My first trip to the cannabis dispensary, I bought cannabis-infused gummies.
I got excited by the selection of flavors.
The dispensary offers sour apple, grape, watermelon, lemon, orange and all sorts of gummy options. It didn’t occur to me to check the THC potency. The budtender warned me to start with a low dose and take it slow. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the recommendation seriously. I went home, ate a gummy and didn’t notice any psychoactive effects setting in. I ate another gummy and ended up extremely high for hours. I’ve now learned that the effects of cannabis-infused edibles can take anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes to kick in. The onset time depends on the product’s active ingredients, my metabolism and all sorts of factors. Edibles containing a higher concentration of THC usually take effect quicker. The reason for the delay is that the cannabinoids first need to be absorbed by the digestive tract before entering the bloodstream and reaching the brain. However, an edible high usually lasts much longer than vaping, smoking or using a tincture. It can take three hours after consumption for peak effects to be realized. The effects are normally more intense from edibles than other methods. I am now much more careful about edible dosage. I follow the recommendations on the package and ask advice from budtenders. I like that most edibles are easily cut into halves or even quarters. I eat a very small amount and wait for at least an hour before consuming more. I have been exploring a variety of cookies, brownies, chocolates, hard candies and mints. My local dispensary even offers ice creams, beverages, popcorn, granola and cooking oils.