1. Measured/Consistent Dosing
Dosage is a big factor for medical patients and recreational consumers looking to get exactly what they want from Cannabis. Have you ever eaten an edible that’s too strong? Then you’ll know what we’re talking about. It’s very difficult to know how much THC you’re getting from a homemade edible. Thankfully, the legalization of Marijuana in many of the United States has seen the setting of new testing and safety standards surrounding cannabis. Reputable companies produce marijuana infused edibles with measured dosing and they test their products to ensure they’re are always consistent. There’s never been a better time to dial in your dose, and the consistency of your customized experience. We recommend starting with 5mg of THC.
2. Effects
Now that you know to start with a 5mg dose it’s important to know the effects of edibles. Edibles can take up to an hour and a half to take effect and can last more than 6 hours so be patient! The THC effect of edibles on the brain can have more of a drowsy or sedative effect than smoking or vaping. This is very helpful for patients with insomnia or pain.
3. Discretion and accessibility
In our postmodern world, personal privacy is more important than ever. Edibles are a great way to consume cannabis discreetly. Edibles tend not to smell very much and marijuana can be used to infuse a number products such as elixirs, fruit strips and chocolate bars as not to be obvious to the people around you.
Edibles are accessible to consumers who are particular about flavor because there are so many options to choose from and if you’re averse to smoking they’re a great alternative.
4. Cooking with cannabis
Cannabis enhances the taste of many of our favorite foods. Most of us have heard of space brownies but it is also delicious baked into pizza, granola, or butter. There are even cannabis infused recipes like cannabis quinoa salad, that are healthy as well as delicious.
The mother of modern Cannabis cooking is Alice B. Toklas. Best known for hanging out with modernist luminaries such as Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway, Alice was also a renowned cook and her book of recipes is considered a precursor to the works of Julia Child and M.F.K. Fisher. Within this seminal tome you can find Alice’s recipe for “hash brownies.”
These days the gourmet farm to table movement has brought cooking with Cannabis to new and exciting levels. There are lots of wonderful recipes out there to keep even the most prolific of culinary enthusiasts creatively engaged. Check out this recipe for Deviled Lentils from The High Times Psychedelicatessen. Or this Street Corn recipe from TheVeganStoner.com.
5. Enjoying Tradition
Humans have been ingesting Cannabis for literally thousands of years. Archaeological digs in China have unearthed evidence that Marijuana seeds and oil have been used for food in that region for over 10,000 years. As early as 1,000 B.C.E. the Hindu culture of India has been celebrating the effects of ingesting marijuana with a drink called Bhang, made from crushed Cannabis and Ghee. Bhang is now synonymous with the Indian Holi festival, where participants cover one another head to foot in colorful powders and imbibe lots Bhang laced Thandai.
Cooking with marijuana also became very popular in the ancient Arab culture, as the Koran explicitly forbids the use of alcohol. Europe wasn’t far behind either, as a 1474 Italian publication outlines a recipe for “Cannabis nectar.”
And let’s not forget the good, old American custom of pot brownies! So just remember that when you eat a treat infused with the magical herb that you’re participating in a tradition stretching back more than a millenia. Be proud that you’re honoring our cultural inheritance.
Contributed by Kivett Bedner