Can You Eat Weed? - All You Need to Know About Marijuana Edibles

[Rajih]

Marijuana was used as medicine in ancient China and India and was introduced to Western medicine in the early 19th century. This article explains whether it’s safe to eat weed and the health effects - both positive and negative, related to ingestion.

Weed has been consumed in various forms throughout history for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Though you can eat raw marijuana, it won’t have the same effects as marijuana that has been heated.

Marijuana - colloquially called weed also refers to the dried flowers, seeds, stems, and leaves of the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plants (1).

It’s a popular drug used by millions of people either for pleasure or to treat chronic health conditions.

Weed can be used in a number of ways, but some of the most popular methods include smoking and vaping.

However, some people wonder whether it’s safe to eat marijuana and whether ingesting it has the same effects as smoking or vaping.

Can you eat marijuana?

The short answer is yes, you can eat weed. In fact, marijuana-infused foods and drinks have been consumed throughout history, as far back as 1000 B.C.

Marijuana was used as medicine in ancient China and India and was introduced to Western medicine in the early 19th century. Edible applications, such as tinctures, were prescribed to treat various conditions, from chronic pain to digestive disorders.

Edible marijuana products were also used to relieve stress and induce euphoria, similar to alcohol.

Bhang, a beverage made from a mixture of the leaves and flowers of marijuana plants, has been consumed for centuries during religious festivals, such as Holi, a Hindu festival of love and color.

In the United States, recreational use of edible marijuana products became popular during the 1960s, and today, many different types of edibles are available, both legally and illegally, depending on state laws.

For example, gummies, candies, chocolates, capsules, teas, and oils are some of the edible marijuana products sold in both legal marijuana dispensaries and through the illegal marijuana market.

Edibles enthusiasts also make their own weed products by infusing butter or oil with marijuana and mixing it into baked goods and other recipes.

Raw marijuana

Though you can eat raw weed, it won’t have the same effect as consuming marijuana-based products, as marijuana has to go through a process known as decarboxylation to become activated.

Raw marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), compounds that must be exposed to heat, such as in smoking or baking, to turn into the active forms, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Therefore, eating raw weed will not result in the same effects as consuming weed that has been heated, as in edible products like candies, tinctures, and baked goods.

Though you can’t get high from eating raw weed, some health experts believe that eating it may offer some health benefits due to the wide array of plant compounds it contains.

Yet, research in this area is lacking, so the potential therapeutic benefit of raw marijuana is still unclear.



Health benefits related to edible marijuana

Marijuana has many medicinal benefits and has been used to treat various ailments throughout history.

Today, edible marijuana products have a number of uses in the medical field and are becoming a more popular, accepted natural treatment in clinical settings.



May benefit certain health conditions

Edible marijuana is used to treat symptoms related to various medical conditions. However, high-quality studies are lacking, so the full effects of marijuana products on health are still unclear.

Edible marijuana products are often used to treat conditions, such as chronic pain, cancer-related symptoms, and anxiety.

Medical cannabis products can legally be prescribed in countries around the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, and parts of the United States.

THC is one of over 100 active compounds - known as cannabinoids - in marijuana.

THC is the compound responsible for the psychoactive properties of marijuana products, including edibles, that may induce feelings of euphoria and relaxation.

Other compounds in marijuana, such as CBD, have been shown to have pain- and anxiety-reducing properties.

The powerful combination of therapeutic compounds in this plant makes it a popular natural treatment that effectively reduces symptoms of and eases pain related to various conditions.

For example, edible marijuana products, such as oils, tinctures, pills, and gummies, are prescribed to treat poor appetite, pain, and weight loss in people who have cancer.

Additionally, these products may significantly reduce pain and muscle spasms, relieve nausea and vomiting, enhance sleep quality, and improve depression and anxiety.

In fact, pharmaceutical companies manufacture oral preparations of marijuana-derived treatments, such as Sativex, which is an oral spray prescribed to treat pain and muscle spasticity.

Though edible marijuana products are prescribed and used to treat many other ailments, such as digestive and neurological disorders, high-quality research in these areas is lacking.

Therefore, the full therapeutic potential of marijuana is still unknown.



Potential side effects and downsides of eating weed

Edible marijuana products are difficult to dose and take a long time to kick in. They also resemble regular food products, which may lead to accidental ingestion.

Though edible marijuana products may benefit many conditions, some potential adverse effects may occur.

The main issue with edible marijuana products is that it can be very difficult to determine an appropriate dosage. Concentrations of THC vary widely depending on different factors, such as where the product was made and the quality of the marijuana used.

Additionally, unlike smoking weed, edible marijuana products have a long latency period, meaning it can take a while - sometimes hours - for it to take effect.

When marijuana is smoked, THC reaches the brain and takes effect within a few minutes. The effects peak at around 20–30 minutes after smoking and begin to wear off within 2–3 hours.

In contrast, the psychoactive effects of edibles usually take 30-90 minutes to kick in. The high feeling lasts much longer and typically peaks at about 2-4 hours after ingestion.

The effects of edibles can last for many hours, depending on how much was ingested, as well as your body weight, metabolism, gender, and other factors.

The combination of the highly variable THC concentration and the long latency period of edible marijuana products makes them very easy to unintentionally overconsume, which can lead to unwanted symptoms, such as paranoia and impaired motor ability.

Additionally, though rare, there have been instances of cannabis-induced psychosis, a condition usually related to over-consumption of edible marijuana products that results in symptoms like paranoid delusions, extreme sedation, hallucinations, and confusion.

Other side effects related to edible marijuana products include dry mouth, sleepiness, and changes in visual perception.

Edible marijuana products can also interact with alcohol and certain medications, including blood thinners and antidepressants. Therefore, you should avoid consuming edibles with these products.

Another concern is that edible marijuana products often resemble regular candies, cookies, and other baked goods, posing a risk for children, pets, and other adults.

In fact, between 2005 and 2011, marijuana-related calls to U.S. poison control centers increased by 30% per year in states that decriminalized marijuana. Many of these calls were related to accidental ingestion of edible marijuana products.

Source - Health Line