Start Low - Go Slow
There are a variety of cannabis public awareness campaigns happening throughout Colorado right now to help educate cannabis consumers & non-consumers on our state's laws and best practices. Goodtoknowcolorado.com is a great place to start to get learn the cannabis laws in Colorado.
You’ll also find valuable information about different types of cannabis consumption, like edibles. At the shop where I work, we have customers who come in every day who are new to edibles. A lot of times, we get the “I had some brownies my friend made once” and we always respond the same - cannabis edibles are a whole different world now.
Let’s look at the obvious… they are regulated. The cannabis used to make them is tested, the products themselves are tested. Your friends brownies were made with who knows what kind of bud and how it was processed and how much got into each piece. Retail cannabis in Colorado is sold in no more than 100mg packages and those 100mg must be able to be consumable in ten 10 mg servings. For determining your edible threshold, the industry recommendation is starting with a 10mg dose and waiting at least one hour. Some edibles can take up to 2 hours to take effect… it varies on the edibles and on the person, so it’s important not to overdo it during your edible experiences.
Will they all take 1-2 hours? No. We have some that are IMMEDIATE, like the it Spray (breath spray) from Canyon Cultivation (available in wintergreen and relaxing dreamsicle). These are effective and potent and can be dosed in smaller than 10 mg doses, so it’s a great option for an edible beginner. We have customers who use it to help them sleep, to relieve headaches, and simply as breath spray with a buzz.
The edibles that travel through your digestive track can take an hour or so to take effect. Those edibles that go under your tongue (tinctures, mints, Chill Pills {from the Growing Kitchen, sativa & indica available and they are amazing}, it Puckers hard candies, etc) tend to take effect within 20-30 minutes. Of course, this experience can vary with each individual as we each have our own chemical make up and our THC receptors receive differently for each person. The info in this blog is based on feedback from customers and personal experience. Additionally, I’m super excited to report we have a customer using the Chill Pills from the Growing Kitchen to help her overcome the withdrawal she is experiencing from prescription drugs and the Chill Pills are working for her! I manage a retail cannabis store. It’s not all about recreation...
Besides brownies and cookies, there are healthy options like Zoom Balls and Go Chi Balls, beverages, energy drinks, capsules, and more. You favorite bud tender can guide you through the available options and hopefully help you find your new favorite edibles. I personally have not purchased any OTC or prescription medication since becoming employed in the cannabis industry. I’ve made it a mission to try as many of the products as possible so I can give you a fair assessment of each based on my experience. We also encourage feedback from our customers as we will share (anonymously) results others have experienced with various products. It’s all so new, testimonials are essential. A good bud tender knows his/her products, so don’t be shy, ask all the questions you want… we’ll find something that will work for you.
A question we get a lot about the THC-infused topicals… can you get high from applying topicals? Maybe, if you slather yourself in the whole jar of lotion or salve and you have a super low tolerance, but really doubtful. Mary’s Medicinals Patches could provide a psychoactive effect, but aside from that, topicals will provide great relief from muscle pain, itching, swelling, puffiness, arthritis… we have customers that use them for multiple purposes.
There are many bonuses to consumption through edibles, whether for recreational or medicinal purposes. No smoking, no “evidence” once consumed, available in small amounts for beginners / canna-curious, and can be consumed in the privacy of any home or hotel/motel room. All of the products we carry were created in Colorado, which means jobs were created. Tax $$, jobs, & a state full of happy people… why have other states not legalized yet?
As far as the edible dos and don’ts… DON’T consume edibles and drive, it’s against the law. Don’t have an open edible container accessible to a driver in a vehicle. Do make sure edibles are safely put away from reach of children as they are packaged in child-resistant containers, but better safe than sorry. Lock edibles away if you can. Do start low and go slow.
Whatever you decide to try, I wish you the best in your exploration. If you’d like any specific recommendations, please feel free to hit me up ~ [email protected].