Mama thinks you should always pay attention to what you put into your body, even if that body is weirdly smooth like some sorta land-dolphin. And while your pizza rolls have nutrition facts and serving suggestions right there on the box, edibles can feel a little more like some sorta delicious wild west. 

Don’t be scared, baby – Mama’s always got your back, and she’s gonna guide you through the wide world of edibles till you’re perfectly high, feelin’ snugly safe, and absolutely full of snacks.

The Wonderful World of Edibles

It’s a pretty weird time to be alive compared to how things were back in Mama’s day (and also compared to living in the jungle). But it’s a pretty f***ing awesome time to be alive when it comes to weed stuff. Nowadays, you can get edibles ranging from beef jerky to ice cream, not to mention all kinds of cold and hot beverages, powders, tablets, and sublingual drops, if you’re not into the whole munchies thing (but you should eat, you look thin).

How do they make all these treats? Basically, the same way they make other foods, but infused with cannabis extract. Usually, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the stuff that gets you high) cannabinoids are extracted from the plant by heating up flower to produce cannabis oil, or distillate. Just like a home-cooked meal from Mama, you can use oil to make all sorts of food or add it to existing types of food – so that’s often how your THC gets into your snacks.

Leveling Up with Nanoemulsion

Like Mama said, though, it’s a great time for weed culture, and that includes all kinds of science-y innovations. Mama’s own new fave, YOLO SHOTZ, have blasted right past distillate – they’re infused with cured resin via nanoemulsion tech, which breaks oil droplets down into ridiculously teeny tiny particles that not only mix easily with water (TAKE THAT, SALAD DRESSING) but also increase their bioavailability and potency. It really hit home with the bigwigs at the Hall of Flowers expo, so maybe you should be proud of Mama for a change.

How Edibles Work

Edibles are deffo diverse, but one thing they have in common is that they are all food, food like delicious bananas. And that means that when you eat or drink or drop an edible, that food – which in this case contains THC – is digested, metabolized, and absorbed into your bloodstream. It’s through this process that the cannabis part of the edible begins to interact with your body’s built-in weed receptors, the endocannabinoid system, to send special signals to your brain and muscles. And that’s when you start to 🎵feeeeeeeeel hiiiiiiiigh.🎵

That’s also why you’ll notice that liquid edibles usually hit faster than solid snacks, but more on that later, kids. 

Some Basic Dosage Tips

When it comes to edibles dosing, keep in mind that everybody’s different. Just like smoking weed, all kinds of variables – from your size to the strain to the dose itself – are gonna affect how you feel. That said, experts like Dr. Dustin Sulak at Leafly offer up some basic rules of thumb to help you get your edible journey started off right:

• 1 – 2.5 mg of THC: good for a micro-dose or a first-timer getting their feet wet, can help with focus and creativity.
• 5 mg of THC: might cause euphoric feelings or some solid relaxation (depending on the strain) for recreational stoners who want to get a little high.
• 10 mg of THC: getting way more euphoric or vibey now, this is best for stoners who’ve built up lots of tolerance.
• 20 mg THC: we’re talking very high at this point; for high-tolerance super stoners who want to alter their perceptions.
• 50 – 100 mg of THC: mega-grade high for the most seasoned stoner elite, Mama cannot officially endorse this – prepare for altered states, you are not going to work today. 

You can find THC content and edibles dosing suggestions right on the labels of your favorite edibles (aren’t you glad Mama taught you to read?). Mama’s YOLO SHOTZ, for instance, contain 100 mg THC per bottle. That’s good for mixing into 20 canna-cocktails at 5 mg a pop, or for going hard and shooting 10 straight shots of 10 mg each. Not by yourself, calm down, damn.

How Long Does it Take for an Edible to Kick In?

So how long does it take for edibles to kick in? You’ve probably noticed a theme by now, and that theme is that edibles can vary. Because of that whole metabolizing thing, it usually takes edibles a little while longer to kick in than smoking or vaping. Depending on active ingredients, dosage, THC concentration, and stuff, you’re generally looking at 30 to 60 minutes to feel the effects of an off-the-shelf edible. 

Want an example of those variables? YOLO SHOTZ onset time is only about 10 to 15 minutes, making them one of the fastest-acting edibles out there. That’s even when considering that beverages are generally faster to get you high than solid foods, as it only takes liquids about 10 or 20 minutes to leave the stomach compared to the hours it can take solid foods. Just get ready for Mama’s special recipe to kick your ass in the best way, is all I’m saying.🚀

How Long do Edibles Last?

And once you’re there, how long do edibles last? A lot longer than smoking or vaping – expect them to stick around for 6 to 8 hours, if you’re rolling with most traditional edibles. For the over-achieving honor roll kinda stoner, plan for your peak high to be about 3 hours into the experience. Because of that nano magic, though, YOLO SHOTZ get absorbed a lot quicker, peak about an hour into the high and usually last about 2 hours (or up to around 4 hours, max).  

Remember, it ain’t all set in stone and there will be variables. Listen to the smart people, like Johns Hopkins M.D. Andrew Stolbach, who said to EatingWell, “Something that’s important to remember about edibles is that absorption is unpredictable. People don’t experience peak effect for a while after eating, [which can be] minutes to hours – but usually hours.” 

Words to the Wise 

Speaking of absorption, one thing that makes edibles tricky, and reason number 1,562 you should always listen to Mama, is that food ingredients, what else you’ve had to eat or drink that day, your metabolism, and the size and shape of your body can all affect how long it takes for edibles to kick in and how high you feel. Also, the high from traditional edibles can sometimes feel a little more intense or full-bodied than smoking weed. 

Again, though, you’ll find variations here. YOLO SHOTZ, for example, do feel more like smoking weed – and there’s a science-based reason for that. While traditional edibles metabolize in your liver as a byproduct called 11-hydroxy-THC, nanoemulsion-powered absorption enables SHOTZ to bypass the liver and go right from the tongue into the small intestine.  

That’s why it’s extra important to remember what Mama’s mama always said: start low and go slow. That’s true if you’re new edibles, but it’s also true when you’re trying a brand-new edible for the first time, even if you think you’re Stoner Supreme. As Mama just told you, it can take a while to know how you’re going to feel. So have a low dosage, wait a couple hours to see how your body responds, and increase the dosage from there. It ain’t a race, and we’re all gonna have a great time when we get there (UNLESS YOU MAKE ME TURN THIS CAR AROUND). So with that in mind, SHOTZ are on Mama this time. 🥃