The edible buzz dilemma

[shredder]

I've been hearing and reading lately about " the edible buzz" in a negative context.

I take edibles daily and don't know what that means exactly because there's so many edible opinions or complaints and no two seem alike.

I say, like always, it depends.

A lot of complaints are about dosage. Not enough or too much. Easy fix here.

Some are about unpleasant effects and that could be the edible process, decarbing, type, herb or concentrate, or variety.

Some complain about the taste. Valid complaint IMHO, but the taste can be hid in a food, limited using concentrates or eliminated in a capsule.

Some say the effects are so different from smoking or vaping. I say try a herbal gel cap made from the variety you prefer.

There's the, it takes too long to feel anything complaints. I say take your edible on an empty stomach with coffee or a sugar for a faster take off.

A few say edibles just don't work for me. I say ok, give them to me, lol.

Did I miss anything?

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

I dont get the rush with edibles, i am refering to a condition induced by rapid overflow of active ingredients over a short period of time ,a quick change in perception..I also dont get a wow effect of instant onset, it is like i knew that was comming.Also I get more brainfog and,bodyload which makes me feel that my abilities are diminished. I understand they are a great option for people threating conditions and people that want to be engaged in high for many hours. I prefer strong ,but short lived experience, and by the time i reach my wanted strenght with edibles ,i will be on the ride for 10 hours after that. Also i definetly feel like my liver also works extra hard with oral ingestion and next day it is drowsy. Lastly one of the biggest turn offs is that it fucks up tolerance ,you have to up your dose and wait longer for tolerance to break down. That would mean with edible i will be ingesting more material ,than with vaping,to achieve less desirable results.Some wisehead has said : You can always take more ,but you can never take less.The quick onset of the effects with vaping gives the user the ability to fine tune his experiences,in the way one uses the volume knob on his stereo .Imagine waiting for even 15 minutes to feel of the effects of the turning of the knob, the song will be way over ,unless it is not some doom band with 1 songs album.
In conclusion i would say anyone should do whatever works from him. If edibles are an equal option that covers all his needs, i'd say stick with it .

 

[WelshBrok]

The main issue for me is still feeling horrifically stoned the next morning (usually much more so than when I’ve actually taken them and intended to enjoy them). Also the next morning isn’t usually a pleasant high for me but exhausted and heavy. Due to this I just can’t eat them during the week and be functional.

That said it’s probably a tolerance/dosage thing and if I had a week off to be able to get used to it, without it impacting work, I’d probably be ok.

 

[shredder]

I dont get the rush with edibles, i am refering to a condition induced by rapid overflow of active ingredients over a short period of time ,a quick change in perception..I also dont get a wow effect of instant onset, it is like i knew that was comming.Also I get more brainfog and,bodyload which makes me feel that my abilities are diminished. I understand they are a great option for people threating conditions and people that want to be engaged in high for many hours. I prefer strong ,but short lived experience, and by the time i reach my wanted strenght with edibles ,i will be on the ride for 10 hours after that. Also i definetly feel like my liver also works extra hard with oral ingestion and next day it is drowsy. Lastly one of the biggest turn offs is that it fucks up tolerance ,you have to up your dose and wait longer for tolerance to break down. That would mean with edible i will be ingesting more material ,than with vaping,to achieve less desirable results.Some wisehead has said : You can always take more ,but you can never take less.The quick onset of the effects with vaping gives the user the ability to fine tune his experiences,in the way one uses the volume knob on his stereo .Imagine waiting for even 15 minutes to feel of the effects of the turning of the knob, the song will be way over ,unless it is not some doom band with 1 songs album.
In conclusion i would say anyone should do whatever works from him. If edibles are an equal option that covers all his needs, i'd say stick with it .

I think you can overcome a lot of the negatives you sited. But for some it may not be worth the time and cost to experiment.

If vaping works for you, go for it. I gave vaping a long run myself. I completely understand the vaping allure for healthy recreational users.

I really do think edibles are better medically though. Just not having inhaled smoke/ vapor in your lungs can be an important factor, at least it was for me.

Users don't need to have a buzz to have a medical effect. I use unactivated thca, cbda and cbd just for the medical effects. Although I still like the buzz from cannabis.

Even for recreational users if they use edibles they can always touch up that buzz with vaping and have less wear and tear on their lungs and throat.

 

[GoldenBud]

well Hydro-11-THC is much stronger than THC D9 IMHO, much stronger, I like it but the craving for food makes it impossible for me to consume it every day or even every week.... It helps me sleep (small dosage) but still makes me hungrier than I am normally...

 

[shredder]

well Hydro-11-THC is much stronger than THC D9 IMHO, much stronger, I like it but the craving for food makes it impossible for me to consume it every day or even every week.... It helps me sleep (small dosage) but still makes me hungrier than I am normally...

The munchies and sleep effects are pretty much varietal related. Try a sativa edible.

Columbian gold and blue dream don't give me the munchies, or help me sleep.

I've lost 10 pounds without dieting since I stopped vaping. Not sure how that worked exactly but it has.

 

[GoldenBud]

The munchies and sleep effects are pretty much varietal related. Try a sativa edible.

Columbian gold and blue dream don't give me the munchies, or help me sleep.

I've lost 10 pounds without dieting since I stopped vaping. Not sure how that worked exactly but it has.

I rarely can get my hands on a sativa tho...
how much mg of thc do you take daily?

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

All said is legit but if the goal is using as little as possible to get strong effects over a short period of time ,it is an impossible task with edibles. I really do not have time to engage for hours in that state . I am sure one can name a thousand benefits on edibles vs vaping,but at the end of the day if doesnt do what i want it to do ,it is not better .
In conclusion i would say that the one is not substitute for the other and they are two entirely diferent experiences in my book. It is a matter of preference which would you choose. Healthwise ,IMO the less you use to achieve your goals,the better.

 

[bossman]

I dont get the rush with edibles, i am refering to a condition induced by rapid overflow of active ingredients over a short period of time ,a quick change in perception..I also dont get a wow effect of instant onset, it is like i knew that was comming.Also I get more brainfog and,bodyload which makes me feel that my abilities are diminished. I understand they are a great option for people threating conditions and people that want to be engaged in high for many hours. I prefer strong ,but short lived experience, and by the time i reach my wanted strenght with edibles ,i will be on the ride for 10 hours after that. Also i definetly feel like my liver also works extra hard with oral ingestion and next day it is drowsy. Lastly one of the biggest turn offs is that it fucks up tolerance ,you have to up your dose and wait longer for tolerance to break down. That would mean with edible i will be ingesting more material ,than with vaping,to achieve less desirable results.Some wisehead has said : You can always take more ,but you can never take less.The quick onset of the effects with vaping gives the user the ability to fine tune his experiences,in the way one uses the volume knob on his stereo .Imagine waiting for even 15 minutes to feel of the effects of the turning of the knob, the song will be way over ,unless it is not some doom band with 1 songs album.
In conclusion i would say anyone should do whatever works from him. If edibles are an equal option that covers all his needs, i'd say stick with it .

This a great summary of why I rarely fuck with edibles. The only thing you left out maybe is that the value of dispensary edibles is shitty compared to flower. I'm not interested in ten gummies for $25 or $30 when taking two at once doesn't do much and takes maybe an hour to assess. I can get better effects with stem milk from reclaim but it's still too sluggish and slow.

 

[shredder]

I rarely can get my hands on a sativa tho...
how much mg of thc do you take daily?

It varies by what I'm doing. Lately it's been about 70-80mg divided by 2 doses, afternoon dose some days and every evening a sleep capsule. With my tolerance it takes roughly 20mg to feel anything.

I am sure one can name a thousand benefits on edibles vs vaping,but at the end of the day if doesnt do what i want it to do ,it is not better

Edibles probably aren't for you then.

Not about you, but I don't think dispensary edibles are really in the same league with homemade in a lot of cases.

Ive bought at least 20 edibles from local dispensaries with only one I really liked.

Chocolate cherry bar (200mg) with real dried cherries. I duplicated it at home and it's just as good.

It may be the type of concentrate dispensary edibles are made with but I don't have any inside information just my observations.

 

[Babylon Drifter]

I have had mixed luck with edibles. Ive had homemade edibles that left me just short of tripping multiple times, not cool. I gave up on dispensary edibles as too expensive. So far nothing from AVB has been pleasant. However, I have several Ryot sifter boxes that I simply scoop some keef out of into my hot chocolate. Somehow this hits me before I finish the mug and leaves me with a wonderful enjoyable buzz that last about 5 to 6 hours.

 

[coolbreeze]

There's something about edibles (besides the strength even) that's uncomfortable for me. Abyssmal gets at it with the brainfog/heaviness, but it's also a little agitating somehow. Not sure how to describe it. Anyhow, I've got a pound or so of budder in the freezer, in case any of you all are passing by.

 

[RustyOldNail]

The cost of buying 500mg gummies at $35/bag, is making me consider buying the Levo 2, buying legal Oregon CBD flower, and making my own CBD gummies (MCT OIL) for help sleeping. 10 $35 bags will pay for the decarb/infusion machine. I will also experiment with THC gummies. The best part is I will be able to control all the variables. I once had a homemade gummy from someone, that made me feel like I just smoked an entire joint, that is one goal.

 

[Nina]

Thanks for starting this thread Shredder!
I've been mostly edible for the past 4 months, prior to that I had vaped daily for a few years, I use only my homemade edibles.
My tolerance went up at first and then seemed to plateaux, I find that if I'm very careful with the dosage I can avoid the 'canna-hangover', what I'm finding is that the amount of flower I need to eat to get the right effect (but not feel weird the next day) is pretty much the same as the amount that I vape to get to the right place.
Vaping takes me to a different place compared to edible but they are adjacent, maybe it's like the same tune but in a different key, for me edible is a lower note, but I still enjoy it, have interesting thoughts & insights, and it helps with sleep.
Another thing that I've read from others is the tendency of things to build up with edibles...slightly too much for a few nights and then I have a day when I feel weird from them so I vape for a couple nights to clear it. I read all the time that cannabinoids are converted to stronger forms by the liver but it seems to me it's not so much stronger in the sense of getting you higher, just strong in the sense of duration of effect.
YMMV of course, it does seem to be very variable & individual with edibles!

 

[shredder]

Nice post @Nina

I fully agree about learning about dosing and figuring out what's right for you. It's important and we're all different.

Now I know if a capsule hits me quick and real hard right away I'm in for a thrill ride.

I know most edible buzzes have a build up, a peak and a ride into the sunset.

At first I was a little concerned about getting too high on some of my high dose sativa caps, especially those that ive added sativa terpenes to, but usually it's a 2 hour peak at most so knowing that the peak won't last forever makes it easier for me to relax and enjoy the ride. (If that makes sense)

A normal dose from a hybrid variety capsule typically hits me in a half hour to 45 minutes. (Longer for my wife.) And it's a 4-6 hour ride with peaks and valleys. And longer for a stronger dose.

The only way to learn I think is by doing.

 

[Nina]

learning about dosing and figuring out what's right for you. It's important and we're all different.

I'm finding that the margin is narrow with edibles, and it's a moving target...
for me 90mg thc gives a good evening & a good nights sleep
100mg feels even better, however I can only get away with it once or twice before I wake up feeling weird etc etc
Furthermore, after a while the 90mg nights will catch up with me and I'll have to take a vape break, ie vape for a couple of nights to clear the fog. I could go without altogether, but that'd mean no sleep for at least one night- more inconvenience! So my strategy is to use vaping to modulate the downsides of edibles, I still love vaping so it's all good- I think.
It has occurred to me that, with edibles there isnt an effective dose which doesn't cause problematic 'build up'/canna-hangover? A kind of catch 22!

 

[shredder]

It has occurred to me that, with edibles there isnt an effective dose which doesn't cause problematic 'build up'/canna-hangover?

Good question, wish I had a good answer, lol.

It may be it's dependent on the person. I seem to have less problems in that regard. It may be helpful that I have many varieties and switch up frequently. The exception is my sleep capsules. I make about 60 at a time and my wife and I use them up in a month until gone and I make another batch.

Having said that, if I go a week or so with only taking a night time sleep capsule my tolerance does go down and I get super ripped on what normally would be a regular dose. Since going edibles only I don't think ive ever had a complete break though. When I vaped and ate edibles I used 3-4 day tolerance breaks a couple times a year. It's less of a problem now, but I'm not sure why. It just might be me.

 

[Cheebsy]

This is a fantastic thread, thanks for starting it!

I wholeheartedly agree that doing is the only way to figure out what works for you. I am mostly edibles, and I find that supercharges my vape hits. I don't really feel any downsides the day after, but I have a sleep disorder that makes me feel jet lagged quite often so it could just be a similar feeling and I don't really notice.

I do get urges every so often to get a proper decarboxylater but the jam jar in the oven seems to be pretty repeatable for my needs, it's taken a while to get perfected though. It's more about being energy efficient, I don't like heating the entire oven for just an Oz of bud!

 

[Nina]

If we had more info about the precise nature of the liver enzymes involved, how that varies from person to person, how it changes over time depending on use of cannabinoids etc, then we could see into the black box a bit!

However, I have several Ryot sifter boxes that I simply scoop some keef out of into my hot chocolate. Somehow this hits me before I finish the mug and leaves me with a wonderful enjoyable buzz that last about 5 to 6 hours.

How wonderful, to find your way to something that works perfectly for you, how maddening to not have the full picture required to figure out the whys and hows!

 

[shredder]

If we had more info about the precise nature of the liver enzymes involved, how that varies from person to person, how it changes over time depending on use of cannabinoids etc, then we could see into the black box a bit!

This might help.

Metabolism - Cannify

In humans, THC is mainly metabolized via the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme system by hydroxylation and oxidation by the enzymes CYP2C9 and CYP3A, and others.

www.cannify.us

 

[Southeastern]

^^^^From the link @shredder posted above:

"First-pass effect The first-pass effect is a phenomenon that occurs when a drug is orally administered. During this phenomenon, the drug will travel through the GI tract, and then to the liver where it is metabolized. After exiting the liver, the drug will finally enter the central bloodstream, which will distribute the metabolites and original drug (parent compound) throughout the body. Because of this process, the concentration of the drug and its metabolites in the bloodstream is different, compared to other administration methods. For example, taking a drug via IV (intravenous) injection immediately delivers the drugs into the body’s central bloodstream.

With a drug that has been inhaled, it can immediately enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Therefore, the same dose of a drug taken through different administration methods will produce different effects."

"Another important factor in the metabolism of THC is that THC experiences the first-pass effect when orally administered. When THC is inhaled by either smoking or vaporizing, it avoids the first-pass effect, as described in the First-pass effect section above. In this case, THC is absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the lungs. However, when ingested, THC undergoes the first-pass effect. The THC metabolites that are seen in the body after administration, are largely dependent on the administration route. These different ratios can have implications for the strength of the drug’s effects. For example, when administered orally (compared to being inhaled), a greater portion of the original THC is metabolized into 11-hydroxy-THC, which can produce more potent effects."