a sweet tooth.
Cannabis cookies are perhaps the most common baked edible out there. Cookies are relatively easy to bake and can be made in batches. Also, they are much easier to split up and share with friends. Besides, who doesn’t like cookies even if it’s just once in a while?
Next, we have the cannabis candies such as the popular weed gummies and cannabis chocolate
Weed gummies are perhaps the edible product that is gaining most steam the past couple of years. This is because they are just so darn delicious. Any gummy lovers out there must try these wonderful creations.
The best thing about THC gummies is that you can buy them in pre-set doses of THC and not have to worry about if you are getting your dosage measurements right. However, it is almost impossible to make sure each piece has exactly the right amount of THC. But if mixed correctly, it can get pretty accurate.
In addition, you can even make them at home with ease. All you need is some THC distillate the ingredients to make the gummies and a gummy recipe.
For chocolate lovers out there not to worry, there is a tonne of cannabis chocolate products out there. These rich creamy treats are perfect for those who really like to enjoy their marijuana.
THC chocolate is probably best to be purchased from a trusted cannabis store. This is because making chocolate is not an easy thing to do. It’s not difficult, but it takes much more time and effort than making gummies, cookies, or brownies. Especially if you want the quality to be high. However, there are plenty of guides on how to make weed chocolate out there.
There are even THC syrup and jam. These products are great to add to whatever you normally would add syrup and jam. Just be sure to know how much THC is in each serving and not overdo it. This will help prevent any of those nasty side effects we talked about earlier.
Another popular edible is weed tea. There’s nothing quite like a nice warm cup of THC laced tea. The only thing better would be the next 1-2 hours after drinking the tea.
Tea is such a huge part of many people’s lives around the world and for good reason. It is believed that tea provides a large set of therapeutic benefits. Just imagine how much greater the therapeutic effects would be with marijuana tea.
The best thing is that making cannabis tea is simple and there are many guides on how to make weed tea. Not to worry, we will explore more about how exactly to make cannabis tea later in this guide.
Cannabis capsules are for marijuana patients that are looking for a more medical approach. Many of these users do not care about the tastes and smells of cannabis. Or they just don’t wish to inhale anything in their lungs. Maybe they are diabetic and can’t indulge in the sweets mentioned earlier.
THC pills are great because they are pre portioned into set doses (much like the weed gummies). However, THC gummies can be hard to be certain how much THC is actually in each piece. THC capsules are much easier to portion because there is no need to mix with a large volume of extra ingredients.
Lastly, we have the THC tincture. A Tincture is basically a liquid form of cannabis concentrate that is meant for oral consumption. One thing for certain is that the THC tincture Canada medical community has opened their arms to these products.
In many circles, the term tincture is often interchangeable with the term oil. However, cannabis oil and cannabis tincture are two different things. Tinctures are created by soaking marijuana in an alcohol or water solution to collect cannabinoids. In general, a tincture is any medicine that is kept in an alcohol solution.
Whatever the case, the cannabis tincture Canada community is growing as new medical marijuana users are being added.
Most Popular Weed Edibles
Baked Edibles |
Weed Gummies |
Cannabis Capsules |
Pot Brownies |
Cannabis Chocolate |
Cannabis Drinks |
Weed Cookies |
THC Syrup |
THC Tincture |
Weed Tea |
THC Caramels |
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Now that we know some of the different types of cannabis edibles, what dose should be taken?
This is a complicated question as many factors affect the effects felt by edibles. For instance, the body weight, tolerance level, and metabolic rate of the user can play a large role. Someone who is 300 pounds is much more likely to need a larger dose than a smaller individual.
In addition, a daily marijuana user will likely need a higher dose than someone who is just starting off.
Lastly, a person’s metabolic rate will largely affect what effects are felt and for how long. Someone with a higher metabolism will break down cannabinoids quicker. This, in turn, will cause the user to get higher quicker and off of less, but have a shorter high duration.
Below is a chart showing the recommended dosages for THC edibles.
Weed Edible Dosage Chart
LEVEL
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THC |
EFFECTS |
FOR WHO
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Very Light
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1 to 2.5 mg |
Very Mild |
Newcomers or microdosers
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Light
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2.5 to 7.5 mg |
Mild |
Light Users
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Moderate
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7.5 to 15 mg |
Moderate |
Novice Users
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Medium
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15 to 30 mg |
Medium |
Intermediate Users
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High
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30 to 50 mg |
Intense |
Heavy Users
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Very High
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50 to 100 mg |
Hero |
Daily Heavy Users
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Hero
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+100 mg |
Hero Intensity |
Hero Stoners
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It is important to remind you that body weight and metabolism could affect if a user should take more or less than recommended. It is therefore always a good idea to err on the side of caution and start off lower and work upwards. This will help minimize any negative effects due to the overconsumption of edibles.
Also, it is suggested that you wait an hour for the effects to establish themselves before taking further doses.
The main disadvantage of edibles is that they have a shorter shelf-life than other cannabis-related counterparts. Edibles will only last as long as the food item does and this can be wide-ranging. For instance, pot brownies will last much less than weed capsules.
In addition, you don’t want to get sick from a moldy piece of marijuana edibles. It is for this reason that it is important to know how to store pot edibles.
The best place to store perishable edibles is in the fridge or freezer. Just be sure to place them into freezer-safe bags if going the freezer route. This will extend the shelflife drastically. It is suggested to keep THC out of sunlight as it can break down and degrade the molecules.
In addition, marijuana edibles should be stored in child-proof containers that are clearly labelled and out of reach of children.
How Long Do Edibles Stay in Your System?
As previously outlined, edibles can provide a wide range of therapeutic effects and benefits. Many of these effects are longer in duration than smoking and vaping alternatives. But how about when the effects are over? Even though the effects aren’t being felt doesn’t mean the THC is completely gone from your system.
So how long does marijuana edibles stay in your system? Well, the answer is not so clear cut and there are a number of variables that need to be considered. THC can be found in the system from days to months. How much, how often and body type all play a role in determining how long weed remains in the body.
Below we will outline 6 different variables that will determine how long weed will stay in your system.
1 Frequency of Use
The frequency that an individual uses cannabis will largely affect the duration of cannabis staying in the system. For instance, many first time users can expect the THC to remain in their system for about 3 days. Whereas a daily cannabis user can have traces of THC remaining for around a month. THC can stick around for about 7 days for moderate marijuana users who take weed 3-4 times a week.
2 Potency of Edible
The potency of the edible is another large factor in determining how long THC will stay in the system. For instance, the higher the level of THC, the longer it will take to metabolize. That is, the stronger the edible the harder it is to get out of your system.
3 Amount of THC
However, it is important to note that it’s actually the total amount of THC that makes a difference. Having potent cannabis won’t do much if you don’t smoke enough of it. Therefore, the more THC you take, the longer the weed will stay in the system.
4 Body Chemistry
Cannabis affects everyone differently. This makes sense as everyone is unique and will react with THC in different ways. THC is a lipid-soluble chemical that binds to fat in the body. Therefore, the weight and metabolism of the particular user will greatly affect how the THC is broken down. Basically, people with higher body fat percentages and lower metabolisms will break down THC slower.
5 Type of Drug Test
The method of detecting THC in the system will all have different results and are used in different situations.
- Urine Tests can detect THC from 3 to 30 days depending on the factors mentioned above.
- Saliva Tests are able to trace THC from 1 to 3 days after the last use.
- Blood Tests cannot detect THC for a very long time as it leaves the bloodstream rather quickly. These tests can only detect THC from 3 to 4 hours after the last use. Some blood tests can detect THC from 1-2 days.
- Hair Follicle Tests have the best THC detection of the tests. These tests can trace THC for up to 90 days after the last use.
Is There a Quick Way to Get THC Out of Your System?
You might be wondering if there is a way to metabolize THC faster, and the answer is no. There are currently no safe ways to break down THC quicker so that it leaves the system sooner. For THC to break down quicker you need to lower the concentration of THC in the body to speed the process up.
Now that we know all about what cannabis edibles are, their effects, and types, let’s learn how to make them.
How to Make Edibles
Before we begin cooking with cannabis, we should go over how to activate the THC and why. In fact, did you know that the THC contained in fresh buds won’t cause intoxication? This is because the THC found in cannabis needs to be converted into a form that can bind with brain receptors.
This process is called decarboxylation. Basically, heat and/or pressure is applied to the marijuana and this the THC is converted into an active state.
The extraction processes can be dangerous depending on the method, so it is best to leave it to the professionals. Cannabis concentrate producers have the knowledge, experience, and equipment needed to ensure a safe process.
The type of weed edible you are planning to make will determine what type of cannabis concentrate to use. For instance, weed butter is normally used when baking edibles and THC distillate is used when making THC gummies or cannabis chocolate.
Luckily for you, all of the THC ingredients can be bought at a cannabis store like Daily Marijuana.
So let’s look at how to make edibles such as pot brownies, weed cookies, THC gummies, and cannabis chocolate.
First off, let’s learn how to make weed butter. The cannabutter recipe below is for roughly 30 mg of THC per tablespoon of cannabutter.
Step 1: Decarboxylation
Required Items:
- Half an Ounce of Weed
- Weed Grinder (Or Alternative)
- Baking Pan/Dish/Sheet
- Oven
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 105°C (220°F)
- Break apart cannabis
- Spread broken up weed onto pan/sheet/dish
- Bake for 45 minutes is high quality buds or 20 minutes for low quality old weed
- Gently mix cannabis every 10-15 minutes to prevent from burning
- Watch for colour to turn to a brownish green that indicates decarboxylation
Step 2: Weed Butter Infusion
Required Items:
- 1.5 cups of water
- 8 ounces of butter
- Half an ounce of decarboxylated weed
- Saucepan
- Stirring utensil
- Coffee filters / cheesecloth / strainer
- Thermometer
Instructions:
- Place saucepan on very low heat and add water and butter
- Add decarbed weed to melted butter and mix well
- Let mixture simmer for 4 hours while stirring every 30 minutes (make sure temperature does not exceed 80°C / 180°F)
- Strain through a coffee filter, cheesecloth or fine strainer into a container such as a mason jar.
- Let cannabutter cool
- Store in fridge or freezer
Now that we know how to make weed butter, let’s find out how to use the cannabutter to make homemade baked edibles.
How To Make Pot Brownies
If you’ve ever seen a stoner movie, you’ve probably wondered how to make weed brownies. They are always made to look so delicious on the big screen, and in real life they are just as tasty as they look. That is if you have a good weed brownie recipe.
Pot Brownie Recipe
The following weed brownies recipe should take about 45 minutes and produce 12 servings of 10mg of THC.
Ingredients Needed:
- 3.5 ounces unsalted butter (7.5 tablespoons)
- 0.25 ounces of weed butter (1.5 teaspoons)
- 6 ounces of chocolate (dark 60-70& cocoa, or milk depending on preference)
- 1 cup flour
- 0.5 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 room temperature eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.25 teaspoons of salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F)
- Use cooking spray on 8-inch square brownie pan
- Melt both butter and cannabutter in a saucepan on medium heat
- Add chocolate and stir until well mixed and smooth
- In small bowl mix together flour and baking powder
- In large bowl mix together eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt until light yellow and airy
- Add in chocolate mixture and mix until combined
- Add in flour mixture and stir until combined
- Pour into brownie pan and bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes
- Let cool for 20 minutes
How To Make Weed Cookies?
The following cannabis cookie recipe should take about 30 minutes and produce 24 servings pot cookies.
Ingredients Needed:
- 1.25 cups of all purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoon of baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon of salt
- 0.5 cup of white sugar
- 0.5 cup of brown sugar
- 0.5 cup of cannabutter
- 1 large egg
- 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F)
- Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl
- Beat together butter and sugar until it is fluffy in separate bowl
- Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and beat well
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the mix
- Knead the dough and make sure chocolate ships are evenly distributed
- Make 1 tablespoon balls of cookie dough and spread them evenly on baking pan with ample space in between balls
- Bake for 10 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes
The following THC gummy recipe should take about 30 minutes and make roughly 100 small gummy bears about 0.25 teaspoons each. They should each be about 10 mg of THC each.
Ingredients/Items Needed:
- 1 box of 85g Jello (flavour of your choice)
- 3 packs of gelatin
- 90 ml of water
- 2 tablespoons of corn syrup (30 ml)
- 0.5 teaspoons of citric acid (2.45 ml)
- 1 gram of THC distillate (or BHO)
- 0.125 teaspoons of soy lecithin (lecithin helps bind the THC with the gummy mixture)
- Silicone gummy bear molds
Instructions:
- Combine Jell-O, gelatin and citric acid in a microwave safe bowl and mix
- Add corn syrup and water and stir until well mixed. Let sit for 5 minutes
- Heat up THC distillate or BHO until it is runny and will mix easily and set aside
- Gently stir Jell-O mixture and the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir again and heat for 15 more seconds. Mix then heat for 15 seconds a second time. Mix and heat for 15 seconds a third time.
- Add in THC distillate and soy lecithin and mix well
- Microwave for 30 more seconds and then continue to mix until everything looks evenly distributed
- Pour into gummy molds
- Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes
- Place in refrigerator for 3-6 hours
- Take out and leave at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can reposition gummies to help them dry if wanted
How To Make Weed Chocolate?
The following cannabis chocolate recipe should take about 30 minutes and make roughly a 175 to 350 mg of THC chocolate mixture.
Ingredients/Items Needed:
- 0.25 cup of cannabutter
- 4 cups of chocolate
- Silicone chocolate moulds
- Glass bowl
- Saucepan
Instructions:
- Melt the chocolate in a pan of simmering water.
- Add the cannabis butter.
- Once the chocolate is melted remove the bowl and wipe moisture from the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour chocolate into molds.Distribute the chocolate evenly and remove any air bubbles
- Add any other ingredients such as nuts, fruits, etc
- Place the chocolate into the refrigerator until hardened
As previously mentioned, maybe baking and cooking is not your thing. Or maybe you just don’t have the time. Well, good news for you is that there are weed stores that offer a wide selection of pre-made cannabis edibles.
DailyMarijuana.co is the best place to buy edibles online in Canada. They offer the widest variety of high-quality tasty ganja goodies. Daily Marijuana carries an edible menu including baked edibles, weed gummies, cannabis chocolate, tinctures, THC pills and THC tea.
Shop DailyMarijuana and save 15% off your first orders and receive free gifts with every purchase. On top of that we offer free shipping and guaranteed delivery. They even offer a price matching option to ensure only the lowest prices are being paid. Become a member and receive exclusive promotions and stay up to date with the latest news in the cannabis industry. So don’t wait any longer and get your edibles online now!