Weed candy, a popular form of cannabis edibles, is quickly growing in popularity. Why? Not only can weed candy taste delicious, it comes in lots of flavors and varieties. But, most importantly, it’s a safer intake method than smoking.
While smoking cannabis is far less dangerous than smoking tobacco, smoking is still a lung irritant and not suitable for many patients and recreational users (especially those with a history or elevated risk of respiratory issues).
What is weed candy?
Edibles come in many forms, from cookies and brownies to drinks, tinctures, and even spreads. So, what exactly is “weed candy” and what makes it distinct from “edibles?” Weed candy is an edible. It’s a category of edibles that usually refers to edibles like gummies, chocolate bars, caramels, and even hard candy. Basically, just about anything we commonly call “candy,” a cannabis-infused version probably exists.
How does weed candy differ from smoking flower?
Consuming cannabis in candy form (or any edible form) is much different than smoking cannabis in several ways:
When you consume cannabis in an edible form, your body metabolizes the THC through your liver. In turn, it converts to 11-hydroxy-THC, a metabolite that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, potentially producing a much more intense “high.”
Because the THC must be digested and metabolized through your liver, it takes much longer to feel the effects than smoking (smoking affects users near instantaneously). Moreover, because of this process, weed candy affects users for much longer than smoking.
However, weed candy is much, much, more difficult to dose correctly. When you smoke cannabis, you feel the effects almost instantly (creeper reefer notwithstanding). So it’s very easy to self-titrate. Puff puff, pass pass, see how you feel, and smoke more if you want. With weed candy, it’s not so simple:
How much is a serving?
What exactly is a serving? What does a serving mean?
Finally, and as we pointed out earlier, consuming weed candy (or edibles) is considered safer than smoking (for obvious reasons), and many people can’t tolerate smoking anything because of respiratory sensitivity or clinical condition (lung cancer, for example).
Common Questions: Weed Candy Safety
How experienced are you with cannabis? How often and how much do you generally consume?
When consuming edibles, it’s not uncommon for budtenders to dose at 50, 75, even 100+ mgs. For someone who’s had a lot of experience with edibles, that may be a reasonable amount. However, for people that don’t have experience with edibles, those doses are extremely high.
Generally 10 mgs constitutes a single serving. But, what does that mean (a “single serving”)? Does it mean a serving like one beer or glass of wine? Or does it mean, a dose should get you “high.”
It’s common for consumers who don’t have a lot of experience with edibles to go their dispensary and ask their budtender for an edible recommendation. The budtender, who may have had a lot of experience with edibles, may consume 75 mgs, 100 mgs, or more, and find the effects to be mild. However, for most first timers, these doses would be incredibly high. A new user might find 10 mgs to be really high and produce effects that they don’t like.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with THC (or don’t consume often), start really low and gradually increase your dose. The same goes if you’re highly sensitive to THC. You may need as little as 5 mg to start. Likewise, if you’re an occasional user, starting off with 10 or 15 mgs is probably a good place to start. Keep in mind, you can always increase the dose later!
How experienced are you with cannabis and how often do you consume?
It’s common for consumers who don’t have a lot of experience with edibles to go their dispensary and ask their budtender for an edible recommendation. The budtender, who may have had a lot of experience with edibles, may consume 75 mgs, 100 mgs, or more, and find the effects to be mild. However, for most first timers, these doses would be incredibly high. A new user might find 10 mgs to be really high and produce effects that they don’t like.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with THC (or don’t consume often), start really low and gradually increase your dose. The same goes if you’re highly sensitive to THC. You may need as little as 5 mg to start. Likewise, if you’re an occasional user, starting off with 10 or 15 mgs is probably a good place to start. Keep in mind, you can always increase the dose later!
Start with a low dose, and gradually increase.
Most people who have an unpleasant experience with edibles do so because they started with too high of a dose. Everyone’s physiology is different, so people will react differently to the same dose. You can always up your dose, but you can’t decrease your dose once you’ve consumed.
Most people who have an unpleasant experience with edibles do so because they started with too high of a dose. Everyone’s physiology is different, so people will react differently to the same dose. You can always up your dose, but you can’t decrease your dose once you’ve consumed.
Patience is not just a virtue. It’s imperative.
Most people are used to the effects of cannabis happening right away. After all, when you vape or smoke, the effects are almost immediate. Not so with edibles. Keep in mind that edibles can take 60 – 90 minutes (or more) to produce any noticeable effects. And, the effects will last longer than inhaling. Effects could last four hours (or much more).
Don’t make the same mistake as Roger Martin, a veteran and retired law enforcement officer who heads up the non-profit Grow for Vets. Martin recounts how the first edible experience was not a pleasant one. “I went to a dispensary in South Lake Tahoe. The kid behind the counter told me to consume ‘a little bit,’ and if I didn’t feel anything after a little while, to consume some more,” Martin says. “I didn’t know what ‘a little bit’ was, and I thought ‘a little while’ meant 15 to 20 minutes. I ended up scarfing down two cookies, which I later realized each had a lot of THC. Needless to say, I did not a have a pleasant experience.”
Edibles can be unpredictable.
Edibles, or any orally consumed cannabis-derived product, can produce results that aren’t always predictable. This is because there are a lot of factors that could influence the outcome. What you ate prior. How you’re digesting. What cannabinoids may (or may not) be present in the edible you consume. Inconsistent dosing. Not every edible has necessarily been lab tested, and the dosing on the package could vary from what is actually in the edible. (Make sure you purchase edibles produced by a company that does regular lab testing and that you can trust.)
Keep some CBD nearby.
In the event that you consume too much, you can lessen the effects by consuming CBD. CBD counteracts (or mitigates) the potentially adverse effects of THC. If you feel the effects are too intense — too psychoactive or you feel paranoid — consuming CBD can make you feel a lot better.
Don’t freak out if you consume too much.
If you follow the right protocol, you shouldn’t have a bad experience. But, even the most seasoned edibles consumer can be vulnerable to having a bad experience. If you do, keep in mind that it’s basically impossible to consume a toxic level of cannabis. If you have a bad experience, know that the effects are temporary and will pass. Hopefully, you have some CBD to temper the effects, but even if you don’t, there’s no need to freak out and call 9/11 Unless, of course, you’re experiencing side effects like tachycardia — an abnormally rapid heart rate. But, these types of adverse effects are rare.
Follow these simple rules, and you’ll be well on your way to having an enjoyable experience with your edibles. Enjoy!
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Considerations
How experienced are you with cannabis? How often and how much do you generally consume?
When consuming edibles, it’s not uncommon for budtenders to dose at 50, 75, even 100+ mgs. For someone who’s had a lot of experience with edibles, that may be a reasonable amount. However, for people that don’t have experience with edibles, those doses are extremely high.