How to Safely Use Medical Marijuana Edibles

These days in Canada medical marijuana patients aren’t limited to smoking dried flower. Earlier this year in June Canadian officials made it legal to consume medical marijuana in all its beautiful forms. What does this mean for Canadian medical marijuana patients? A huge selection of edibles is going to soon be available and if you’ve ever tried them before you know eating marijuana is a lot different than smoking it.

The effects produced from eating weed can range from a nice body high to full-on paranoia. Get too high of a dose of THC and you might think about swearing off edibles forever. So how can you take the right dose without completely ruining your experience? Think about the following before you consume and you’re likely to develop a life-long love affair with Mary Jane in her edible form.

Do you have any Experience with Edibles or Medical Marijuana?

Edibles are not for the faint of heart. Those who have experience with edibles will even let you know that if you get the wrong dose you could be sorry. So if you don’t have any past experience with edibles, you’ll want to start out slow. Very slow. Even those with a high tolerance to smoking weed don’t always have the same tolerance when it comes to edibles.

Make sure you get the Right Dose

Although you really can’t overdose on edibles, getting the wrong dose can make you feel like it. Think of 10 milligrams of THC to be one dose of medicine. See how this correlates to starting small? If you’ve got an edible product that contains 100 milligrams of THC eating the whole thing will give you 10 doses of THC at once, an amount that is way too much for most people to handle. Start by taking 10 milligrams at a time until you know what dose is right for you.

Give it Some Time to Kick In

That 10 milligram dose of THC you took is going to take a lot longer to kick in than if you would have smoked the same amount. Start with 10 milligrams (which is actually the recommended dose by the Marijuana Enforcement Division) and wait at least 45 minutes to gauge how you feel. Edibles can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours before the effects are felt. So give it some time so you don’t ruin your relationship with edibles for life because you took too much.

Don’t Take Edibles on an Empty Stomach

Very important. Do NOT take edibles on an empty stomach. Taking marijuana in its edible form is much like taking prescription medication. The effects can be much stronger if you haven’t had anything to eat. Even if you just eat a little bit before consuming, you’ll save yourself from getting “too high”.

Experiment with Different Brands

The edible industry is growing quickly and there are a lot of products out there. And different brands are going to come with different results. Keeping all the other tips in mind, begin to experiment with different brands until you find the product that works best for you. When you figure out what you like best you’ll know what to expect and exactly how it’s going to affect you.

What To Do When you get Too High

It’s bound to happen. Getting too high has happened to the best of us, even the most seasoned of pot smokers. When you begin experimenting with edibles there may come the day where you take to high of a dose. And depending on how much you took, you may literally feel like you’re dying. You’re not. And it will pass. The Marijuana Policy Project says the following about consuming responsibly: “If you consume too much marijuana, try to stay calm and remember the feeling is only temporary. Lay or sit down, close your eyes, and try to relax. If you are with other people, let them know you have overdone it and want them to keep an eye on you. If your discomfort becomes so intense that you think you need medical attention, ask someone to take you to the emergency room. Do NOT drive anywhere.” Being “too high” will come to pass and you’ll remember next time not to take so much.