Edibles are now an option for patients in Florida… Finally! As a registered nurse, and patient myself, I wanted to share some quick “what you need to know about edibles”, to help you have the best experience posssible from this new Florida medicinal option.
• When THC is ingested; as in the case with an edible, it is absorbed through the walls of your intestines. It then gets metabolized by the liver and is changed into a compound called 11-hydroxy-THC. 11-hydroxy-THC is more potent than its original form of THC. What this means is edibles will feel much stronger than the same mg you use with your other cannabis medication.
• If you have a big meal prior to, or while consuming an edible, the absorption into the intestines will take longer and thus prolong the time before you feel the effects of the edible.
• Because of this, edibles can take up to 2 hours to kick-in and can have stronger effects than smoking the flower or sublingual routes.
• First time edible patients should start with 2.5mg – 5 mg, wait at least 2 hours before consuming more if you don’t feel the effects right away, and don’t consume more than 10mg your first time so you know how they will affect you.
• Don’t consume them alone. Not because they are dangerous, but if you over consume having someone with you will help keep you company and distract you from the sensation of taking too much. They can remind you that you will not die from over consumption and you will feel yourself again in a few hours. You can go to bed and sleep it off without fear of it affecting your breathing while you sleep.
• CBD can balance the psychotropic effects of THC. Some people like to have some on hand in case of over consumption. Remember though the route in which you take the CBD will impact the speed in which the CBD kicks in. You cannot expect to ingest a CBD edible and have it kick-in right away. You would want to use sublingual CBD tincture, smoke or vaporize the CBD to kick-in soon enough to give you immediate relief.
• Some people find inhaling or swallowing some black pepper will help “tame” the effects of the THC. Not to get too technical but it is because black pepper has alpha-pinene in it which acts as a potent inhibitor to the THC and will synergistically send signals to ”calm it down”.
• This may all sound like cautionary tale against edibles. It is not! It is important to understand your medicine and how to take it as you would any other medication or supplement.
• Edibles can be an incredibly beneficial medication when consumed correctly. They offer the ability to provide long consistent pain relief. They can be euphoric and psychotropic or not and still relieve your pain; both physical and psychological.
• They can be discreet and delicious. It is more than okay to enjoy your medicine. Enjoying your medicine does not mean it is not helping you to heal!
