Consumption of THC and CBD infused edibles and drink potions are soaring in popularity. There’s advantages to eating or drinking your cannabis as opposed to smoking it. But warnings come with those advantages. There’s some important things to take into consideration before you tear into that bag of gummies, especially for beginners.
For example, edibles result in a much more intense and longer-lasting high when compared to smoking. The effects from smoking weed are more immediate than edibles, but also wear off faster when compared to edibles, which are more slowly metabolized.
This is a key difference in the two modes of delivery. The effects of edibles can take up to an hour or more to kick-in. It’s important to honor this delay, since all crazy stories start out with “Well, we took some edibles, but after 20 minutes didn’t feel anything. So we ate the rest of the bag of gummies. Then I found myself in a bed of Doritos wearing a Spongebob hat and missing one shoe, wondering who I was.”
Rule #1, WAIT
Rule number 1 after taking THC edibles is to WAIT. Pause for at least one hour to assess your reaction before deciding to take more! Beginners should start with a low dose (under 5 grams of THC). Actively note the time that you took it. Set an alarm if you like. Only after an hour can you fairly assess how strongly the THC is affecting you before deciding to take more. If you decide at that hour to take more, then you need to wait another hour to re-assess.
Even for daily users, other factors will impact how your body responds, like hydration levels, food intake, energy and sleep levels. Failure to patiently wait out this hour with edibles is a rookie mistake. Not only does it potentially waste your expensive goodies, but can result in taking too much, or worse, having a bad trip. If there’s a decent CBD ratio, you could sleep right through your high. And that’s a different kind of wasted. #spongebob
Always remember to WAIT. WAIT. WAIT.
RULE #2, START LOW
New consumers should ease in, starting with low doses under 5 grams. Wait at least 1 hour then assess how you feel to see if you need more. (See rule #1!) Frequent users can start at higher doses, but always wait 1 hour to allow adequate metabolism before taking more.
Rule #3, PLAN
The psychoactive or high effects from marijuana infused edibles can last for hours. There’s no exact timeframe one can predict due to a variety of factors, but prepare to be under the influence for anywhere from 5-10 hours. Plan your experience when you know you can enjoy it uninterrupted and free from serious responsibilities. This is not the time to volunteer to babysit, or maybe file your taxes or drive to Taco Bell no matter how bad you want that Chalupa. Have your snacks on-hand or a delivery option.
The duration will vary based on:
-how concentrated the THC is
-individual THC tolerance levels
-individual factors like hydration, empty vs. full stomach
Rule #4, PROTECT
Protect yourself and others by having adequate control over your environment or setting. Be in a comfortable, familiar location with people you trust. For some, one of the most beautiful and revered benefits of cannabis is how it impacts sensory perception.
If you have too much THC, it can feel overwhelming. Your five senses are in acute overdrive.
-When listening to music, you may suddenly hear new instruments, notes, pauses or words in songs you’ve missed 1000 times before.
-Visually, colors may appear more vibrant and take on lively and illuminating glimmers.
-Your sense of touch is amplified to where you feel every luxurious fiber in your ratty old blanket. Sex has the potential to be a transcendental spiritual union.
-Food is more flavorful and decadent then you ever realized and dammit you’re ravenous! #doritobed
-Did you have Doritos? I can smell Doritos on your breath and hands.
Many wonder if they’re developing a sixth intuitive sense. The psychoactive experience from THC for some can expand levels of consciousness. For many this can result in increased capacity for love, empathy and understanding of a deeper connectedness with each other and nature.
Too much to process in one place can intensify feelings. One may start feeling overwhelmed until it feels more anxious, to downright paranoid. #whoamIreallyanyway
It’s recommended to have these experiences privately in a familiar and safe environment with trusted people. The kind of people who will take your other shoe off for you in bed after they snap ya.
Last but certainly not of lesser importance about protection is storage. Of course you want to store opened edibles or drinks as refrigerated or however the directions on the label state. But certainly out of reach of children!
Gummies, cookies, and drinks are sold with packaging that’s labeled as containing THC and “over 21”, but maybe your kids can’t read yet. Edible treats are appealing by nature, but the packaging can be quite colorful in hippie-trippy artistic styles that kids would be curious about. Or maybe your edibles are home-made with no identifying labels or packaging. Store all of these out of sight and out of reach.
PARANOIA PREDICAMENT??
“Everyone’s staring at me, aren’t they?!?” you proclaim, shifty-eyed and suspicious of everyone and everything. Probably not, unless you are in fact in public laughing maniacally in your Spongebob hat sans one shoe. Feelings of being paranoid are a sign of overstimulation, usually from consuming too much THC (see rule #2!).
Intense feelings of paranoia and suspiciousness that leave one questioning everything is what’s referred to as a “bad trip”. This can also include mild versions comparable to “hallucinations”. Your minds eye may see memories in very vivid states, or your perceptions of your environment take on a more lively image. This can be counteracted by having some CBD to calm the senses to a more peaceful state.
If you find yourself in a paranoid predicament with no CBD on hand, rest assured this too shall pass. Unlike drinking or taking hard drugs, taking too much THC is not going to inflict organ damage or a fatality.
Excess THC can trigger feelings of anxiety or full-on paranoia, but is not inherently dangerous. Though it can cause a temporary increase in heart rate or blood pressure, research supports it’s not possible for the human body to have a toxic dose of cannabinoids.
However, injury or fatalities can occur indirectly by stupidity. Like driving a car while high, or making careless decisions that disregard safety that could cause accidents. (See rule #4!) This is why it’s recommended to plan and prepare to be in a familiar environment, for general safety as well as the option to retreat if needed.
So ride it out with the reassurance no one’s ever had a toxic dose. Cultures from every land on earth have been safely using cannabis for centuries. In fact, evidence is constantly growing on its healing properties on a broadening range of diseases.
Following these guidelines should help prevent a paranoia predicament, as well as maximize your treat supply and experience.
