Ready to explore medicating with edibles? Here’s the ultimate beginner’s guide to enjoying THC-infused edibles, including what they are, how they compare to other cannabis products, and how you can make and dose them on your own.

What are weed edibles?

Edibles are cannabis-infused foods and beverages. They’re a great way to get a substantial dose of THC into your system without the need to smoke or dab, but more importantly, the effects last a lot longer. Edibles are made by infusing cannabis oils rich in THC and other cannabinoids into foods and drinks. You can find edibles in the form of candies, cookies, gummies, brownies, and other confections. However, you can infuse cannabis oil into anything that you eat or drink— extending to everything from peanut butter, to condiments and sauces, to meals, and hot or cold beverages.

marijuana edibles
Marijuana edibles are a useful consumption method for medical and recreational users alike.

Edibles are ideal for people who need longer-lasting relief from their symptoms and for those who can’t smoke or vaporize for health-related reasons. They’re quick and easy to dose and taste great, giving you some added incentive to enjoy cannabis both medicinally and recreationally in one discreet, flavorful bite.

Edibles vs. other consumption methods

To enjoy the effects of edibles, you must eat and digest the THC to metabolize it and begin feeling the effects. The process of digestion is a bit lengthy, which is why edibles take up to two hours to begin affecting you. As you digest an edible, you’ll first ingest the THC-infused food and allow it to break down in your stomach. You will then metabolize the THC in your liver, where it will transform into a different version of THC that feels quite a bit stronger and more psychedelic than the ordinary THC you feel when you smoke weed. From there it will spread through your bloodstream slowly.

With that said, edibles last a lot longer and feel much more potent than other consumption methods, including smoking or vaping. When you smoke, dab, or vape, you will feel the THC almost instantly, which makes it easier to accurately dose yourself. However, the high will typically peak after about 15 minutes, and it’ll begin to wear off or disappear altogether in a few hours. Because of their slow delivery, edibles last a lot longer in your system. While they take up to two hours to kick in, you can feel them for up to 8 hours depending on your dose.

cannabis edibles
Compared to other consumption methods, cannabis edibles provide effects for a longer duration.

Between the different effects and the slow-release of edibles, most people choose edibles if they’re not going to have the chance to medicate while they’re on the go or at work. The high lasts most of the day and provides relief for up to 8 hours. However, many also believe that edibles are a safer alternative to smoking flower. Putting anything in your lungs other than oxygen could be dangerous for your health. Edibles remove the need to smoke or vape, which is great if you’re avoiding smoking for your own health but still want to medicate with THC.

How to make edibles

Edibles are made from cannabis oil. In a CO2 extraction process, cannabis materials are separated from cannabinoids and terpenes using supercritical CO2, heat, and pressure. Some edibles are made with full-spectrum cannabis oils like this, but most edibles you can find at the dispensary take an extra step to distill the cannabis oil before using it in their recipes. Distilling the cannabis oil removes all other impurities, ensuring that the edible won’t have that hashy weed-tinged flavor. Once the cannabis oil or distillate is extracted, it is measured into a specific serving size and added into an edible recipe.

Some edibles are made the old fashioned way, by decarboxylating cannabis flowers in a low temperature oven for about 45 minutes until the trichomes are melted. From there, they’re infused to a cooking oil, butter, or alcohol and then strained to remove any leftover plant materials before being made into a recipe.

View related weed edible recipes:

Dosing cannabis edibles

There are a lot of different things to consider when it comes to choosing the ideal dose for your edible experience. We wrote a handy edible dosing guide to help you walk through all the different factors that come into play when choosing how much of an edible you should eat.

However, if you’re new to edibles it’s a good idea to start with a low dose. Even if you smoke a lot of weed, edibles feel a lot different than smoking does and they tend to hit you much harder. We recommend starting around 5-10mg THC to get started and increasing your dose gradually until you find what works best for you. Remember, edibles can take up to two hours to kick in and last up to 8 hours. Make sure you wait up to 4 hours before taking a second dose to avoid any unwanted discomfort or anxiety.

Marijuana edible recipes to try on your own

Ready to try your hand at your own edible recipes? These recipes are easy to make from the comfort of home without the use of any fancy equipment. All you’ll need is cannabis, an oven, and a fat for the THC to bind to. Odds are you already have the rest of the equipment in your own kitchen. We highly recommend using an edible dosage calculator to make sure you get the perfect serving of cannabinoids in your recipes.

Classic Pot Brownies

pot brownies weed edibles
Pot brownies

Every stoner needs to know how to whip up a batch of pot brownies. Luckily, they’re super simple to make and taste delicious. You can try this incredibly easy from scratch recipe , or learn to make cannabutter and use a boxed brownie mix to take yours to the next level. View the pot brownies recipe here.

Chocolate Chunk Canna-Cookies

weed cookies edibles recipe
Weed cookies

You can never go wrong with a good chocolate chip cookie. Luckily, these weed cookies are medicated with your ideal dose of cannabinoids. They’re perfect treats to enjoy and share both at home and on the go. All you need is a little cannabutter and some spare time.

No-Churn Cannabliss Ice Cream

weed ice cream
Cannabis ice cream

This vanilla ice cream recipe is a great base recipe that you can adjust to your liking. It doesn’t require any special equipment and tastes fantastic. This step-by-step weed ice cream recipe will teach you how to infuse THC to heavy whipping cream for a delicious way to beat the heat or kick back and enjoy a sweet treat.

OG Cheesecake

Weed Cheesecake Edible Recipe
THC Cheesecake

This thick, creamy, THC-infused New York-style cheesecake recipe is easy and absolutely to die for. Top it with berries, chocolate, or caramel and unwind with one of the most comforting desserts ever made. All you need is a bit of cannabutter. Learn to make cannabis cheesecake with this guide.

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Ben Walker writes for Stoner Things, covering the cannabis culture from a unique perspective. He doesn't just offer insights into the world of weed, but also provides hands-on reviews and tutorials for the latest products. With a decade of experience spanning cultivation and market trends, Ben advocates for informed and responsible cannabis use. His work goes beyond navigating the ever-changing cannabis landscape; it's about education and community development done right, coming from a place of knowledge and respect. If you want to stay up-to-date with cannabis trends and learn from an experienced guide, Ben's work is an invaluable resource.

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