Edibles 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Eating Marijuana Edibles

Cannabis edibles are having a bit of a moment. With the growing number of states legalizing cannabis use for both medical and recreational use, there is bound to be tons of curiosity pertaining to marijuana and its different uses.

What seems to draw people to edibles is the fact that you can enjoy the distinct components of cannabis, such as CBD or THC, without having to actually smoke a joint or bong. 

Plus, who doesn’t love to eat something tasty that makes you feel great? After all, exhale’s marijuana edibles often come in various tasty forms, from sweet to savory.

We’ll get into all of that ahead with edibles 101: a beginner’s guide to eating marijuana edibles which you can buy here.

Dig the Variety

As we mentioned briefly earlier, marijuana edibles come in many forms. If you have marijuana on hand, you can make cannabis butter or oil and use it to infuse just about any food you like.

You can also purchase cannabis gummies, tea, tinctures, popcorn, and more online if you live in a recreational-friendly state. 

To learn more about what cannabis edibles you can and cannot purchase online, check out this resource.

Know What You’re Looking For

For the most part, marijuana edibles either contain a potent amount of CBD, THC, or a hybrid blend. 

Just about everyone can purchase CBD edibles as long as it is pure CBD and contains zero THC. This is because CBD is the compound touted for its medicinal purposes. Conversely, THC is a psychoactive compound responsible for making you high.

So if you live in a state where recreational cannabis is illegal and you do not have a medical marijuana card, you’ll have to stick with CBD edibles.

Treat it Like Real Food

You have to treat your cannabis edibles like you would treat any other food you intend to consume. 

For instance, this means you cannot leave your cannabis brownies on the counter for days on end.

Taking care of your edibles serves a couple of purposes. First and foremost, you do not want to eat anything that’s possibly past its prime and contaminated! 

And secondly, for a more marijuana-specific reason: you have to consider the edibles’ potency levels. Unless you store your edibles properly and consume them in a reasonable time frame, they simply won’t be as potent as when you first made them.

To learn more about the potency of your edibles, check out this article by Veriheal.

Be Mindful of Dosage

When you purchase cannabis edibles online or at a dispensary, you will be able to read a label detailing the amount of CBD and/or THC the product contains. This is valuable information, especially since you’re new to eating marijuana edibles.

If you’re a medical marijuana cardholder and are shopping at a dispensary, consult the “budtenders” there. These are trained experts who can help you choose what’s best for you and your situation.

If you’re shopping online, consider what the product says about its potency level before clicking “buy.”

And if you’re cooking your own edibles at home, be extra careful, as you can easily make your edibles far too potent. And nothing ruins a marijuana edibles experience like overdoing it! 

For beginners, we advise you to only consume a little bit of any edible at a time until you know what effect it has on you. And consider using an edibles dosage calculator to prevent using too much of a good thing in your homemade edibles.

How Long Does it Take to Feel It?

No matter what type of edible you’re consuming and for what purpose (pleasure or medicinal), you’ll naturally wonder how long it will take for it to kick in.

Most edibles take about 45 minutes to one hour to kick in. If that seems like ages to you, consider this: the effects last for several hours. 

So while you may not feel an edible as quickly as you would when smoking a marijuana cigarette, the feeling it provides will stay with you for quite some time.

This is a good time to mention you should clear your schedule the first time you try edibles, especially if they contain THC! Stay away from work, resist social media, and definitely, definitely do not drive anywhere.

Hunker down for a few hours and see where the experience takes you within your own walls. 

Conclusion

With this edibles 101 beginner’s guide to eating marijuana edibles, you should know how to purchase edibles, what types to look for, and how to take them.

Just remember, start slow and see how it affects you. You can slowly build your consumption over time if you like, but you cannot turn back the clock and consume less after overdoing it!