There is more to medical marijuana than just smoking or vaporizing. For those patients that do not wish to inhale smoke in order to medicate, there are marijuana edibles: food or drink items that have been medicated with cannabis. Through lab testing, Arbors Wellness and other experts are able to determine the potency of an edible, making it easier for a patient to properly dose. Potency can range from low to high dose, making marijuana edibles effective for treatment of pain from minor aches to more long-term chronic ailments.
Cannabinoid content of edibles is carefully measured in milligrams, but the same dose isn’t right for everyone. The same dose can affect people differently depending on their metabolism. On average, the starting dose for a new patient is approximately ten milligrams. This is enough medicine to get an idea of a person’s tolerance to ingested cannabis with little risk of overmedicating. A person can over-medicate by taking more milligrams than needed, so it’s important to start with a low dose from a trusted source to establish a personal tolerance.
Symptoms of being overmedicated can include anxiety, impairment of motor function, nausea, and feeling overly tired. Overmedicating does not physically harm you but can be unpleasant for several hours.
Marijuana edibles are more potent than inhaled forms of medication, but the effects are not as immediate. Edibles need to be digested before the effects can begin to set in.
Edibles come in a variety of forms – the classic brownie, cookies, candies, capsules and even drinks such as cold brewed coffee. Depending on the type of edible and a person’s metabolism, effects can take anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours to begin. Generally, patients are advised to wait an hour after eating an edible to understand its effects. You can always take more if the dose is not strong enough; however, once you add more, it is difficult to reverse the impending effects. On average, an edible is effective for four to six hours. However, the feelings can last for a much longer or shorter time depending on the patient’s metabolism and tolerance.
Not all edibles are created equal and must be properly prepared in order to know what to expect. Knowing an edible was properly prepared and that it was lab tested are important factors when considering which edibles to use and where to get them. Established brands such as Levitate provide a framework of low and high dose marijuana edibles that make it easy to keep track of THC milligrams.
If you’re in the Ann Arbor area and interested in learning more about medical marijuana and its many uses, contact Arbors Wellness today to learn more.