Post: Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Edibles

So today we’re talking about cannabis, specifically edibles. As recreational cannabis continues to become legal in more states, people are raising questions about the effects of the drug on overall health. Smoking cannabis is one thing, but what about edibles—food products that are infused with cannabis extract—like brownies, gummies, muffins, doughnuts and even peanut butter?

While there may be health benefits to edibles, there are also important things to consider if you’re going to consume them. Here’s what you need to know about how cannabis impacts your body when you consume it in food. What Are Edibles?

The active ingredient in edibles is called tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, says Andrew Stolbach, M.D., M.P.H ., an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Shortly after eating a food containing THC, you begin to absorb it in your bloodstream, says Stolbach. But there’s a catch: Absorption can be delayed, depending on how much of that edible you consumed and how much other food is in your stomach. That can be a big problem, says Stolbach, because people may not realize how much they’ve consumed until they begin to feel the full effects. THC Edibles "Something that’s important to remember about edibles is that absorption is unpredictable," says Stolbach. "People don’t experience peak effect for a while after eating, [which can be] minutes to hours—but usually hours."

Just like food or medications, THC consumed via edibles is absorbed through the walls of your intestines. The more food that’s in your system—say, you ate a weed brownie as dessert following a big dinner out—the longer it will take for the THC to get absorbed. This is where edibles are majorly different from a joint: When you smoke THC, it immediately goes into your bloodstream, whereas you might not feel the full effect of THC you’ve consumed until hours later, says Stolbach.

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While a desirable effect of THC is to feel more relaxed, says Stolbach, things can quickly take a turn for the worse if you accidentally overindulge. "Common overdose symptoms might […]

Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Edibles