Cannabis edibles, affectionately called medibles, allow patients to enjoy the medicinal benefits of cannabis without having to inhale. The long lasting effects are body dominant, making medibles a sought after tool for pain management and sleep. For those of us that enjoy cooking or baking (or eating!) medibles can bring some fun into the stressful world of managing chronic illness.
Proper dosing is essential with cannabis edibles as the psychoactive effect of THC is intensified when ingested. Most of us know someone, or have experienced ourselves, the effects of one too many cannabis treats. Cannabis is fat soluble, so high fat meals can also increase the effects. Too high of a dose can result in significant intoxication - including anxiety, paranoia, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. While high doses are not toxic to the body, it’s an unpleasant experience and can quickly turn someone away from using again.
Common Edible Doses:
First time consumers/THC sensitive: 2.5-5mg
Cannabis experienced: 5-15mg
Edible experienced/tolerance: 15-30mg
Poor GI absorption/high tolerance: 30-50mg
Experienced users/condition specific: 50mg+
Start with the lowest recommended dose and gradually increase by 1-2mg if needed.
Effects and onset vary with stomach contents, experience level, and individual chemistry. Onset is up to 2 hours, sometimes longer, so it’s best not to add to your dose until a significant amount of time has passed. Start low and go slow. If you experience undesirable effects of THC, consume an equal or greater amount of CBD to counteract the negative effects. Effects typically last between 6 to 8 hours.
Some patients require doses over 50mg so it may take some time to find your sweet spot.
Make Your Own Medicated Edibles
Step 1: Choose Your Cannabis Medicine
Cannabis concentrates are the most cost effective way to make cannabis edibles in Florida. They allow for calculated dosing and minimal cannabis taste. I prefer Surterra Pure Reserve Oils for their variety of CBD:THC ratios. Curaleaf, GrowHealthy, Trulieve, and Muv also offer concentrates. Curaleaf’s indica CO2 concentrate is my favorite product for sleep.
Step Two: Mix Your Oil & Make Your Edible
You can either pre-make a batch of cannabis ghee, butter, or oil to have on hand or mix your cannabis oil as needed per recipe. There are instructions below for both methods. I prefer to make my cannabis oil by the recipe for cannabis treats and use my jar for single servings like topping vegetables, melting over a steak, or eating by the teaspoon. I’m not fond of math so this approach helps to keep my sanity.
By The Recipe
Pick the recipe that you would like to convert into a medible. For this method, the recipe must contain a fat. This makes baked goods or fat bombs an easy bet. Using a double boiler over medium low heat (or in the microwave) warm the amount of oil/fat called for in your recipe (ex. brownie recipe calls for 1/3 cup oil). Warm your cannabis concentrate using a hair dryer or warm water to make it easier to dispense. Add the concentrate to the heated oil and stir continuously with a fork until dissolved. Let cool and use in recipe as directed.
To determine the dosage per serving, divide the milligrams of cannabis concentrate added to the oil by the total number of servings in the recipe.
Example: a full syringe of Surterra PRO oil is 900mg
900mg divided by 36 cookies = 25mg per cookie
By the Jar
I like keeping a jar of medicated ghee on hand to make small batches of edibles, drizzle over vegetables, or sometimes just eat by the spoonful! Ghee is rich, flavorful, and packed full of healthy fat - making it a great carrier for cannabinoids. If you're like me and don't like math follow the recipe exactly as written below. If you don't mind the numbers you can use any amount of oil and cannabis concentrate. To determine the concentration divide the milligrams of medication used by the amount of fat. For the recipe below I converted 2.5 cups into teaspoons (120) using Googles conversion calculator. I then divided 1200mg by120 tsp to determine the 10mg/tsp concentration. Google's conversion calculator makes jumping between measurements for various recipes much easier.
Medicated Cannabis Ghee or Coconut Oil Recipe
Ingredients
2.5 cups of ghee or coconut oil
1200mg cannabinoids oral cannabis concentrate (example 1+1/3 syringes Surterra Pure Reserve Oil)
Recipe makes 120 -10mg doses
1tsp = 10mg
For a more concentrated oil (20mg/tsp) reduce amount of ghee to 1.25 cups.
Method
Melt ghee in a double boiler over medium low heat.
Add the concentrate to your heated oil and stir continuously with a fork until completely dissolved and will mixed. Remove from heat.
Transfer to a glass jar. Let cool with the lid off. Seal tightly and store in a dark cool place.
Step Three: Medicate Safely & Enjoy the World of Cannabis Edibles
Cannabis edibles can seem overwhelming at first, but with some patience and experimentation they offer a convenient, discreet, and effective way to medicate. Follow proper dosing and always take the time to do the math and know your dose. Low and slow is the way to go! Also don't forget to clearly label any medicated oils and foods and keep out of reach of children. Most cannabis treats store well in the freezer.
Post Written By: Kristina Risola, MA, CRC, NBC-HWC
