Types of Edibles and Their Effects

With so many types of edibles available on the market today, they’ve really come a long way. What originally started out as homegrown and made chocolates and gummies has quickly evolved into an entire category of legal, dispensary stocked products. 

As part of Canada’s Cannabis 2.0 legalization policy, many Canadian cannabis consumers are beginning to have access to legal edibles for the first time in Canadian history, but what’s the best type of edible for you to get?

While gummies and candies may tantalize you with their sweet tooth flavour and range of options, tinctures, capsules and even drinks are beginning to let their voices be heard as they too, champion in a new era of cannabis consumables. 

While we’re not advocating a shift away from cannabis edibles, it definitely helps to know your options! 

Here are the most popular types of edibles and why you should try them all out before settling on one! 

How do Edibles Work?

Unlike smoking weed where THC enters the lungs and then into the bloodstream, THC edibles offers a quote on quote “shortcut” that lets cannabinoids (THC and CBD included) enter the bloodstream through the liver and digestive system.

This is a significant difference because unlike smoking cannabis, the liver actually metabolizes the THC into a compound known as 11-OH-THC.

When someone eats an edible, the THC enters the stomach and travels through the intestines instead. Once it enters the liver, the liver metabolizes the THC into a completely different compound known as 11-hydroxy-THC known scientifically as 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

As an offshoot of the original psychoactive THC compound, 11-OH-THC is actually able to bypass what’s known as the blood-brain barrier more efficiently. This allows 11-OH-THC to produce more intense psychoactive effects, up to 3 to 7 times more potent than regular THC. 

Another benefit of consuming edibles is that unlike smoking, the cannabinoids aren’t dispersed through the lungs and then distributed throughout our body slowly over time. The cannabinoid contents of edibles enter the bloodstream all at once so a pronounced effect is produced right away. 

Knowing this, choosing the right types of edibles to consume is important not just only for flavour and taste (though we think Sugar Jacks is the best in that regard), it also has an impact on effect as well. 

Let’s go over the most popular types of edibles and what they’re best used for. 

Types of Edibles

Candies & Gummies

These types of edibles are classic. They’re the original progenitor. The coup-de-grace of cannabis consumables because, well, they were the first to arrive on scene! 

Originally made only in the kitchens of cannabis activists and cultivators, weed edibles have hit the mainstream with the public being presented with all shapes and forms of edibles such as gummies, candies and even chocolate. 

What’s not to like about them? They’re tasty, fun to eat and even more fun to enjoy. 

Typically, these types of edibles are made with either CBD or THC distillate or an oil extract that is mixed in with the candy formula before they’re molded into their unique shapes. Sugar Jacks Edibles uses premium THC and CBD distillate in each batch of gummies to ensure an evenly and accurately dosed edible that tastes as great as it feels.

Some other cannabis edibles may use cannabis butter in their recipes such as with chocolate and fudge types of edibles. However, doing so can impart a strong, slightly bitter cannabis taste that’s not something you would typically enjoy in a consumable. 

These types of edibles are usually made with cannabis butter by substituting regular oils/fats with the psychoactive substance. While they are definitely tasty, there are a few pros and cons when it comes to these types of edibles.

These types of edibles are easy to dose and consume, but since they’re in candy and gummy form they might contain a few extra ingredients (natural flavouring, sweeteners and preservatives) to maintain their shelf life and sweet taste. 

(Just so you know, Sugar Jacks only uses real Manuka Honey and natural flavourings to create their great taste without the use of any preservatives or additives!)

For medical patients, this might pose a problem if they’re looking for an accurate dose of just plain ol’ THC or CBD. 

For your everyday consumer or beginner to cannabis, these types of edibles are perfect. 

Tonics & Tinctures

For the medical patient extraordinaire or someone who’s just looking to watch their calories, cannabis tonics and tinctures are some of the best types of edibles to have.

These types of edibles typically have a cannabis extract mixed in with an alcohol solution. Usually, tinctures use alcohol or a similar solvent to extract the plant’s cannabinoids and other active compounds out of the plant before refining it and bottling it up for consumption.

In the process, the plant’s chlorophyll, waxes, flavours and lipids are usually removed from the final product. That being said, many consumers still report that the alcoholic, bitter taste of tinctures persist. 

For as much flak as these types of edibles get, their efficiency cannot be understated. Since they’re administered sublingually (beneath the tongue), they have the advantage of directly entering into our bloodstream. Current research suggests that this kind of dosing can make absorption of cannabinoids faster than any other method of consumption. 

But is the fast-acting relief of THC and/or CBD worth it for the bitter and alcoholic taste? We’ll let you be the judge of that. 

Pills & Capsules

These types of edibles really need no explanation. They’re cannabis extract such as THC or CBD oil that’s been inserted into easy to swallow and digest capsules and pills.

Next to candies and gummies, these might just be the most popular types of edibles yet.

Why?

The secret lies in their ease of consumption. There’s no bitter taste, no alcoholic bite – just plain cannabinoids and a gel capsule that easily dissolves in the stomach. 

Additionally, they don’t have any extra ingredients within them that could cause your diet to run out of whack or for you to suffer a sugar crash later in the evening. They’re a good compromise between the fast-acting, slightly bitter nature of tinctures and tonics and the easy-to-eat, first-pass metabolism benefits of traditional gummies. 

If the tonics and tinctures turn you off, then try a capsule inst

Drinks & Beverages

Cannabis drinks such as tea, hot chocolate and even shots of THC/CBD are becoming a new category in the world of edibles and they’re quickly becoming one of the most popular.

When it comes to cannabis drinks and beverages, there’s one thing you have to keep in mind with these types of edibles: rapid action.

Since they’re in liquid form, these types of edibles are easily absorbed and circulated throughout the body providing the consumer with a fast-acting effect that almost nearly rivals that of sublingual application.

Additionally, these cannabis drinks & beverages come in a variety of flavours ranging from but not limited to iced tea, mint tea, hot chocolate, grape shots and even infused juices! 

They’re not exactly an “edible” per se but we thought we’ll include them anyways considering how popular they are!

The only real discernible downsides to these types of edibles are its tendency to wear off quickly and the strong bitter taste of the cannabis concentrate that’s infused within. 

If you can stomach those two disadvantages, then cannabis beverages are a great addition to any camping or day trip away from home! 

Distillate

We’ve mentioned distillate earlier as being one of the primary ingredients behind the great potency of Sugar Jacks edibles but the truth is, distillate can be eaten as is without even being included in a recipe! 

Yes, that’s right – you can eat it “raw” or even mix it into your foods, sauces and drinks with no issues whatsoever.

Since distillate is an already decarboxylated cannabis concentrate, you don’t have to dab, heat it up or even smoke it in order to feel its effects. All you’ll have to do is dispense a tiny bit of the concentrate into your finger or into some food and you’ll be well on your way! 

What is distillate? It’s a cannabis concentrate that boasts almost 99% THC purity and is one of the purist types of edibles available today. Producers remove almost everything from the plant except for the THC and/or CBD, creating an incredibly versatile, flavorless and odorless product that can be used in an almost unlimited number of ways.

If you don’t like the taste of Sugar Jacks Edibles (we doubt this, but you do you), you could always try your hand at creating edibles at home yourself! 

Final Thoughts on Types of Edibles

Thought there were only 1 or 2 types of edibles before you read this article? Well, we hope you’ll think again after reading this!

The world of edibles is complicated, but it doesn’t always have to be. As long as you know the exact ingredients, its source and its accurate dose, you can rest assured that you’ll never have a bad trip – unless you bite off more than you can chew!

For accurate dosing, great flavour and an even greater cannabis experience, try Sugar Jacks Edibles. Made only with natural flavourings and premium THC distillate, we can guarantee that these types of edibles will end up being your favourite types of edibles!