Since marijuana became legal in the state of Washington a lot of people I know are considering trying cannabis for the first time ever or in a very long time. A lot of these people are not smokers, not interested in smoking marijuana, but are really curious about trying marijuana edibles. Some of these people also have stories about how they ate homemade marijuana edibles back in the day where they got too high so they are freaked out to try them again.
I can’t blame them. I’ve experienced what it is like to consume too much THC from an edible and it freaked me out enough not to consume another for a couple of days. Actually, I was making infused cannabis chocolates and consumed too much from licking the bowl, spoon, and trying a sample on top of that. It was not the pleasant experience that I am accustomed to getting from taking cannabis. I gained some serious respect for edibles that day.
One great thing about being able to purchase Washington’s regulated marijuana edibles is that you should be able to easily figure out how much to take for your body depending on the effect you are going after. Gone will be the days of guessing how many bites to take and wondering what it will do to you. Now, you should be able to educate yourself on what a portion size of 10mg feels like for you, measure your edible portion size accordingly, and then be able to use them responsibly.
I went to Evergreen Herbal headquarters in Seattle to talk about this subject because their quality marijuana edibles are labeled really well and easy to measure 10mg/THC portions.
In the video, Marco brings up the point that eating a 10mg/THC edible is similar in intoxicating effects as a glass of wine or beer. I wouldn’t disagree with this comparison except that the effects of an edible can last for several hours which, by the way, is a wonderful thing when you use the right amount for you. Everybody is different, so while 10mg might feel like nothing for me, it might feel like a lot or just enough for you.
My experience with edibles is that they don’t make you as mentally high as smoking or vaping but they do provide a lovely wash of body relaxation and a gentle mental uplift. That is, of course, if you are taking the right amount for your body.
When you eat an edible it can take 1-2 hours to fully feel the effects, depending on how you metabolize it. Many newbies make the mistake of not waiting long enough and thinking they don’t feel anything and end up taking more before the first portion kicked in. Oops, now you are too high and will be that way for several hours. Taking too much THC in an edible form could possibly be a very unpleasant experience, and again, it could last for several hours.
So, here are a few things I recommend if you are trying legal edibles for the first time:
Your goal is not to get super high, your goal is to learn how your body responds to marijuana edibles so you can know how much to take when you do want to get high. Pick a day when you are able to relax. Plan the time of day when you will take it and have something to preoccupy you while you wait 1-2 hours for the effects to kick in. Avoid drinking alcohol that day. Once you feel the effects you will then be able to make note of what 10mg/THC felt like for you. Was it hard to tell if you were feeling anything? Or did it feel like too much? If it felt like too much, take half next time. If it felt like nothing, you may want to try 15-30mg next time.
Since we are comparing edibles with alcohol, let’s assume that you wouldn’t responsibly guzzle an entire bottle of vodka in one sitting your first time drinking and then wait to see what happens. You would most likely only enjoy a drink or two from that bottle or you could suffer potential alcohol poisoning from overconsumption. While nobody has ever been known to have died from too much THC, you don’t want to be that person who has a horrible experience on edibles and swears them off because you didn’t take it slow and learn how to eat them responsibly.
Marijuana edibles are wonderful when used properly. Do enjoy, Washington.
-TwiceBakedinWA
