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Missouri Cannabis Education
Edible Consumption 101
How to Responsibly Consume Edibles
by Leah Maurer , contributing writer
Leah
Leah Maurer , a native Missourian , is now a canna-journalist and activist living in Portland , OR . She is a co-owner of
www . TheWeedBlog . com , a top national cannabis news and information publication , where she serves as the Editorial Lead . In 2014 , Leah founded Moms for YES on Measure 91 through grassroots efforts alone , it proved pivotal in the passage of the Measure , successfully legalizing recreational / adult-use cannabis in the OR . Leah is a social justice and cannabis activist at the core and hopes to see an end to the prohibition of cannabis globally .
22 August 2022
Edibles are some of the most widely used and available cannabis products , as ingestion is a very common consumption method for medical marijuana . Whether you make them at home or purchase them from a dispensary , there are almost countless ways to create edibles , with everything from pretzels to chocolates to suckers as options . However , edibles can be tricky to dose and predict the effect , far more so than other methods of cannabis consumption that involve inhaling smoke or vapor . It is important to know how to properly dose yourself when consuming edibles since there is no standard for this yet , as cannabis is still a federally illegal classified controlled substance , and no one wants to have a bad experience from overconsumption or not feel enough effect to alleviate symptoms or conditions .
The endocannabinoid system is complex ; everyone metabolizes cannabinoids like THC and CBD differently . This means that what may be a tolerable dose for one person may be intolerable for another . People can also build a tolerance to THC over time , meaning that an appropriate dose for an experienced user will be quite different compared to someone who is just starting to explore .
However , each individual has an ideal dose best suited for them and their body . The strength of an edible depends on many factors , including the type of edible , dosage , tolerance , body weight , and metabolism . Two people may respond very differently to the same type of edible with the same dose — one may feel a very strong effect , and one may feel little effect , depending on the above factors .
Always start with a small dose of edibles and gradually increase until you find your ideal dose . I recommend starting with a dose of 2 milligrams to 3 milligrams ( mg ) THC , waiting for at least an hour to see how you feel , and then taking another dose of 2mg to 3mg THC if needed until your symptoms subside . If you were taking ibuprofen or some other standard over-the-counter medicine , the label would inform you of the correct dose for your age and weight . However , since there is no other way of knowing what an ideal dose is due to the federal prohibition of cannabis , this personal trial and error method is really the best way to figure out your desired dose . It can be tedious , but it is tried and true , and you are much less likely to have a bad experience due to overconsumption .
If you make your own edibles using raw cannabis or extract , you will need to know how much of each cannabinoid is in your flower or concentrate . If lab-tested , this is often given in milligrams , but it ’ s often given as a percentage with extracts .
When making your edibles , it is important to note that cannabinoids can only bind with a limited amount of lipids ( fat molecules ). A 1:1 ratio of cannabis and cooking oil is the most you ’ ll need to make the oil maximum potency . So , if you ’ re infusing 50ml of cooking oil with cannabis , you would want to start with probably 5-10 grams of cannabis . However , if you decide you want more potency , you would only be able to max out at 50mg ( if still using 50ml of oil ). That would be a very high potency and not one I would recommend unless you are an experienced consumer . I feel it is important to make this point because I also don ’ t want anyone wasting their cannabis !