Medical marijuana edibles have come a long way from the ‘pot brownies’ of the past. In today’s modern cannabis era there are multiple types of edibles at dispensaries and are even available online for direct delivery, too.
The health effects of edibles are not only potent but provide a variety of benefits versus smoking, vaping or dabbing. These edible specific effects are why the infused treats are increasing in popularity. So, here we’ll cover the top 5 benefits of using medical marijuana edibles along with some of the top-goods you should try.
What are medical marijuana edibles?
Before we talk about why infused edibles are beneficial, let’s review what they are and how they’re made. First, medical marijuana edibles are any consumable good that is infused with cannabis. The most popular types being gummies, chocolates and baked goods. The term ‘edibles’ has also expanded to liquid goods too, like cannabis-infused drinks or shots.
As you probably already know, if you eat your bag of weed or take a bite of shatter or concentrates you won’t get high like smoking or dabbing it. That’s because it takes heat, like a light or a torch, to activate the cannabinoids and compounds found in marijuana.
When edibles are made with weed, the nugs go through a decarboxylation process first. This is a method of heating slowly and on low heat, to activate THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. The de-carboxylated product can then be infused into a number of liquid bases. Like coconut oil, olive oil, honey, butter, etc.
Many edible brands also use extracts or concentrates for infusing cannabis into their final product. In this case, the extract is also heated to activate compounds to work properly upon digestion.
For Canada, a rise in popularity for edibles came with widespread legalization in December of 2019. As of February 2020, a survey showed even non-users of cannabis were taken by the edible trend. With 66% of the participants reporting they were interested in trying marijuana edibles or drinkables.
So, why are edibles so intriguing amongst medical marijuana and recreational users alike? To find out, we’ll review the top 5 benefits of using medical marijuana edibles next.
Top 5 Benefits of Infused Edibles
1. Long-lasting effects
The most prominent health effect of edibles is their long-lasting duration of effects. When eating an edible THC and other cannabinoids are metabolized by the liver. Scientifically, this process transforms THC into to 11-hydroxy-THC. This form of THC is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing effects to be amplified and felt more intensely.
Ingesting infused edibles also takes longer for processing. While smoking or vaping, effects are typically felt immediately and last for up to 2-3 hours. In comparison, when eating an edible it will take up to 45 minutes – 1 hour to feel effects which last for 4-8 hours. Keep in mind, the length of your buzz will also depend on weight, stomach contents and individual metabolism.
So, an edible may affect you differently than someone else who’s tried the same type. For long-lasting effects alone, many medical patients using cannabis for chronic pain, anxiety or depression find edibles to be ideal.
2. Easy to dose
Unlike smoking flower or vaping, edibles make it easier to dose for medical patients. You’ll find the exact MG’s of THC or CBD per infused edible on the packaging of the product. This means you won’t have to guess how much you’ve taken or do any complicated math to figure it out.
Edibles also allow consumers to seek out ideal ratios of CBD and THC for specific conditions or treatments. Like the popular ratio of 1:1, CBD:THC that has been found to effectively relieve pain, anxiety, insomnia and nausea. Edibles like Cara-Melts from Twisted Extracts or High Seas Gummies from SeC, with this pre-calculated formula, do the dosing for you.
3. Ideal for medical sensitivities
Eating or ingesting ‘medicine’ is preferred by many medical marijuana users who are sensitive to smoking, or other consumption methods. Sensitivities can come from those who avoid smoking due to breathing or lung issues or are just opposed to ‘smoking’ altogether.
Edibles are also preferred by those who may be intimidated by new methods like dabbing or vaping, too. Gummies, chocolates, oral sprays or even liquid shots are much more approachable by a wider range of the population. Let’s be honest, overall, infused edibles are delicious. Especially considering most products, you can barely taste ‘weed’ at all. This makes them additionally easy to digest by even the most sensitive of stomachs.
4. Packing potency
Most cannabis consumers using marijuana for medical purposes, find it hard to get a high dose at one time with methods like smoking or dabbing. Edibles are a preferred outlet to pack a punch of potency, in a few simple bites.
Like most candy, it’s not often that you eat just 1 piece and walk away. Even if the edible isn’t individually higher in potency, it’s simple to eat a few pieces to reach the potency level you desire or need. While most edibles range in 10 mg – 25 mg per piece, there are multiple products like Hidden Gems gummies from SeC containing potencies of 100+ mg each.
5. Discretion and convenience
Last, but not least is the discrete and convenient nature that infused edibles can provide medical marijuana users. They’re easy to pack and travel with, in addition to no one being the wiser to their contents. This gives consumers the ability to pop a piece of chocolate, like Astro Edibles Hazelnut Comet Crunch without the smell or presence of smoking, or set-up time for a dab rig or bong-toke. With the advancements in edible manufacturing, you can even sip on your THC in a cup of tea without any stigmas of use.