What are Cannabis Edibles?
Cannabis edibles are gaining popularity as an alternative to smoking or vaping cannabis products. Edibles are food items infused with cannabis that aim to provide the same effects as smoking or vaping cannabis, but without smoke or vapour. Edibles take more time to kick in and their effects last longer than smoking or vaping making them appealing to those who want a prolonged experience.
You can find cannabis edibles in many forms ranging from jellies and sweets to cookies and brownies, and even drinks. The market offers a wide variety of flavours and types of edibles to cater to different tastes.
Eating cannabis has a different impact on the body compared to smoking or vaping it. The active compounds need to go through your gut before they start working. You’ll wait 45 minutes to an hour to feel anything, but the effects can stick around for 4 to 8 hours.
The Dangers of Using Cannabis Edibles
As more countries make cannabis legal and set rules for its use, both for fun and medicine, cannabis-infused foods and drinks have grown in popularity. While you might think eating cannabis is safer and better for you than smoking it, it comes with its own set of risks.
Cannabis edibles, like other edible products, have an influence on the body by delivering cannabis’s active ingredients in a stronger more enduring form. Smoking gets the active ingredients into your system in seconds, but edibles take much longer to kick in. This difference in timing can be good and bad. It allows users to experience the drug’s effects with less chance of feeling overwhelmed or having a “bad trip”. But it can also cause users to eat too much before feeling anything often resulting in a more intense high than they bargained for.
Besides the risk of eating too much, weed edibles can also cause other health issues. For instance, depending on the product, edibles might have more THC, the main active part of marijuana. Higher THC levels can make people feel more paranoid, confused, and anxious. They can also increase the chance of getting hooked. Also weed edibles often have other stuff in them, like sugar and fat, which can lead to obesity, high cholesterol, and other health problems.
The packaging and labelling of edibles can worry people. Often edible packages confuse users making it hard to know what type and how much product they’re eating. This problem gets worse because no standard rules exist for packaging and labelling these products, which can lead to more confusion and possible dangers.
What’s scary is that some young people eat edibles they think contain cannabis and get sick from them. In several cases, it turned out they had taken something with synthetic cannabinoids instead of THC (the main part of cannabis that affects your mind).
Spice is another term for synthetic cannabinoids. Sometimes synthetic cannabinoids can produce effects similar to cannabis, though these effects often turn out to be more unpleasant or risky. Seeing things that aren’t there and feeling suspicious are potential side effects of these substances, and in large amounts, they can even lead to death.
In the end, while cannabis edibles might offer a safer and healthier option than smoking, they bring their own set of risks and dangers. This means users need to know about these dangers and learn about the possible health and safety issues linked to eating cannabis. By getting a grasp on the risks of edibles, people can make better choices when using marijuana products and help keep themselves healthy and safe.
Cannabis edibles pack a punch and demand the same care as other cannabis products. People who want to try edibles should buy from trusted sellers and talk to a doctor who knows their stuff before eating any. Also, it’s key to keep edibles out of reach of kids and pets.
It’s important to note that cannabis edibles pose a significant risk to children. A recent study showed a 1375% increase in reported cases of young US children accidentally consuming cannabis edibles between 2017 and 2021. The packaging of these products, often designed to look like normal snacks, makes them particularly appealing to children who are unaware of their content.
Can Drug Tests Spot Cannabis Edibles?
As more people use cannabis products and edibles, they’re asking – Can drug tests catch cannabis edibles? The quick answer is yes, most of the time, drug tests can spot cannabis edibles.
When it comes to checking for cannabis use, urine drug tests are the most common method. These tests look for metabolites, which are substances the body produces when it breaks down cannabinoids like THC. THC is the main psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, and it’s responsible for the “high” people feel. Eating cannabis takes more time for the body to break down THC and create the metabolites that show up on tests. This means edible cannabis can be detected in the body for a longer time compared to smoked cannabis.
Other drug tests are also used, like hair drug tests, saliva drug tests and blood drug tests. These tests aren’t as common as urine drug tests, but they can still detect cannabis metabolites in the body. How long cannabis edibles stay detectable depends on several things such as how much cannabis someone ate, their unique body chemistry, and which tests are used.
So, to answer the question — yes, drug tests can detect cannabis edibles. People who eat cannabis products should know how long the drug stays in their system. This knowledge helps them prepare if they expect to take a drug test soon. They can then take steps to avoid failing the test.
The Growing Concern of Disguised Cannabis Edibles
As the popularity of cannabis edibles grows, so does the concern about their disguise and distribution. In a recent incident, police in Yorkshire seized edible cannabis disguised as Christmas chocolates. These products were packaged to resemble popular brands like Quality Street and Celebrations, but contained cannabis instead. This highlights the importance of being vigilant about the origin and content of consumables, especially during festive seasons when such disguised products might be more prevalent.
In conclusion, while cannabis edibles may seem like a safer alternative to smoking, they come with their own set of risks and challenges. From accidental consumption by children to the potential for failing drug tests, users need to be well-informed about these products. As the market for cannabis edibles continues to grow, it’s crucial to stay educated about their effects, risks, and legal status in your area.
Photo by Anthony Cunningham for Zoom Testing
Zoom Testing is a leading UK drug testing company and a supplier of Drug Test Kits.
