Everything You Need to Know About Cannabis Edibles

Cannabis edibles are an easy way to enjoy the medicinal benefits of cannabis without having to smoke or vape. Pre-made edibles come in many flavors and forms, such as chocolates, caramels and even lozenges. And, if you’re looking to make your own edibles at home, the ideas and recipes for the at home cannabis chef are literally endless.

If you’re new to cannabis or new to edibles, there are some key facts about cannabis edibles that you need to know before taking your first dosed taste.

What You Should Know About Cannabis Edibles

The first and most critical thing to understand is that cannabis edibles will offer a different experience compared to smoking or vaping cannabis. Eating cannabis, like eating anything, requires digestion, which significantly changes the experience when using THC edibles.

In general, digesting cannabis means a more powerful, longer-lasting experience versus smoking or vaping, including both the psychoactive and therapeutic effects of any THC involved. This occurs because when THC is metabolized, it breaks down into 11-hydroxy-THC, another psychoactive cannabinoid which produces effects roughly 5x’s more potent than THC (meaning a 5 mg dose can feel like 25 mg). Other cannabinoids and cannabis-derived terpenes may also work differently when digested versus absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs; research regarding this phenomenon is ongoing.

While effects may be stronger and last longer, it’s important to note that they do not occur faster. Because ingested cannabis must be digested before it reaches the bloodstream, it can take much longer to produce effects than inhaled cannabis - on average, an hour to two hours. For some patients, taking cannabis orally can result in effects that "creep up" on them.

Because the effects take a long time to fully develop, it can be tempting to re-dose before the first dose fully kicks in, which can lead to psychoactive effects that are undesirably strong. When in doubt, start small and take your time to avoid having a negative experience. We recommend starting with a 5 mg dose for beginners, waiting two hours, then consuming another dose if your desired effects aren’t achieved.

Cannabis Edible FAQs

With the most critical information out of the way, let’s dive into some common questions patients ask about dosing with cannabis edibles. The frequently asked questions below will help increase your knowledge and confidence in choosing edible products at your local MÜV Dispensary.

What Edibles Are Good for Beginners?

The right edible for beginners greatly depends on your needs from cannabis. If you need better sleep, try an indica formulation, while uplifting, stimulating effects may be best achieved with sativa formulations.

The great thing about edibles is that dosing is incredibly controlled. For example, soft chew gummies or chocolates can be cut in half to create two 5 mg doses, an ideal starting place for someone new to cannabis edibles.

How Many mg of Edibles Should a Beginner Try?

We recommend an initial dose of no greater than 5 mg of THC or CBD for the true beginner. It's better to take a small dose rather than too much because you can always wait two hours and take another 5 mg dose if you don't feel the desired effects with your initial dose.

Fortunately, most cannabis edibles come in standard dosages of 5 or 10 mg THC, making a 5 mg dose extremely easy to prepare. If your product comes in the more common 10 mg amount, simply break or cut it in half to create two 5 mg doses. If the product you choose already comes in 5 mg increments, simply pop it in your mouth and enjoy.

Beginners who really want to ease into things can also consider THC microdosing products. These low-dose products are often available in capsule, tablet, or lozenge form rather than the treats more commonly associated with edibles. Microdosing cannabis options can come in doses as small as 2.5 mg or 1 mg of THC per unit. Many also include CBD in a 1:1 ratio, which is known to counteract some of THC’s psychoactive effects while contributing therapeutic benefits of its own.

Be sure to always remember that the effects of a cannabis edible and the ideal dose will be a little different for everyone, due to:

• Body weight/mass
• Metabolism
• Previous experience with cannabis/tolerance to cannabis
• What you’ve eaten (or not eaten) before consuming cannabis
• Many other individual health factors

The best advice is to start small with your dose and work your way up in mg slowly. Using this technique, you’ll dial in your ideal dose within a few attempts - recording your results will be incredibly helpful (try Strainprint and earn rewards, too!). You may need to increase your dosage over time if you begin using edible cannabis on a routine schedule for therapeutic purposes.

How Long Do You Stay Stoned After Edibles?

As mentioned, cannabis will affect every individual person a little differently. While science has revealed a great deal of useful, general information about edible cannabis use, your individual journey will always be uniquely your own.

For a typical patient, the effects experienced after eating edibles will last significantly longer than the effects of smoking a comparable amount of cannabis. Effects from ingesting edibles can not only be extremely powerful, but they can also last 6 to 8 hours. Remember: while an edibles high lasts longer, it also takes longer to come on. Unless you’re using quick-acting edibles made with special THC extracts with sophisticated nanoformulation technology, you’ll need to wait at least 30 minutes and up to two hours for your dose to take effect.

What to Do Before Taking an Edible - Tips and Tricks

The answer here is remarkably like what you should do after taking an edible: whatever you want!

Here are a few suggestions you might want to consider:

• Get your favorite music, movies, or video games ready to go.
• Prepare a comfortable spot on your couch or bed.
• Make sure you’re stocked up on essentials. Even if you have a store within walking distance, you may find you do not feel like going inside during your first experience with edibles.
• Eat something. While some patients prefer to take edibles on an empty stomach to maximize their effects, newcomers to cannabis may wish to eat a meal an hour or so before dosing to make sure the psychoactive effects aren't too intense.
• Make plans with friends. If you’re apprehensive about your first edibles experience, planning to make a night of it with a few trusted friends can be a fantastic way to ensure a positive experience.

The most important thing to do before taking edibles, though, is to make sure you’re purchasing them from a reputable dispensary. This is the only way to know the exact levels and types of cannabinoids per piece you’re getting.

How Are Edibles Made?

This question is a little too in-depth to cover within the body of this FAQ. Thankfully, we have the answers elsewhere.

To learn all about the process of making high-end dispensary edibles, visit our kitchen. You'll see for yourself how our top-of-the-line soft chews, decadent chocolates, and convenient lozenges are made at the MÜV Cultivation Facility's world-class kitchen.

If you’re curious about making simple edibles at home, the classic brownie is a wonderful place to start. We’ve shared our favorite cannabis brownie recipe in our blog as well. Remember, even if you’re making your own edibles at home, it will be of utmost importance to visit a dispensary to purchase lab-tested cannabis flower from a licensed provider. It will be equally important to do your research before you attempt to decarboxylate that first batch of cannabis flower to make your cannabis-infused butter.

What Flavors Do Edible Soft Chews Come In?

If you like to dose THC in the form of a convenient soft chew, you’re not alone. These products, with their delicious flavors and gummy-bear-like consistency, have become favorites for Florida medical cannabis patients in recent years. Fortunately for soft chew fans, the flavor options are endless as more and more manufacturers get into the edibles game.

MÜV Dispensaries carry Encore Soft Chew Edibles as well as our own MÜV Soft Chews. Between this epic pair of top-tier product lines, you will find the following formulations and flavors:

Encore RSO Soft Chews

• Mango, a sativa formulation with tangy, juicy mango flavor and uplifting effects
• Concord Grape, an indica formulation with all-natural, juicy, sweet grape flavor and deeply sedating effects

A new and powerful way to experience all the benefits of RSO is here, with Encore RSO Soft Chews! This is the first RSO-infused edible available in Florida, packed with a powerful cannabis oil extract containing the entire spectrum of beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes. Every bite of Encore RSO Soft Chews delivers intense relief and a full-body experience.

Not ready to pursue an RSO regimen quite yet? Check out:

The Encore Cannabis Soft Chew Flavors

• Pineapple Raspberry, hybrid featuring tropical sweet and tart flavors, with 10 mg THC per piece and 100 mg per package
• Mixed Berry, indica featuring the refreshing taste of berries, with 10 mg THC per piece and 100 mg per package
• Pomegranate Punch 1:2 (CBN:THC), indica featuring 5 mg of CBN and 10 mg THC for deeply sedating effects, with a rich and tart pomegranate flavor, with 50 mg CBN and 100 mg THC per package

Enjoy the power of cannabis with Encore Soft Chews - inspired by music and designed to bring people together! These classic gummy candies are crafted with non-GMO ingredients, gluten-free pectin instead of gelatin, and a dose of cannabinoids and terpenes. Get ready for a truly unforgettable experience with Encore Soft Chews.

MÜV Soft Chew Flavors

• Grape (indica), the classic grape candy flavor of this indica blended soft chew offers a  discreet and delicious medicating option, great for relaxation
• Berry (indica), this soft chew is packed with berry flavor in a perfectly textured bite, a delicious option to unwind and destress
• Mango (sativa), a flavorful powerhouse, loaded with energizing terpenes to provide a sativa option, perfect for daytime focus
• Watermelon (sativa), the refreshingly juicy taste of watermelon infused with the perfect blend of terpenes and cannabis distillate, delivered in a pectin soft chew
• Strawberry (hybrid), bite into the undeniable taste of strawberry and ease into the effects of this deliciously blended hybrid soft chew
• Mandarin 1:1 CBD/THC (hybrid), zesty, bright, and refreshing mandarin flavor will deliver equal doses of CBD and THC in every delicious bite, making this a tasty daytime option
• Strawberry Peach 2:1 CBD/THC (hybrid), enjoy this classic summertime flavor along with its high CBD benefits making it good for any time of the day

Flavor is everything when it comes to cannabis edibles - and with MÜV Soft Chews, you will never be left wanting! Our chefs have drawn inspiration from the flavors of summer, using fruits of all varieties to create an unforgettable taste experience. Distillate is the choice active ingredient for infusion, providing a light and neutral cannabis flavor with proprietary terpene blends added for targeted effects. Enjoy!

MÜV Dispensaries: Your Trusted Cannabis Source

All MÜV products are crafted with quality and safety in mind. From extraction to formulation, we test every batch of product at a third party lab to ensure rigorous standards are met. We also rely on experience when creating new products, using our trusted methodology that has been developed over years of research and development. The end result is high-quality cannabis edibles that you can count on every single time.