Cannabis Edibles - The Bold, The Tasty, & the Deliciously Dank

Cannabis Edibles – The Bold, The Tasty, & the Deliciously Dank

We’ve all heard the term “edible” when it comes to talking about the cannabis edibles Canada community, but what does this entail? Understanding what cannabis edibles are and how they affect the body is important, but knowing just how potent these tasty treats are is crucial.

Before diving into the world of weed edibles and all they have to offer, make sure you’re prepared for the high it brings. Below contains absolutely everything you need to know about THC edibles, how to make them, and the various benefits, as well as side effects, they can bring.

Where Did Weed Edibles Come From?

Most simply, cannabis edibles are marijuana-infused treats that can be consumed like any other food or drink. These weed-filled snacks are highly potent and typically cause a
powerful, long-lasting high that consumers desire.

Marijuana edibles can come in various forms, but you’ve probably heard the term “pot brownie” more than anything. Nowadays,
however, you can find THC chocolate, cannabis cookies, and even full-blown marijuana-infused pasta meals.

Civilization has been consuming cannabis for centuries, even adding it to traditional food and beverages.

Beginning in ancient India, Hindu worshippers of the god Shiva honor his presence by mixing cannabis leaves and spices into milk and then drinking it (along with smoking the plant). This cannabis-infused drink, dubbed “Bhang,” is still used today, and is one of the first recorded “edible” recipes. However, it is probable that this isn’t the first or oldest case of cannabis edibles, as the marijuana and hemp plant has been utilized for its properties for thousands of years.

While cannabis drinks like Bhang are still popular, most consumers nowadays choose to add cannabis to either butter or oil, which allows them to then add this infused-ingredient to any recipe that calls for it.

This infusion is appropriately named cannabutter or cannaoil. Try adding it to any meal or snack, and you’ll be feeling euphorically intoxicated just by eating your dinner.

The Quality of Edibles

The trickiest part about cannabis edibles is that they typically look just like regular treats, which is why proper labeling is so important. Because cannabis is cooked into the ingredients of the edible, it doesn’t change the outward appearance, texture, or consistency of your recipe.

The smell of an edible most times depends on how much weed was used and how the creation was crafted. Typically, you can’t pick up a regular pot brownie and simply smell the cannabis that it’s been infused with, and this goes for most edibles.

However, this is not the case when it comes to taste. There is almost always a slight hint of cannabis in every edible you consume, as the plant’s terpenes are powerful and strongly affect taste and aroma. Luckily, biting into a weed cookie isn’t going to taste like biting into a plant, but you may be able to pick up skunky, earthy notes throughout.

Out of all of the properties that cannabis edibles have, their high potency is what’s most important to consider. Though it depends on how much cannabis was used during creation, weed edibles produce a significantly stronger and more powerful high than when weed is simply smoked. This is because cannabinoids like THC react differently in the body when digested versus when inhaled. Chemical compounds found in cannabis are fat-soluble, not water-soluble, so they break down better and more efficiently when added to fatty ingredients like butter and then digested. The compounds can freely travel throughout the endocannabinoid system, creating a full-body high that is difficult to accomplish otherwise.

However, because THC edibles do react differently within the body, it’s crucial to be prepared for the hours-long, relaxing high that can come from it. If you’re brand-new to the cannabis world, beginning with a weed edible might not the best choice, as their potency can create intense highs that new consumers may not feel comfortable with.

How to Make Cannabis Edibles

There are a few different ways that you can consume
edibles, but it mostly comes down to personal preference.

One of the most popular methods of creating cannabis edibles is using cannabutter. As the name implies, cannabutter is butter infused with activated cannabis flower. To make this, you must first decarboxylate your marijuana by breaking it down and essentially “baking” it in the oven. This added heat is what transforms non-psychoactive chemical compounds into psychoactive ones like THC, helping to achieve that extraordinary high so many seek.

Like cannabutter, activated cannabis can be added to different types of cooking oils, like coconut oil if you have an allergy or avoid dairy like butter. Both cannabutter and cannaoil can then be added to any recipe that requires these ingredients, and suddenly, your everyday meals are amplified.

For those more experienced weed edible consumers, adding cannabis concentrates to your treats can take your journey to the next level. Cannabis concentrates can be twice as potent as regular flower, so adding a few drops of cannabis oil, BHO, or even Rick Simpson Oil to your THC edible may be perfect for those with higher tolerances or more severe medical complications that require higher potencies.

How to Store Cannabis Edibles

Weed edibles cannot stay in your fridge forever. While cannabutter can last a bit if it’s properly sealed and refrigerated, you must
remember that, like any dairy product, it can expire and become bad.

Cannaoil doesn’t have an issue with expiration, but leaving any marijuana product for too long is cause for a change of structure, smell, and sometimes appearance.

If you aren’t planning on eating your marijuana edibles right away, make sure you store them in air-tight containers that do not let in any excess moisture, light, or heat. Many suggest wrapping the edibles in either
aluminum foil or wax paper to help seal in freshness and quality.

Do not wrap your marijuana-infused creation in plastic wrap, as this has been said to affect the overall taste of your edible and effect the desired consistency. Also, do not leave your edibles unlabeled!
Unlabeled THC edibles are the easiest way for these potent treats to end up creating an unwanted,
uncomfortable high.

How to Take Cannabis Edibles

Cannabis edibles provide endless possibilities. Basically, anything
you can eat or drink, you can effectively add weed to.

Add cannabutter or cannaoil to your favorite brownie recipe! Simply replace the butter or oil with your infused version and put a spin on your traditional gooey treats. Brownies’ strong
flavors are perfect for adding cannabis to, as it masks the plant’s flavor quite well. After all, there’s a reason pot brownies are so popular!

Weed cookies are just as sought-after as marijuana brownies, and their creation process is quite similar.

Both cannabutter and cannaoil can be added to full-blown dishes like pasta for added flavor and fun. Because some strains of cannabis have peppery, herb-like flavor profiles, adding cannabis to dishes like pasta not only gets you high,
but it adds a layer of unique taste, only achieved through the
marijuana or hemp plant.

Adding a sprinkle of weed to your cup of coffee is becoming
increasingly more common in the cannabis world, as well. Not only do you get your daily dose of caffeine, but the calming yet stimulating effects of weed can truly help your day get started. For cannabis coffee, you can choose to add a dab of
cannabutter or canna-coconut oil, or you can simply add a few drops of THC or CBD oil right into your fresh-brewed cup.

Though making weed or THC gummies may only be for the most experienced chefs, these types of weed edibles are abundant on cannabis dispensary shelves. They typically come in packs of about ten, making them super easy to dose. For many, one 5 or 10mg gummy is more than enough for cerebral, calming high.

Cannabutter allows consumers to enhance any recipe that
requires typical butter—like popcorn! Weed-infused popcorn is an extremely popular snack, especially for groups looking to enhance their movie-watching experience. Just be careful not to eat the whole batch yourself, otherwise, you’ll probably find yourself asleep before the movie even starts.

Cannabis Edibles vs Other Cannabis Products

Because regular cannabis flower is used to make most types of THC edibles, the two aren’t drastically different. However, as was mentioned, the way the flower is
processed throughout your body is the biggest
difference here, as digesting provides a more
full-bodied and potent high than simply taking a hit from a bong or joint. Not to mention, edible highs can last for hours depending on your tolerance, versus maybe an hour with regular flower.

When comparing weed edibles to cannabis concentrates, it becomes apparent how drastically different the two are. While marijuana edibles do have a higher concentration of cannabis than flower, they are still not as potent as cannabis concentrates. Concentrates like budder, shatter, or even butane hash oil can test anywhere from 60-90% THC. Even if the strain you use in your cannabutter is incredibly potent, just cooking it into butter destroys at least 20% of the cannabinoids at hand, immediately lowering potency. This is why many have begun adding drops of cannabis oil or concentrates to their THC edibles recipes instead of flowers, as the
intoxicating effects aren’t lost as easily.

The Many Benefits of Weed Edibles

The medical benefits of cannabis are astonishing, as the plant’s chemical compounds have been found to help with myriad health complications with varying severities. From helping your digestive tract to alleviating your joint pain and everything in between, marijuana’s properties can give you the relief you deserve.

When it comes to the physiological benefits of pot brownies and weed tea, they’re the same as you’d get from flower. Compounds like CBD have shown to exhibit properties of an anti-inflammatory, helping to ease chronic muscle and joint pain throughout the body. However, these effects are amplified when digested, so these relieving properties are felt even stronger with THC edibles. This makes the infused-treats great for those searching for more powerful pain relief than they can get from simply smoking a joint.

As mentioned, an edible is a great way to give you a good night’s rest. Whether you struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep, the sedative properties of THC edibles (or rather, the strains used within them) can provide calmness like none other, prepping your body to sleep peacefully, heavily, and all through the night. In general, weed edibles have been known to cause a more relaxing, sleepy high, so many also find their anxieties slowly slipping away as the high comes to fruition.

What’s most important to remember here is that, while you will feel the effects of regular marijuana, they’re going to be enhanced tenfold. So, make sure you are prepared for the intense cerebral effects and full-body relaxation, otherwise you can find yourself feeling uncomfortable and uneasy during your THC edible experience.

The Onset of Effects

Because of THC edibles’ high concentration of cannabis and their very high potencies, it can be easy for people to consume too much and, in turn, have a bad time. Though you can’t overdose from eating too many edibles, it sure can feel like it if you’re having an unpleasant high, so it’s crucial to be knowledgeable about exactly what you’re consuming and how much is best for you.

With typical dried flower, the effects that you experience come almost immediately after inhalation. This is drastically different with marijuana edibles, though. Because they have to be metabolized within the body, it takes much longer for consumers to feel the effects of cannabis. Usually, you must wait between an hour and two to notice the properties begin to take effect, so be patient! If you don’t wait before consuming more, it becomes easy to consume too much and no longer enjoy your edible experience. Avoid this, and wait the appropriate amount of time before having more.

While some less than awesome experiences are caused by unknowingly consuming too much, others are simply the result of not knowing what they’re consuming. Because edibles look no different than your typical brownie or other sweet treats, they’re often confused as such, and end up in unprepared and inexperienced hands — especially children’s hands.

Thankfully, this can easily be avoided with proper labeling and storing. Make sure to never leave your edible in your fridge unlabeled; these baked treats should always have a clear indication of their potency. When marijuana edibles are left unmarked, it’s easy to forget that there’s anything different about them. Avoid an unpleasant, unwanted high, and keep your edible away from regular food and drink, in a place where your little ones cannot easily find.

If you take too much, your high isn’t going to last forever. If you find yourself feeling uneasy, begin by drinking some water. Not only does this ground you, but it gives your body and mind nourishment it may be lacking. Then, the next step is distraction: do whatever you can to get your mind off of your high. Whether that be talking with a friend, watching a movie, or even taking a nap, all of these things can help get your mind back on track and have you feeling like yourself again.

Purchase Your Own Cannabis-Infused Treats

If you’re looking to purchase your cannabis edibles own, already-made marijuana edibles, prices will vary depending on where you live and the dispensaries around you. Typically, weed gummies or chewables are a bit more expensive than baked treats like cookies and brownies, but they contain more doses. Weed gummies and chewables can range anywhere from between $15-$30 depending on how many are included, and the potencies. Baked edibles, like a single pot brownie, are usually cheaper, but you can’t get as many doses out of them. CBD edibles like mints or gum are also gaining popularity, as they come with controlled doses and do not cause psychoactivity. A 20 pack of CBD mints will typically run you between $30-$60.

You can find a variety of edible Canada options at your local marijuana dispensary or get cannabis edibles delivery in Vancouver or any other Canadian city, and even take a peek at their prices with apps like Weedmaps or Leafly. If you don’t live in a place that has access to a weed dispensary, or you simply prefer to operate online, you’re still in luck! Online dispensaries like Get Kush are rapidly gaining a ton of popularity, as you no longer have to leave your house to pick out your favorite cannabis product. Instead, it’s shipped directly to your doorstep.

Eat Your Way to Euphoria

And as long as people want a variety of experiences, the marijuana edibles Canada industry will continue to create. Whether you want to cook with cannabis and make your own edibles, or skip the work and purchase a pre-made one at a dispensary is totally up to you. By doing your research and understanding just how edibles affect the body, along with starting low and slow, you’ll have one of the best cannabis experiences for the books. GetKush offers a variety of marijuana edibles to suffice your sweet tooth!