People have a lot of questions about cannabis edibles. Here are some simple answers, with a little technical background.
- How much edible cannabis product should I use?
If you’re a beginner, you should not take a full dose of whatever kind of edible you’re trying. Start with a third of a 10 mg gummy, so about 3 mg. The effects can differ from gummy to gummy, so be prepared for anything. Wait at least 2 hours to take more as the effects could take that long to start. - How long does it take for cannabis edibles to take effect?
Ingesting cannabis takes longer to have an effect on your body. When you smoke the effect is almost immediate. When you eat cannabis, it can take over an hour for the effect to begin. Then it lasts longer because your body is metabolizing the THC instead of having it available in your lungs and bloodstream immediately, where the molecules go directly to your endocannabinoid system. - What’s better: cannabis gummies, chocolate, or baked goods?
All are about the same. It more depends on what you like. If you like gummies, eat gummies. If you want chocolate, eat chocolate. Etc. - Why do edibles taste so (weedy) bad?
What you’re tasting is THC. The really flavorful parts of cannabis have been “boiled off” or evaporated by the heat necessary to make the THC products in the plant available to your body to metabolize. It’s a problem with most edibles. Some companies are touting “full spectrum” edibles which would taste more like the original plant, but…there are some difficulties with this. The terpenes have to be added back in. In order for an edible to work in your body, the THC must be decarboxylated. which is making a carbon atom fly off the molecule of Delta THC-9, the most common substance that creates the effect. The heat of decarboxylation, evaporates the terpenes,
which give a strain it’s characteristic aroma. - But… edibles don’t work on me!
Yes, they do. If an edible doesn’t work on you, then the plant extract wasn’t properly decarboxylated. - What effects do CBD gummies have?
CBD has very little effect on your consciousness. It does act with your nervous system, and can have a calming effect. Right now, the CBD snake oil companies would have you believe that CBD will cure all ills. It does nothing of the sort, but has shown to be effective in stopping seizures. - What medical conditions are cannabis edibles good for?
The same medical conditions that are effective with inhaled cannabis are good with edibles. What we don’t know is if the ‘entourage’ effect is a real thing and important for medical benefit. There has been little to no research done on the subject. Most edibles do not have the entire chemical array as flower and inhaled cannabis, so perhaps edibles are not as effective. Then again, maybe all is about the same. 
What medical conditions are CBD edibles good for?
Check out numbers 6 and 7 above. CBD is derived from the plant cannabis sativa. There is no such plant as cannabis indica, at least in the taxonomy of the plant. We have seen evidence that CBD is good for seizures, both epileptic and other types of seizures.- Do CBD edibles that claim to have THC actually work?
If the THC does it’s thing, then, of course, they work. But why would an edible that has CBD claim to have THC? That’s the bigger question. CBD by itself doesn’t make you “feel” different. It may (or may not) have an effect on your body. We just don’t know. - What are the differences between smoking weed and edibles?
When you smoke weed, the effect is almost immediate. When you eat cannabis or cannabis derived edibles, the effect can take up to an hour to be felt. Except…some edibles companies are claiming that their ‘full spectrum’ products can create almost immediate effects. This remains to be proven. Is there really such a thing as ‘full spectrum’?
