What Are Edibles?
Medical marijuana edibles include a broad range of orally-administered products including baked goods, drinks, candies, lozenges, capsules, tinctures, and more. Some benefits of edibles include:
Convenience: Most edible products are easy to carry and administer when the patient requires medication.
Symptom Relief: Edibles provide long-lasting symptom relief resulting from gradual digestion.
Value: Edibles are a medicinally efficient way of administering cannabinoids, meaning that strong effects can be achieved at a reasonable cost to the patient.
Unlike inhaled cannabis, edible products allow cannbinoid content to enter the bloodstream through digestion in the gastro-intestinal tract. This process is much slower than inhalation, but produces very strong effects. The experience after consuming edibles can be very different than that of smoking or vaporizing cannabis, so patients are encouraged to exercise caution to avoid becoming overmedicated.
Tips for Consuming Edibles
Patience: Edible products will usually require at least 30-60 minutes to take effect. Make absolutely sure you’ve given the product time to digest and begin taking effect before deciding whether or not to consume more.
Eat First: Like other medications, consuming edibles on an empty stomach may intensify the effect and cause discomfort. It’s best to take edibles along with other non-medicated foods.