How Long Do Edibles Last? A Stronger High

Edibles are food products infused with cannabis. You can find them in many different forms with flavor profiles ranging from sweet to savory. Edibles are usually made with THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the psychoactive component in cannabis.

However, they can also be made with CBD (cannabidiol), which will not get you high but can provide users with medical benefits.

Edibles are as synonymous with weed as smoking a joint. Many weed users prefer edibles over smoking because it is not as harsh on their lungs, and it may even feel less taboo.

Eating edibles may be nearly as popular as smoking, but that does not mean that they create the same effects. Being high on an edible is more intense and lasts much longer than the high you get from smoking flower.

So, how long do edibles last? Let’s find out!

Different Types of Edibles

Nearly every type of food product has been made in the form of a cannabis infusion. The weed market nowadays is so popular that manufacturing companies need to be one step ahead of their competitors in creating something new and exciting.

Cannabis-infused edibles are available in a wide variety. The most common types of edibles with cannabis infusion include:

Gummies

Gummies are the most popular edible options. You can find these in different flavors, shapes, and ratios of THC or CBD filled in. The best thing is that these are very easy to take, which makes them a preferred option among beginners and experienced users.

Chocolates

Cannabis chocolate is also available in bar or bite-sized pieces. It may contain THC or CBD or often a mixture of both.

Hard Candies

There are also cannabis-infused candies like lollipops that are pretty easy to carry and available in different flavors. These slowly release THC into the digestive system.

Beverages

You can also try cannabis-infused drinks like tea, coffee, juices, seltzers, and sodas.

Baked Goods

The most common baked cannabis edibles are cookies, cakes, and brownies, where the CBD is infused with butter or oil. These can easily be made at home or purchased from Cannabis Dispensary shops.

Capsules and Pills

Pills and capsules are preferred for a precise dosage. These are the most consistent ways of consuming THC and CBD and do not taste like the traditional edibles.

Infused Oils and Butters

Cannabutter and cannabis-infused oils, including olive and coconut oil, are used to make homemade edibles. These can be baked edible goods or cooked personalized food items. They can also be added to popcorn, crackers, and chips, which are an alternative to sweets.

Honey and Syrup

Honey and maple syrup are often infused with cannabis to be used as topping over desserts, yogurt, drinks, or toast.

Some shops also sell CBD-infused ice cream and popsicles, an excellent way to consume CBD.

Energy Bars

Energy or granola bars are also healthy, with oats, seeds, nuts, and cannabis. These are on-the-go bars of nutrition, and you can have them anytime.

Also, many other products, like sauces, nut butter, etc., give you the taste, flavor, and potency of CBD in your regular meals. However, make sure you don’t overdose when consuming these edibles.

Since cannabis doesn’t affect the system instantly when you take it via edibles, it’s hard to decide when to stop.

Finding the Right Dosage

How long do edibles last, or the potency of an edible is measured differently than that of a cannabis flower or concentrate? Instead of stating the percentage of cannabinoid strength, the potency of an edible product is indicated by the milligrams of cannabinoids contained in the product.

An edible package will typically label the milligrams of THC and CBD per serving and the total milligrams in the entire package. For example, a whole chocolate bar may have 50 milligrams of THC. If the desired dose is 5 milligrams, the bar can be divided into ten pieces of 5 milligrams each.

The average edible dose is 10-15 mg of THC. These doses are generally effective for a person who is used to cannabis and wants to feel the effects of the edible for a few hours.

A very high dose begins at about 20 mg of THC. Doses this high carry the risk of unwanted side effects from taking too much THC. However, some chronic users of THC may want to use an edible this potent to experience stronger or longer-lasting effects.

When do Edibles Kick In?

To say precisely when edibles are supposed to kick in is difficult. We first must look at the individual who is taking them. This is because many variables in one’s body determine the effects of an edible. Those variables include:

• Age
• Weight
• Metabolism
• Diet

When ingesting an edible, the active ingredients in cannabis, like THC, need to travel through the digestive tract to reach the bloodstream. This is much more complex than the act of smoking, which is primarily dependent on when the smoke travels to the lungs. The process of digesting an edible will take different times for each individual.

People with quicker metabolisms will feel edibles kick in faster. Eating edibles on an empty stomach will also play a major role, leading to faster onset times. If you eat an edible with other foods or after eating a large meal, it can take up to 2 hours for the edibles to become digested and kick in because your body now has more materials to break down.

Another major factor for determining an edible’s onset time is the type of cannabis product that you consume.

For example, sublingual edibles, like hard candies or suckers, begin to work while they are in the person’s mouth. Therefore, slight effects may begin within several minutes, with the peak effects usually kicking in after 30-45 minutes. This happens because sublingual absorption occurs through the mucus membranes in the mouth.

Then there are edibles you swallow, like gummies, rice krispy treats, and brownies. These will take slightly longer to kick in. The absorption of cannabinoids does not occur until the edible hits the digestive tract. From there, the active cannabinoids enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver, where they are metabolized. Then, the metabolized cannabinoids travel back into the bloodstream and enter the brain, which is when the effects finally begin to kick in.

Edibles are much slower to produce effects than smoking or vaping weed, which happen almost instantaneously.

People commonly may experience delayed results from edibles. They can go from feeling nothing to feeling a wave of highness crash into them at a moment’s notice. This can be pretty intense for inexperienced users or even weed veterans. This is why it is very much recommended to wait at least 2-3 hours after eating an edible before you even think of eating more.

Waiting will help you avoid the dreaded feeling of being way too high.

How Long Do Edibles Last?

Edibles not only take longer to kick in, but they also last much longer than a smoke. Eating a regular dose of an edible (roughly 10 milligrams) is expected to last six or more hours. The peak effects should last from the time it kicks in to about hour 3, and users usually “settle in” to their high point and slowly climb into a state of relaxation or even sedation.

However, you can also easily expect to be high for up to 8-12 hours, depending on the strength of the edible and your overall tolerance to weed.

How long do edibles last for you will vary considerably, similar to the determinations of onset times. Varying factors such as metabolism, edible potency, and tolerance levels will determine how long you will feel the effects.

Depending on your tolerance level, the perception of an edible’s effects may be much different for you than for your friends, even with the same dose. A person not used to edibles may experience the effects more profoundly. Even if you have experience with smoking, the high from an edible is truly unique.

Do Edibles Expire?

Just like regular food, edibles may have expiration dates. On top of the food’s potential to spoil, the cannabinoids in these foods will degrade over time. Most cannabis product manufacturers put labels on them, so be sure to follow these expiration dates just like you would if they were not infused with weed.

Of course, edibles like gummies or hard candy should presumably never spoil but just lose their potency. Regardless of what product you have, consider storing your edible in a fridge or freezer if you intend to hold onto it for a while.

Too High from an Edible?

Edibles can be deceptively strong. Sometimes, people make the mistake of not being patient enough to wait 3 hours before taking more.

Taking in too much cannabis is not pleasant. Going over your limit can make you feel anxious, paranoid, nauseous, and just plain awful. So, what can you do when you need to sober up from too much cannabis? There are several ways you can counteract the effects of being too high. Our article, 11 Ways to Sober Up From Weed, thoroughly explains those methods.

Conclusion

How long do edibles last, can vary for each individual and depends on many factors, like the dosage and individual tolerance. The usual effects begin after 30 minutes and go on to 2 hours after consumption, but they can last 4 to 12 hours afterward.

However, the key is to remain calm as the effects will eventually wear off. Always start with a low dose and increase the dosage as you and your body get used to it.

This way, you can enjoy the benefits and not get overwhelmed.