Eating Edibles for the First Time? You Need to Read This

If you’re eating edibles for the first time, congratulations! You’re about to embark on a wonderful journey of discovering one of the tastiest and most pleasurable ways of enjoying weed. 

If you’re feeling nervous or scared about the experience, that’s normal. We’ve all heard stories of literally biting off more than you can chew, so it’s understandable to be wary.

Before eating edibles for the first time, there’s a few things of note that are worth considering. The most important is the dose, but the environment, timing, and even the food you eat before can all impact your edibles experience.

So, if you’re eating an edible for the first time, be sure to follow these tips to minimize the risk of a bad time and maximize on the fun! 

How do Edibles Work?

Before diving into our edibles tips and best practices, let’s go over how edibles work exactly. 

Cannabis, as we all know, contains THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid. When combusted, the smoke enters our lungs before being absorbed by tiny air sacs at the end of the bronchioles called alveoli. 

Once absorbed, the THC enters into our bloodstream and is absorbed by our brain and endocannabinoid system to produce the effects that we all know and love. However, it’s an entirely different story when THC is eaten instead of smoked or vaped!

When consumed in an edible, the THC actually travels through to the stomach and intestines before being metabolized by the liver. This process, known as the first-pass metabolism, converts THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, also known by its fancier, scientific name 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. 

This transformed cannabinoid is said to be 3 to 7 times stronger than regular THC and is also more capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier to deliver its potent effects. 

To sum it up, it’ll get you high faster and stronger than regular smoking would! That’s why edibles need to be treated and approached with respect. 

Now that we know the science behind it all, here’s how to safely and effectively enjoy eating edibles for the first time! 

First Time Eating Edibles – 5 Essential Tips

Eating an edible isn’t as involved as smoking a joint or hitting a dab, but you still need to know the ins-and-outs of the potent and powerful THC gummies or whatever tasty weed-infused treat you’re about to consume! 

1. Start Low, Go Slow

While this mantra is rooted firmly within the cannabis community, it can be applied to just about any act or service in life that’s unfamiliar to you. Whether it’s your first time drinking, driving, or diving (ideally not all at once), it’s essential to understand the basics before putting your foot on the gas.

With edibles, taking a large dose with your friends might sound like a great idea, but the difference in tolerance and experience may just turn you off edibles entirely. 

You’re eating edibles for the first time – it should be a marathon, not a race. Take your time and enjoy the experience! 

Our advice? Take 1mg to 2.5mg for your first time. This amount can be a quarter of an edible or half. Allow it some time to activate fully. Once it does, you can decide if you want to take more, leading us to our next tip.

2. Wait Before Consuming Another Dose

Life is busy and so are we. We’re so used to instant gratification that sometimes, waiting for something to happen can be brutal. That said, when it comes to edibles, you’ll definitely want to take your time.

Unlike smoking or vaping weed, the onset of effects for edibles might take a smidge longer than what you’re used to. As we’ve covered above, the THC has to pass through our livers and intestines and then travel to our brains before we can begin to feel the effects. 

Depending on your unique biology and how full your stomach is, this onset time can range from 30 minutes to two and a half hours.

It might sound like a long time, but believe us when we say that you’re better off waiting!

Eating another dose while still waiting for the first to take effect can lead to some pretty disastrous results. Not only will you be getting double the amount, but once the first one starts kicking in, the second one will, too. 

Doubling up on edibles for your first edibles experience isn’t recommended. Patience is a virtue, so remember to wait! 

If you want to learn more about the first-time edibles experience and how long for edibles to kick in, check out our guide here.

3. Control Your Appetite Before You Dose

Building off of our last point, how little or how much you eat before dosing can have a significant effect on how long it’ll take for your edible to kick in. If you want them to activate faster, eating them on an empty stomach will accelerate the process, but it’ll also make them hit harder! 

Conversely, eating a hearty meal before will delay the onset of effects and cause them to be less effective. If you still want to feel the effects without waiting too long, the best thing you can do is to have a light snack and plenty of water before you dose up. 

Having a bit of food beforehand can help soften the effects for your first time and the water will help you stay hydrated against cottonmouth, which is a good segue into our next tip.

4. Drink Water

As with regular flower, THC can make you absolutely parched! Staying hydrated with plenty of water is imperative if you’re going to eat an edible, especially for the first time.

While cottonmouth isn’t a death sentence, it’s certainly annoying. You wouldn’t want to sit around with your friends watching a movie continuously licking and smacking your lips now, would you?

If it’s your first time eating edibles, there’s a small chance that you might also feel a teensy bit of nausea as well. Don’t worry – that’s what the water is for! Staying hydrated is key, so remember to drink regularly! 

5. Plan Ahead

Our last tip is probably the most important yet most underrated. 

Smoking a joint doesn’t need commitment. You just puff-puff-pass and go on about your day. The high lasts for an hour at most and quickly starts to wane once you reach the peak.