Edibles, Beverages & Tinctures

What Are Cannabis Edibles?

When you consume a cannabis-infused product like any kind of food or drink, you will be experiencing noticeably different effects compared to those when you smoke or vape. During inhalation methods like smoking or vaping, cannabinoids enter the bloodstream immediately, whereas with edibles it takes longer.

The intoxicating effects that come along with edibles tend to be a more intense, full-body feelings than that of smoking or vaping. Consuming edibles typically takes between 60-90 minutes to feel the effects, but the effects tend to last considerably longer than that of inhalation methods. Eating edibles is perhaps the healthiest and safest way to consume cannabis because nothing is inhaled or combusted.

In years past, perhaps the most popular way of eating cannabis was to make baked goods like the infamous infused brownies. Those days are long gone, with high-end chefs creating Michelin-star quality food infused with cannabis. Most food made with cannabis uses an infused ingredient that is high in fat, like butter or oil. But there are also new products like cannabis-infused beverages which are water-based rather than fat-based, made possible with new emulsion technologies.

Cannabis-Infused Beverages

According to a report from ArcView and Greenentrepreneur, cannabis-infused beverages are more popular now than ever before. Cannabis beverages saw the highest spike in sales during the pandemic year of 2020, and have not shown signs of slowing down since. Sales of infused beverages could reach more than $5 billion per year by 2025.

The spike in the popularity of cannabis-infused beverages is largely being driven by millennials, women, and people who are newbies to cannabis consumption. These demographics tend to prefer cannabis wellness drinks over edibles like gummies, brownies, cookies, and other snacks that are loaded with sugar. There’s a good chance you’re part of this demographic, so welcome!

Another cause for the increase in popularity of cannabis drinks is their portability and discreteness. Consuming beverages requires nothing but the container they come in: meaning no vapes, bongs, dab rigs, papers, or blunt wraps. Additionally, as more and more people step away from alcohol and towards cannabis, people want something to hold and sip on at parties; infused beverages are a great way to feel as if you’re fitting in with the drinking crowd without putting any ethanol into your body!

Canna-BEVs are discreet and as normal as a water bottle you take to the gym because everyone must hydrate. And unlike edibles, most people feel the effects of beverages half the time. The dosage of beverages tends to be precise, since the companies who make them tend to be more accountable than your run-of-the-mill gummy-maker.

What Are Cannabis Tinctures?

Ingestible oils are kind of like a combination of concentrates and edibles because you swallow and digest them like edibles, but their consistency is more like oil concentrate. Oils are either taken directly or put into capsules for easy consumption. One of the more popular oils is called Rick Simpson oil aka FECO or full extract cannabis oil. Simpson is a Canadian cannabis activist who developed an oil to help treat his cancer. Simpson doesn’t sell any cannabis products himself, but rather he encourages consumers to make their own.

Traditionally in herbalism, a tincture is a liquid alcohol-based extract. However, in the world of cannabis, tinctures are either alcohol extracts or oils that are sold in dropper bottles. Tinctures enter the bloodstream quickly, meaning they are fast-acting, especially if the tincture is placed under the tongue for the fastest absorption method. Tinctures can be a great choice for consumers who are looking for quick effects but don’t want the potential respiratory issues that come along with inhalation methods.

Consumers place drops of tinctures under their tongues (sublingually), and it absorbs into the body through the delicate tissue there. Holding a tincture under the tongue for at least 60 seconds before swallowing allows the tincture to bypass digestion and become rapidly absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Then, tinctures are processed through the liver and the consumer feels the effects.

If you hate the taste of tinctures, you can either formulate your oil into a losange to slowly absorb in the mouth or you can drop the tincture onto a gummy or other form of food to eat it as a home-made quick and easy edible.

Ingesting VS Inhaling Cannabis

Eating edibles is a completely different experience than smoking or vaping. Edibles travel first to your stomach, then to your liver, before getting into your bloodstream and brain. The liver converts THC into a stronger form during metabolism called eleven hydroxy THC. This metabolite of THC acts stronger than THC in the body, and therefore provides some different effects compared to inhalation methods. Cannabis smoke or vapor is not processed by the body before you feel it, rather it delivers THC directly into your lungs where it passes into your bloodstream and then your brain all within about 7 minutes.

For the inexperienced consumer, this can lead to extremely unpleasant and potentially dangerous situations. As a newer consumer, we recommend against taking anything over 15mg to start. However, 5 mg is typically a safe dose to start out to see if you are a high or low responder. It’s also a good idea for beginners to consume edibles for the first time in the presence of a friend they trust, as this can greatly help the experience if it seems to be taking a turn for the worse, or just to have someone to enjoy some laughs with and ask any questions.

Some people don’t feel the effects of edibles, regardless of the dose—whether it’s 5 mg or 500 mg. This is often due to differences in liver enzymes that process THC, preventing them from experiencing the effects of orally ingested THC. Research suggests that up to 15% of the population may be unable to feel edibles at all.

Dosage Milligram Breakdown

Here is a handy reference guide that breaks down how each level of milligrams (mg) of edible ingesting might make you feel as a consumer. Always keep in mind that everyone is different and that these are generalizations based on previous consumer experiences.

• Ingesting 1mg to 2.5mg of THC in cannabis edibles is often referred to as a microdose. This dosage is perfect for inexperienced consumers, as it can offer mild relief from pain and stress. This sub-high feeling dose is also great for daytime if you need anxiety or pain relief, but don’t want the psychoactive effects.
• Ingesting 2.5mg to 15 mg of THC in cannabis edibles can provide a stronger relief of pain and anxiety, as well as increased euphoria. This dosage starts to cause impaired coordination and perception of the passing of time.
• Ingesting 15mg to 30 mg of THC in cannabis edibles is a mid-range dose that can help offer a good night’s sleep and cause even higher levels of euphoria. This range is where first-time consumers might start to experience negative effects, so always consume responsibly. Anything above this dosage is not recommended for inexperienced consumers.
• Ingesting 30 mg to 50 mg of THC in cannabis edibles will cause strong euphoria and noticeably impaired perception, as well as may cause a loss of coordination. This dosage is common for medical patients seeking sleep aid or pain relief.
• Ingesting 50 mg or more of THC in cannabis edibles will almost certainly cause impairment, and should not be done by inexperienced consumers.
• Ingesting 100 mg or more THC in cannabis edibles is often referred to as a “hero dose” and should only be consumed by experienced cannabis enthusiasts. At this level, even experienced consumers can experience negative side effects such as elevated heart rate, racing thoughts, and anxiety.

What We Learned: Edibles, Beverages & Tinctures

Absorbing all of the knowledge about the various ways of consuming cannabis is one of the best ways to get the most out of your experiences. This chapter should hopefully get your feet wet enough with the world of edibles so you know what to expect before your first experience. Here’s what we learned in this chapter:

• Low and slow is the way to go with cannabis edibles, beverages, and tinctures.
• The psychoactive effects that come along with edibles tend to be more intense, full-body feelings than that of smoking or vaping.
• Edibles travel first to your stomach, then to your liver, before getting into your bloodstream and brain.
• Consuming edibles might take between 60-90 minutes to feel the effects, but the effects tend to last considerably longer than that of inhalation methods.
• Eating edibles is perhaps the healthiest and safest way to consume cannabis because nothing is inhaled or combusted.
• In years past, brownies were the primary edible consumers ate. Thanks to legalization efforts, that is drastically changing.
• Sales of cannabis-infused beverages like seltzers, teas, and flavored waters could reach more than $5 billion per year by 2025.
• Tinctures are cannabis extract that comes in liquid form. Tinctures tend to enter the bloodstream quickly, meaning they are fast-acting.
• Each milligram dosage should be carefully read and understood before taking an edible. Refer back to our dosage milligram chart in this chapter for guidance.

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