If you’ve taken an edible before, you’ve probably had to wait a while before feeling the effects. Generally speaking, edibles take 30 minutes to hit. But they can take up to 2 hours in some cases. Other methods of consuming cannabis, like smoking a blunt or a bong, result in a high within minutes so if you’re used to inhaling weed, waiting on edibles to kick in can feel like forever. Is there a way to make edibles hit faster? Here’s what we know.
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How to Make Edibles Work Faster
We have to start out by saying that there are many factors that influence how quickly or slowly edibles work. Andrew Stolbach, M.D., M.P.H., an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital told Eating Well, “Something that’s important to remember about edibles is that absorption is unpredictable”.
For some people, edibles never kick in. For others, if they take into account the following factors, they may be able to make the edibles hit faster. We’ll be looking at:
- Tolerance
- Amount of food eaten
- Type of edible
- Metabolism
Tolerance
If you’ve developed a tolerance for a certain amount of THC, you won’t feel the effects as strongly as you consume it. In addition to that, your edibles may take longer to hit. If you want your edibles to hit faster, you could benefit from a weed tolerance break.
The amount of time you’ll need to take depends on how much weed you use on a daily basis. For example, if you use 1 gram of weed per day, a weed break of 4 weeks should fix your tolerance problem.
Remember, a weed tolerance break often leads to withdrawal symptoms within a week of taking a break. Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person but can include nausea, sweating and difficulty sleeping.
You can treat withdrawal symptoms by seeking support, staying hydrated and exercising.
Amount of food eaten
The amount of food you’ve eaten will impact how fast the edibles will hit. For example, if you take an edible on an empty stomach, they will hit quicker. In addition to that, the effects would be longer and stronger.
On the other hand, if you take edibles on a full stomach, you may realize that it takes longer than usual for your edibles to hit. Eating Well says, “The more food that’s in your system…the longer it will take for the THC to get absorbed.”
Therefore, if you want your edibles hit faster, have them on an empty stomach. However, if you’re new to edibles, you may want to eat something beforehand. The effects may be pretty intense and overwhelming for a newbie.
In addition to that, if you want the effects of the edibles to last longer, you can opt for a high fat meal with your edible. Winston Peki, the editor of Herbonaut, says that a high fat meal can cause stronger effects. He told us, “ if you compare the same edible with 25 milligrams of THC taken after a high-fat meal vs on an empty stomach, after a high-fat meal, percentage-wise you’ll absorb more THC. This will result in stronger and longer lasting effects.”
The fact that cannabinoids are fat soluble is part of the reason why edibles are typically desserts.
Type of edible
The type of edible you take can impact how fast it hits. For example, if you take a cannabis infused drink, it will hit faster than a solid edible.
According to Insider, “Water-soluble beverages absorb into the bloodstream faster than traditional edibles.” The reason behind it is that weed infused drinks are absorbed as soon as it hits your tongue. Insider says that the THC from the drink enters the bloodstream via the tissue of mouth, esophagus, and stomach.
In addition to cannabis infused drinks, there are other edibles specially designed to be absorbed quickly. According to Forbes, an edible company created edibles that take effect in 15-20 minutes. The article explains that this is achieved through a proprietary lipid microencapsulation process. According to the company, this process enables the edible to bypass the stomach and go into the small intestine for absorption quicker.
Metabolism
The faster your metabolism, the quicker the edibles would hit. However, if your metabolism is fast, you may not be high for a long time either.
If you want to speed up your metabolism, according to Healthline, you can:
- Eat more protein – Protein causes the highest rise in the thermic effect of food (TEF). TEF refers to the energy required to digest, absorb and metabolize the food you eat. Therefore opting for more protein-rich foods can boost your metabolism.
- Exercise – Exercising, mainly high-intensity workouts, can boost your metabolism. Healthline says you can start with biking and running.
- Drink coffee – Caffeine can temporarily speed up your metabolism. However, for some people, weed and caffeine together may cause shaking.
- Drink water – Water is another beverage that can temporarily increase your metabolism. Therefore, you have yet another reason to chug some water.
Conclusion
Want to know how to make edibles hit faster? There are many things you can try. You can decrease your weed tolerance, take edibles on a less full stomach, choose an edible with a faster onset and increase your metabolism.
