Can Edibles Hit Instantly?
Dosing edibles is not the easiest. Everyone has varying body chemistry and many factors contribute to how hard and when an edible hits.
For example, two people may respond completely differently to the same dose of an edible. It all has to do with a variety of factors such as age, metabolism, enzymes in the liver, weight, and many other factors. Two people could eat a 5mg weed gummy and have completely different experiences.
One person could get extremely stoned while the other may not feel symptoms at all.
In this article, we dive into everything you need to know about how edibles hit you and what factors contribute to how fast or potent they act on the human body.
Can Edibles Hit Instantly? Why Edibles Take Longer To Feel The Effects Than Smoking
When you smoke or vaporize cannabis, the inhaled smoke enters the lungs and then subsequently into the bloodstream. The user will then feel the effects within minutes. Smoking is one of the fastest if not the fastest way to feel the effects of cannabis.
Consuming edibles requires the weed to be absorbed and metabolized in your liver and stomach before you can feel any effects. This takes more time than vaping or smoking but leads to a stronger experience.
Because this takes longer, we recommend starting low and going slow when you consume edibles. Wait at least 45-60 mins or more to feel the effects. If after 45 minutes to an hour have passed and you are looking for more effects, increase your dose.
However, be sure that you are being mindful of how much you are taking and waiting a sufficient amount of time before consuming more. Getting too high from edibles can be a jarring experience and induce feelings of anxiety and paranoia. If you happen to get too stoned, check out this article: How To Sober Up From Being Too High
If you are a new cannabis user or happen to have a low tolerance, a good place to start is around 2.5 mg or even less. Furthermore, if you aren’t satisfied with the effects, you can always up your dose. However, taking too much at once is never fun and can induce panic attacks. It is always a good rule of thumb to start low and go slow.
Can Edibles Hit Instantly: Factors That Impact How Fast Edibles Hit
As we mentioned before, there are many factors that contribute to how fast edibles act on the body.
Can Edibles Hit Instantly: Type of Edible
Gummies, baked goods, drinks, and other edibles go through the digestive system in the stomach and liver which usually takes around 45-60 minutes to feel any effects.
However, there are certain edibles such as lozenges, mint strips, and lollipops which are absorbed sublingually (under the tongue). You will notice effects within minutes with this form of edible because the cannabinoids are directly absorbed into the bloodstream via sublingual glands under the tongue.
Tolerance
Additionally, the amount of cannabis you consume on a daily basis will have an effect on how strong the edible hits you.
For example, if you smoke cannabis every day, you have a high tolerance. For every day smokers, 5 mg is not likely to have any effects. If you have a low tolerance, meaning you rarely smoke cannabis, 5 mg might be quite strong for you.
Dosage
An edible with a higher dose, say around 10mg may hit you quicker than an edible with a lower dose. Since there is more mg in edible overall, you’re more likely to feel it quicker.
Can Edibles Hit Instantly: Metabolism and Body Weight
There are a number of bodily factors that contribute to how fast and hard edibles hit your body. For example, body weight, metabolism, age, enzymes present in the liver, genetics, and immune health all have contributing factors.
All of these elements listed above affect how edibles feel in your body and how long the effects last.
Can Edibles Hit Instantly: How To Make Edibles Work Faster
If you love edibles but don’t love the onset time, there are a few ways to speed up the effects.
Tolerance break: If you are a regular cannabis user, taking a break will make the effects of the edible both kick in quicker and feel more potent.
Sublinguals: As we mentioned before, sublingual edibles and cannabis products hit the body much quicker. The effects should be felt within minutes.
Empty Stomach: Additionally, how much you eat before consuming the edible has an effect on how strong you feel the effects. If you take an edible on an empty stomach it will hit you harder and faster. However, make sure you have some munchies around for when the effects kick in.