Edibles can take a long time to work, but many people feel that the effects are worth it. The THC in cannabis that you eat is converted into a compound called 11-hydroxy-THC, which hits harder and longer than the THC you smoke. Edibles are a little bit of a tradeoff. If you want a great high, you need to be patient. But just how patient should you be?
Don’t run back and grab a few more edibles. Yours are about to kick in if they haven’t yet. If you’re hoping your next experience with edibles will move a little faster, the way you prepare and the edibles you choose can help you experience the effects of the THC a little bit sooner.
Why do edibles take so long to work?
When you smoke weed, it enters your bloodstream almost immediately. You’ll know a minute or two after you take a hit how you’re going to feel and if you need to go back for more. Edibles work differently because they have a lot more to go through before they enter your bloodstream.
Your stomach needs to break down all of the food inside of it, turn it into a slurry, and start sending it toward your colon before you can use the nutrients (or THC) inside of the food. The THC reaches your liver before it reaches your bloodstream. There, it’s converted into 11-hydroxy-THC, which is ultimately what gets you high.
This form of THC is very potent. That’s why low-dose edibles are a smart option, even for cannabis smokers. The way your body changes the THC makes its effects feel more potent, so a little goes a very long way. That’s the tradeoff. You’ll get really high on a very low dose of weed, and that high will last for the better part of a day. You just have to be willing to wait for nature to do what it does.
Your body has to do a lot to use the THC it gets from edibles, and this process can take a long time. It isn’t unusual to wait up to two hours to begin to feel the effects of edibles. It takes even longer for them to wear off, with some people reporting that they ride a reasonable high for about eight hours after their edibles kick in.
Can you make edibles hit faster?
Edibles aren’t the kind of weed you should use if you have stuff to do that day. They take a while to kick in, and they last a long time. If you want something that will hit fast and gradually wear away in a reasonable amount of time, you’ll need to smoke or vape your cannabis.
The unpredictability of edibles is off-putting to some people. Some people may feel anxious because time is passing slowly and they don’t know when their edibles are going to kick in. They want the effects to start so they can gauge how they’re feeling and plan their activities for the rest of the day around the way they feel when their high peaks.
Unfortunately, your digestive system will continue to move at the rate it has always moved. There’s not much you can do to inherently change the way your body works. If you’re a highly athletic person with a very efficient metabolism, your edibles will kick in faster as a result of that. If you’re sedentary and have a slower metabolism, your edibles will take longer to work.
Changing your choices, such as the kind of edibles you use and the things you eat on the day you plan to take your edibles, can help to expedite the process. No method is perfect, but these minor tweaks can help to produce better results.
Try taking them on an empty stomach
If your stomach and digestive system are full of food, your body is going to process all of that first. The edibles take the back seat, and you can’t undo your digestive process. The only thing you can do is wait it out.
The best time to eat a THC edible is when you’re actually hungry. If your stomach is rumbling and you haven’t eaten in a while, your body is asking you for food. It’s ready to process what you eat and break down the protein and nutrients it needs to sustain itself.
THC needs to be digested with some kind of fat in order for your body to utilize it properly. Choosing an edible, like a cookie or a brownie that contains oil or butter, will help your body process the THC efficiently. The combination of fat, THC and an empty stomach will likely lead you to get high much sooner than you would have if you ate something like a gummy after a big dinner.
If you decide to go this route, consider how you’ll feel when you’re extremely high and you’ve only had a brownie to eat. Have something substantial ready to eat, and consume it about 20 minutes after you consume your edible. Choose something with a decent balance of protein, fiber, and healthy carbohydrates to keep you feeling full and stabilize your blood sugar. Make sure to drink plenty of water with your meal.
The edible will get a head start, and when your high kicks in, you won’t be dealing with it on an empty stomach.
Give your system a boost
Caffeine can help temporarily speed up your metabolism. Its effects are modest, but they’re almost immediate. Have your edible with a cold brew or a cup of green tea. The stimulation from the caffeine will help your digestive process move a little smoother, which may slightly reduce the amount of time it takes your edibles to kick in.
Don’t go overboard with the caffeine. If you’re a caffeine-sensitive person, you’ll want to be careful. The last thing you want is a racing heart rate when your edibles kick in. Your high may exacerbate that feeling and cause anxiety. Be careful not to consume high amounts of caffeine, especially if you don’t ordinarily drink caffeine. If you have a four-cup of coffee a day habit, your body is used to it. You’ll be less likely to experience any negative side effects.
Warm-up your stomach
Taking your edible with a warm drink or sipping on a cup of hot soup or broth can help the food break down in your stomach just a little bit faster. This is an imperfect method, but many people swear by it. In theory, it could work. Chocolate melts in the sun. Pouring something warm over the THC-infused chocolate in your stomach could possibly help it melt faster.
Use THC infused drinks instead of foods
If eating your weed seems to take too long, try drinking it. THC-infused sodas and sparkling waters are easier for your body to break down and use than something that contains a lot of complex carbohydrates. Because they require less work, they’re able to make their way into your bloodstream in a minimal amount of time.
Alternatives to edibles that work quickly
If you can’t make edibles work for you or if you’re not a fan of the waiting period, use an alternative to edibles. If you don’t want to smoke or vape your weed, you can use a cannabis-infused tincture. You place a few drops beneath your tongue and hold them there. The THC is absorbed by the tissue under your tongue, which is very thin and porous. This gives the THC a more direct route to your bloodstream, allowing you to bypass your digestive system and speed up the onset of your high.
The takeaway
There’s only so much you can do to expedite the process of edibles getting you high. The kind of edible you choose and the way you consume it can play a role in helping you experience the effects a little faster.
Emjay offers all kinds of edibles, like gummies, infused drinks, cookies, and chocolate bars. Try a few and see which kind of edibles work best for you.
You may have to wait a while for your edibles to kick in, but you won’t have to wait very long for them to be delivered. Emjay can bring you your edibles in about half an hour. We like to keep things quick and easy.
