When Will Edibles Start Working?

How Long Do Edibles Take Before You Feel The Effects?

If you’re new to cannabis edibles, you may be wondering how long it takes for the effects to kick in. Even seasoned medical marijuana users may find themselves impatiently waiting for the effects to arrive. Don’t worry— we’ll satisfy that curiosity in this article.

Medwell Health and Wellness Centers is dedicated to helping you understand everything there is to know about edibles.

Today, we’ll answer one of the fundamental questions about cannabis edibles: “How long do edibles take before you feel the effects?” Stay tuned because we’ll also discuss factors that affect the kick-in period and provide tips to make edibles work faster.

Edibles: How Long Do They Take To Work?

The onset time for cannabis edibles varies depending on a myriad of factors. This includes dosage, metabolism and other important factors. It can take 30 minutes to two hours for the effects of cannabis edibles to kick in. But on average, cannabis edibles users wait for one hour before feeling the effects.

However, it’s important to note that the effects can intensify for several hours after consumption. Sometimes, it may even last up to 8 hours or more.

Do Edibles Take Effect Longer Than Smoking?

Yes, cannabis edibles often take longer before users feel the effects than smoking. And this has something to do with metabolism.

Unlike edibles, smoking cannabis does not undergo a series of digestive processes. When medical marijuana is smoked or vaporized, the smoke goes directly into the lungs and bloodstream.

On the other hand, edibles require digestion and metabolizing in your stomach and liver before taking effect. The extra time often leads to a more potent experience.

So, now that we’ve gotten a little more perspective on the difference, how long do edibles take compared to inhaled marijuana?

If edibles take around an hour, the users will feel the effects of smoked cannabis within minutes. But the result isn’t as potent or prolonged as edibles on average.

Factors that Affect Edibles’ Kick-in Period

While the general rule suggests edibles take longer on average, dosing edibles can be tricky. The kick-in period, longevity, potency and intensity of consuming edibles depend on many factors.

We’ll take a closer look into each of them below:

Type of edible

Cannabis edibles like gummies, drinks and baked goods undergo digestion, taking about an hour to kick in. However, certain edible routes like candies (including strip mints, lozenges and lollipops) take effect faster. This way, they are absorbed into the bloodstream through the sublingual gland under the tongue.

Unlike regularly eaten edibles, users experience a faster onset of effects, around 15-30 minutes on average. This saves much time compared to eaten, chewed and digested cannabis edibles.

Dosage

Edibles containing higher dosages will kick in faster than those with lower doses.

To keep your experience positive, we recommended starting with a low dosage and waiting at least an hour before consuming more. This saves you from experiencing uncomfortable or unwanted effects and allows you to find your sweet spot.

Metabolism

The speed at which a person’s body metabolizes edibles varies, impacting how quickly medical cannabis takes effect. People with faster metabolisms may feel the effects sooner than those with slower metabolisms.

Digestive state

Eating an edible on an empty stomach may lead to faster onset of effects. When your stomach is unobstructed, the edibles will enjoy undivided attention during digestion and absorption.

Tolerance level

Regular users of cannabis have an increased tolerance to the effects of marijuana. That means they may require a larger dose or a longer wait time before the effects kick in.

Personal factors

While cannabis affects the best of people, everyone’s body reacts differently. Personal factors like age, weight, gender, and overall health will impact the kick-in period and the intensity of the effects.

For instance, metabolism naturally slows down with age. In other words, people over 40 may feel the effects of edibles at a rate slower than those half their age.

Tips to Make Edibles Work Faster

After answering, “How long do edibles take to kick in?” many users enter a treasure trove of inquiries about this new information. Before we get bombarded with countless questions, we’ll answer the following question you may be having: are there tricks to make edibles work faster?

There is no definite way to answer that question. But some practices may hasten edibles in taking effect, and you’ll see them below:

#1: Chew thoroughly

“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

Hold your horses. Did you know that digestion begins in the mouth and not the stomach? How thoroughly you chew influences the kick-in period of edibles. Before you swallow that delicious space brownie, please give it a good chew first.

#2: Try sublingual edibles

Sublingual edibles are absorbed through the sublingual glands. That means they go directly into the bloodstream, not requiring digestion and metabolism.

Sublingual edibles include lozenges, tinctures, sprays, dissolvable strips, breath mints, and tablets.

#3: Take edibles on an empty stomach

No food in your belly means no digestive competition. If you take edibles on an empty stomach, the likelihood of feeling the effects faster is higher.

#4: Take a tolerance break before taking edibles

Tolerance is the product of the body’s adaptation to a drug. Continuous consumption of edibles increases your tolerance, but taking a break can increase your sensitivity. We recommend taking a one to two-day break before consuming edibles.

#5: Try cannabis-infused drinks

Cannabis-infused drinks need digestion and metabolism too. However, they may get absorbed faster, considering there’s no chewing required.

#6: Use a high-fat carrier

Finally, a trick to increase an edible’s metabolism is to use a high-fat carrier like butter or coconut oil during consumption. Cannabis active ingredients like THC are oil-soluble, which means oil carriers can expedite the onset of effects. Additionally, fat molecules bound to the cannabinoids will help transport them across the blood-brain barrier more efficiently, contributing to faster results.

Edibles are generally known to be slower in taking effect, but that is not always the case. It’s always best to seek a physician’s advice before consuming medical cannabis. Medwell Health and Wellness Centers have doctors who can guide you through that process.

For more tips and the latest news on medical marijuana, follow us on Twitter.