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Safely Eating Cannabis Products
Edibles often give a stronger dose of cannabis than smoking, and the effect lasts longer. Here's how to eat cannabis safely.
Myths About Consuming Cannabis
It is a myth that dried marijuana is completely inactive and must be heated before being consumed to activate the cannabinoids. Raw, dried cannabis taken orally can be quite strong and effective. The edibles provided by HDR are actually extracts of plant material that concentrates the THC and/or CBD cannabinoids, resulting in an oil that is used to dose our “edibles.”
Many cannabis patients, wishing to avoid any irritation on the lungs or choose not to inhale it, can very easily and effectively eat their dosages of medical cannabis. Also, ingestion of cannabis continues to be a preference for patients wishing to alleviate physical pains and experience what is commonly referred to as a ‘body stone.’ Edibles are more often a stronger dose of cannabis than traditional ‘smoking.’ Eating cannabis also provides a longer effect as the delivery method is actually digested, with cannabinoids being introduced to the blood stream through the liver as opposed to the lungs. Those suffering from differing body ailments that are not finding sufficient relief through smoking should consider edibles.
A fatal overdose from cannabis alone is extremely unlikely, but THC-concentrated edibles can have a very powerful effect, and taking too much can mean hours of anxiety, a racing heart or nausea. HDR recommends that if you are not familiar with this delivery method, you “crawl before you walk”: take a very small dose to gauge its effects. Most edibles list the milligrams of THC per piece, and many chocolates and gummies can be cut in half or quarters if this is your first time or you have a low tolerance to THC. Our edibles dosage chart shows where to start.
Another critical factor in ‘edibles’ is that the effects take a longer period to take place. The time frame is dependent on your weight, size, and metabolism. Edibles will take maximum effect within 30 to 90 minutes of initial dosage. Please be patient when first experimenting with edibles. If additional doses are required, please wait at least one and a half hours prior to taking more medicine.
If the effect is too strong, please relax. The feeling is only temporary and will subside. If able, please lay down or get off of your feet. Please remember, it is illegal to drive while medicating so always consume cannabis at home.
Two important facts about medical cannabis that must be kept in mind if you plan to eat it.
Some cannabinoids must be activated by heat. Eating it raw will not deliver the full therapeutic benefits. Many people however do eat raw marijuana and report they receive benefit from doing so.
Cannabinoids are soluble (dissolve) in fats and alcohol, but not water. The cannabinoids, or the therapeutically active components in medical cannabis, cannot be extracted by brewing a tea or soaking in water. They must be either suspended in a fat such as vegetable oil or butter, or steeped in alcohol (not recommended).
Medical cannabis can be prepared for cooking in two ways.
Pulverized or ground into a powder, or “Canna-Flour.”
Extracted into a fat or oil, most commonly butter, called “Canna-Butter.”
Canna-Flour
Marijuana can be cooked into any of your favorite recipes. However, most people do not care for the taste. That is why it is so important to choose recipes that will help mask the flavor and consistency. Chocolate and tomato sauce are often used just for this reason.
To prepare medical marijuana for cooking, the stems and seeds should be removed with a sift or kitchen strainer and the resulting powder ground to a flour-like consistency. Only grind as much as you will use at any one time, as the cannabinoids will quickly degrade and be lost once the medical marijuana has been finely ground up. Grinding does not make medical marijuana any more effective, but it does make it more palatable. Hint: save the stems to make Cannabutter.
Remember that it can take anywhere from one to three hours for eaten medical marijuana to deliver its active ingredients to the bloodstream. Give the first portion ample time before consuming additional helpings.
An excellent option for the novice medical marijuana cook is to use a pre-packaged brownie mix. Simply follow the directions on the box and add your medical marijuana to the batter. You may also wish to add an extra tablespoon of margarine or oil and an additional 1/8 cup of water.
Canna-Butter
“Cannabutter” is the common name for a butter that has been infused with the beneficial cannabinoids contained in medical marijuana. Cannabutter is not hard to make and for those who ingest their medicine by eating it, Cannabutter is much more palatable than is the plant material. A typical ratio for making the marijuana butter is one stick of butter to one eighth of an ounce of marijuana.
For a great Cannabutter recipe:
www.themarijuanaeffect.com/howtomakecannabutter.html
To test the strength of your Cannabutter, spread a half teaspoon of butter on a cracker. It takes about an hour to reach its full effect. Be careful, because it can sneak up on you. Do not attempt any complex, challenging or potentially dangerous tasks until you know how this batch will affect you.
Cannabutter can be substituted for regular butter in any recipe. It is especially tasty in making candy, cookies, and brownies. The amount to use in any particular recipe comes down to a matter of ‘trial and error.’ The best approach is to start small and then use an increasing amount (if necessary) in each following recipe until you find the dosage that is most beneficial for assisting with your symptoms and needs.
The same techniques and principles may be used to infuse any vegetable oil with cannabinoids. However, many people find butter the most convenient and versatile.
A great reference with plenty of recipes and options is:
Looking for edibles instead of cooking your own? See the edibles we carry at our Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Hobbs dispensaries.
Still have a question?
Ask a budtender at any of our six dispensaries in Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Hobbs. We're happy to walk you through it.
