Edibles can take hours to kick in for most people. For those who have a slower metabolism, it can be even longer. So, we have compiled some tips on how you can enjoy an edible cannabis experience without having to wait for digestion to take place. If you want to learn more about it, keep reading.
Everybody knows someone who says that “edibles don’t work for me”, or simply that they take too long to take effect. The effect of smoking weed happens straight away, and by comparison, edibles can be slow. Depending on a person’s metabolism, it can even seem like edibles aren’t as strong, too. But the truth is that edibles can be a much longer lasting and much more psychedelic experience than smoking cannabis.
When you are getting the most out of edibles, you can experience a full-blown body high as well as that cerebral high we all love so much. However, if you’re the kind of person for whom it just takes way too long to take effect – or perhaps they don’t work well for you at all – then we have some advice for how you can maximize the effect.
To make edibles work faster and possibly even stronger, follow our advice!
1. Alternative “edible” forms of cannabis: tinctures
We are used to the term “edible” meaning a brownie or a cake. Edibles are usually associated with products that are made with cannabutter (butter that has been infused with the goodness of THC). But there are other forms of edible cannabis.
Take for example, tinctures. These are another form of edible cannabis that have a tendency to work much faster than generic edible forms of cannabis. They can be absorbed faster by the body and seem to bypass the long and tedious digestive tract. This might also have something to do with the fact that there is, in general, much less to digest when it comes to ingesting tinctures.
Tinctures aren’t all that hard to make, so you have the option of making your own at home before going out shopping. On the other hand, they are time consuming to make. Buds need to steep in alcohol for weeks before the tincture is going to be ready to consume. But other than shaking the bottle every day, there’s virtually no work to do to create a cannabis tincture.
You might find that the effect of tinctures is much stronger than edibles. Less is lost to the stomach and digestive tract. This is especially true if you put the tincture under the tongue. It is absorbed into the blood almost straight away. So, you can begin to enjoy the effect of THC virtually immediately without the two to three hour waiting period that most edible consumers are experiencing.
2. Cannabis infused beverages
Cannabis infused beverage products are becoming more and more popular among cannabis enthusiasts. I’m reluctant to recommend cannabis infused sodas as a regular means of ingestion, because they can be full of sugars – which, by the way, can slow down your metabolism, thereby making the digestive process slower.
However, it is becoming common for people to infuse cannabis into their cocktails, coffees and even teas. Fats are great solvents for cannabinoids (as well as alcohol), so smoothies are an effective means of transporting cannabinoids into your body. To make a cannabis infused tea, boil your cannabis in milk for a few minutes and add it to an English Breakfast – or apply this same process and add it to your morning coffee.
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If you’re not feeling adventurous enough to make your own cannabis infused beverage, there are many different kinds that you can purchase in dispensaries these days. I’ve even noticed cannabis themed kombuchas are becoming popular, meaning you can get your probiotics and your THC fix at the same time!
If you want your cannabis to take effect really quickly, try taking a cannabis shot. These are high-powered, highly concentrated cannabis drinks. You can make your own at home by making a very potent cannabis infused vodka, for example. There’s no real need to turn it into a cocktail. This will just elongate the period of time for digestion. Pour it straight into a glass and shoot. You might not enjoy the flavour, but within fifteen minutes you’ll be high as a kite. Remember to consume responsibly! Mixing alcohol and cannabis can have very different effects to consuming each one individually.
3. Specially designed edibles
The edibles market continues to grow, and some products are specifically targeted towards those who struggle to feel the effects. Some edible products are being specially formulated to hit the user much quicker. In regular edible products, THC must be digested in the stomach and small intestine before the user gets a chance to feel the effects. For some of us, that means waiting a long time.
These specially designed products are made so that the stomach digestion part can be bypassed completely. The very technical term for the process is called “proprietary lipid microencapsulation”. Ahh, that means nothing to me and probably means nothing to you, too. Put simply, the cannabinoids remain trapped inside of the edible itself. It means the stomach doesn’t need to digest them, and they can move directly into the small intestine.
The small intestine is where they will break down before finally entering the blood. And when it’s in the blood, that’s the moment you’re getting high. This way, you aren’t losing cannabinoids to the digestion process in the stomach. More cannabinoids reach the blood, and faster. These edibles are designed to make you high within half an hour of taking them.
4. Use herbs containing myrcene
We recently published an article about eating mangoes before your weed consumption. This is a great way to make your high more effective. The way that this happens is because of a terpene called myrcene. Myrcene occurs naturally in all cannabis strains, but more in indica strains than in sativa strains. It has the power to increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. What that means is that THC is able to cross the blood-brain barrier much quicker, making you higher faster and for longer.
Other than eating mangoes, you can also consume lemongrass, thyme, verbena or hops. The only downside to this method is that you have to consume a lot of myrcene. If you have a myrcene extraction, it’s even better because you won’t need to munch down copious amounts of herbs. But if you’re feeling experimental, try making a tea out of lemongrass and thyme. Drink it a couple of hours before consuming your cannabis edible, and see if it works for you!
5. Increase your metabolism
All humans have different metabolisms, and this definitely plays a role in how we feel THC after consuming edibles. Those with a faster metabolism are much more likely to feel the effects of THC quicker through edibles. Having a faster metabolism also means that you can feel more energetic in your daily life, so it doesn’t hurt to use some of these practices as a way to alter your physical body.
So how do you increase your metabolism? In general, there are lifestyle choices you can make that don’t necessarily increase your metabolism immediately. However, over a couple of weeks, you can encourage your body to process things much faster.
Eating lots of protein will encourage your body to have a faster metabolism. This goes hand in hand with drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly and sleeping well. These practices allow your body to process the energy it consumes quicker, in turn allowing your cannabis edible to be metabolized faster, too.
For quicker results, you can try drinking coffee or green tea. These herbs are said to increase the metabolism almost immediately after using. So next time you choose to eat a cannabis edible, drink a coffee or green tea immediately afterwards to metabolise faster.
In the end it all boils down to this: While it’s good to experiment a bit with the above suggestions, remember to be patient with cannabis edibles! It can be tempting to eat more thinking that it isn’t taking effect. But if they all kick in at once, then you can be left dealing with a way too intense high. Remember to be sensible about how much you’re consuming. If nothing has happened within an hour, just wait longer. If a few hours have passed, perhaps it’s time to take more or simply just to smoke something!
I think that the article was very informative. I learned A lot of new things,thanks!