EDIBLES 101

28 edibles 101

What is an edible Food that incorporates a variety of Cannabis infusions to create a product that tastes as good as its effects are. These products are orally ingested and metabolized through the liver, which is a distinctively different mechanism of action from inhalable products. Expect a slower onset, more robust body effect, and significantly prolonged duration compared to other consumption methods such as smoking or vaping. These products include anything that can be made using oil or butter.

11-OH-THC (11-hydroxy-THC) This compound is a metabolite that is derived from the metabolization of Delta 9 THC within the liver. Enzymes in the liver convert the Delta 9 THC into 11-OH-THC when we orally ingest Cannabis, and this conversion accounts for edibles exponentially high potency and prolonged effects when compared to inhalation. 11-OH-THC is approximately five to 10 times more potent that Delta 9 THC, and is only created via liver metabolization.

Dosing Guidelines Low and slow is the rule for all Cannabis products, and this rule is even more important for proper edible dosage. Due to the notoriously potent effects of edibles that result from the conversion of Delta 9 into 11-OH-THC, dosing recommendations start at 1mg for first time users. From there it is recommended to slowly increase your dosage until you find the dose that is comfortable for you and your needs. Consumers often get too high from edibles because they try to match their smoking dosage to their edible dosage, without realizing that eating a gram of Cannabis is significantly more potent than smoking a gram of Cannabis. Your lifestyle, medical needs and product access will help you determine the best dosing regimen that supports your personal relief, with regard to your daily schedule. Decarboxylation Decarboxylation is a necessary pre-process in the creation of edibles that involves heating up your Cannabis product (flower or oil) to 220º F to break off carboxyl units from Delta 9 THCa, thus converting inactive THCa into active THC. This process happens naturally when smoking or vaporizing, however edibles require decarbing prior to product creation. Decarbed Cannabis can be infused into an edible product.

Edible Infusion When Cannabis oil is mixed with an oil or butter, this is considered an infused product. Generally THC is infused into an oil or butter in a known quantity, and then that butter or oil is incorporated into a chef’s favorite recipe to create an edible Cannabis product. Ethanol can be used to extract THC and then evaporated directly onto sugar, salt or pre-made products to create infused products, however these are not as stable or consistent compared to something infused with butter or oil. Infusions are most commonly made from solvent-based extractions like hydrocarbon, CO2 and ethanol. The quality of the infusion is a direct result of the quality of the extraction process, as well as the extraction input material.

Solventless Infusions A trending subset of infusions that utilizes Cannabis oil derived from a solventless process. These products typically contain the most robust amount of cannabinoids and effects possible, particularly compared to their solvent-based competition. These are typically infused with hash and rosin products, and are generally considered to be a FECO product (full spectrum extract Cannabis oil). Emulsifier Because Cannabis is infused into oil/butter and many edible recipes require the use of water, emulsifiers are used to create many edible products. As you probably remember, oil and water do not mix. An emulsifier is a compound that is added to oil/water concoctions so that they can blend together in a homogenous solution, and is an essential step for many edible products.

Nano-emulsified There are hundreds of types of emulsifiers that can be used to create products, depending on the nitty gritty details of your product development. A sonicator is a tool that utilizes ultrasonic frequencies to break up particles on a molecular level. When utilizing a sonicator with an emulsifier, you can lower the amount of emulsifier needed, as well as increase the bioavailability of the cannabinoids in the product. Thus you create a nano-emulsified product that, in theory, produces a higher quality effect with less active ingredients used.

Edible vs. Ingestible ‘Edible’ typically refers to a food-based product, whereas ‘ingestible’ can refer to any product that is consumed orally. Ingestibles include drinks, tinctures and tablets, which are also processed through the liver and share the same mechanism of action as edibles, just with varying degrees of potency/onset. An edible is more traditionally thought of as a brownie or cookie, but today can include anything from a gummy, to a jerky, to a savory pie, to a steak dinner.

MEDIBLE DELIGHTS CANNABIS CO.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES & PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES

REVIEW & PHOTO BY CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS Available at Medible Delights dispensary in Lewiston, and other medical dispensaries throughout Maine, these cookies and brownies are some of the tastiest we’ve ever had! And it’s no surprise that Medible Delights won second place in the 2021 NECANN Portland’s Edible category with their caramel infused candies. These are delicious and potent, must-try treats. 10mg THC/cookie serving, 100mg THC/package | medibledelights.com @medibledelights

BAKED GOODS

BOURNE BAKING CO.

SNICKERDOODLES

REVIEW BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF Combining the ingredients that make up a traditional snickerdoodle cookie is a time honored one when making treats to bring a smile to one’s face. Using these snickerdoodle bites put out by Bourne Baking Co. means you’re getting small 5mg dosings per cookie, and thus makes it both easy to track how much full-spectrum Cannabis you’ve consumed, but also how many more snickerdoodles you can potentially fit in your mouth before it becomes unsightly. Snack well, friends. Available from Canna Provisions. 5mg THC/cookie serving, 25mg THC/package panaceawellness.com | @bournebakingco leafmagazines.com