How Long Do Edibles Last?

Written and Fact Checked by: S. Zulfiqar

Cannabis edibles are a range of food products that contain either THC or CBD. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, while CBD stands for cannabidiol. These two are the most researched chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. While there has been much demonization of the plant over the years, an extensive amount of research has been conducted on their health benefits as well as recreational value. 

While smoking is still the most popular form of consuming marijuana, the desire for consuming edibles has increased greatly over the last few years. However, of the two chemical compounds, THC edibles seem to be well loved by the cannabis community due to their high sensation — on the other hand, many who don’t wish to experience any psychoactivity might enjoy consuming CBD-infused edibles for their calming effects. No matter which kind of edible you choose, if you’ve never tried them, in this article, we will discuss edibles in detail — the primary question that we hope to answer is perhaps the most important among stoners and cannabis connoisseurs alike — just exactly how long do edibles last?

Reviewing the Product Range

When it comes to cannabis consumption, the emphasis so far has been on smoking. But, as public acceptance and cannabis innovation continues to grow, we are starting to see people use cannabis in a variety of ways — we’re talking about eating your cannabis.

Many are not aware of the wide range of cannabis-based edible products available on the market but with time and increased legalization, people, particularly young adults, are becoming more and more interested in these kinds of cannabis products. So, what kinds of edibles are we talking about? There are many, yet the most common include sweet candies, brownies, gummies, and many others. How does cheering up your dull day with a cannabis-based gummy, gum, lozenge, or even a lollipop sound? We think, therapeutically delicious.

When Will You Start Feeling Effects After Consuming An Edible?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions about cannabis edibles. Well, there are several factors on which the exact kick in time depends. However, a careful estimate tells us that you will start feeling the effects of a cannabis edible between 30-60 minutes. Factors that can influence this time include the nature of the active ingredient (THC or CBD), the metabolic system of the consumer, and how quickly the active ingredient is absorbed in the user’s bloodstream. So how long do edibles last? 

Surprisingly, the high induced by the consumption of cannabis edibles lasts a lot longer than smoking/vaping. It is believed that these effects can last for as much as 6-8 hours. For edibles that contain THC, the highest levels of the active ingredient in the bloodstream are seen at least three hours post-consumption. In fact researchers have been struggling to come up with a definitive number so far. Take the example of a study that evaluated the effects of cannabis-based edibles, as described in 10,0000 tweets on the popular social media platform, Twitter. 

Despite such a large sample size, no standard duration has been established — just a range.

Edibles Have An Edge Over Smoking

Let us now examine the multiple benefits that make cannabis edibles even a better choice than smoking your weed. Because cannabis smoke contains carcinogens, it may not be hard to understand why some people might opt for cannabis edibles due to health concerns. With edibles, we should also mention. that there is also the factor of better accessibility. Eating cannabis infused goodies in the same room with non-cannabis lovers is hardly an issue, is it? Smoking, on the other hand, requires you to leave the room so that non-smokers don’t have to experience inconvenience of any kind.

Also, there are some cannabis consumers who would rather keep their cannabis consumption a discreet manner while out and about or in public places — oh and due to slower onset of effects in cannabis edibles, the longer duration factor trumps smoking as well for those looking for a long lasting high.

Beware: Things Can Get Terrible With Edibles As Well

So far, so good. It seems as if things can hardly go wrong as far as the cannabis edibles are concerned. 

But as is the case with every THC-infused product, the risk of side effects can never be ignored. Indeed, some very serious side effects have been reported by consumers who perhaps had a little too much of the cannabis edibles. It is pertinent to mention here that the side effects vary depending upon the nature of the active ingredient used in the edible. In the case of THC edibles, some commonly reported side effects include anxiety, cardiac stress, delusions, nausea, and vomiting. 

A more serious list of side effects includes cognitive impairment and extreme sedation. On the other hand, due to its lack of psychoactivity or none at all, as you can imagine, the side effects associated with CBD-containing edibles are perhaps not as serious as the THC edibles. However, a causal approach is still not advisable. Some of these side effects include fatigue, diarrhea, and anomalous patterns in appetite, and weight gain as well weight loss. In the end, it’s important to be sensible to avoid becoming obsessional with your cannabis consumption.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how you can avoid and thwart these risks and side effects associated with cannabis edibles. All that you have to do is never ditch the element of moderation when it comes down to cannabis edibles consumption. Understandably, these kinds of food items will always make you crave for more, that high is really peaceful! However, this is where you have to be most careful. Also, it might be a good idea to keep these edibles separate from food items that your friends and family members eat regularly. Don’t want them to get accidentally high, do we? 

Final Thoughts 

In the end, it’s always better to start with a small dose and see how your body reacts to CBD or THC. This is especially important for first-timers who have never smoked or consumed cannabis in any other form. Well, we hope that you learned something new about cannabis edibles from this article — we bid you a safe, effective cannabis journey!

 

Related Reads:  CBD vs. THC: Differences Between Cannabis’ Most Popular Cannabinoids, How to Make Weedy Butter

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28861514/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5010515/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5010515/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC677625