You’d have to take your time machine back to 2000 BC to find the first form of a cannabis-infused ingestible, back when Bhang was the drink of choice for those in the know. In the 11th century, we see records of the first solid cannabis edible which was a mix of weed, chopped nuts, dried fruits, honey, and butter that the heads called Majoun. Today, we are putting pot in just about everything we eat – from simple snacks to five course meals – so take a seat at the table and let’s talk cannabis edibles.
Let’s be honest. There are very few brights sides to regulated cannabis so far, but one of them has to be the variety of types of cannabis edibles on the market today, and the reliability of their ingredients and potency.
Yeah, the Prop215 “medical” days here in the Wild West of Cali were exciting, and lucrative, if you were kicking out cannabis to the masses, but almost every edible bought and sold in that era came with question marks.
What’s in it? How was the cannabis infused? What is the actual potency? And that’s just when it came to the edibles you’d get at a local dispensary. What about the ones your buddy’s buddy made? Good luck getting those answers in that scenario.
We were really running around believing we were eating 500mg of THC and still functioning? We were really fine with buying a brownie or a rice krispy treat sold to us in a ziplock bag with a home printed label?
Luckily, today’s regulated markets from coast to coast require third party lab testing and although it sort of sucks to be limited to 100mg broken down into 10mg servings in recreational markets, at least that is a real number we can use to find our actual tolerance and needs.
There are countless medical conditions that would preclude someone from seeking the medicinal benefits of cannabis edibles. Allergies to ingredients that may or may not not be listed, or diabetic reactions to the overwhlming amount of sugar present in too many products, etc.
Ingredients matter, so let’s start by looking at the prerequisite ingredient for any and all cannabis edibles – the cannabis!
Sourcing the Active Ingredient in Cannabis Edibles
If you have ever just straight up munched on some fresh weed, you almost certainly didn’t feel stoned afterward. This is why cannabis concentrates and extracts have long been the preferred active ingredient that transforms a snack into a cannabis edible.
Our collective understanding of cannabinoid and terpene extraction has compounded in the past decade or so, leading to a vast array of extraction techniques, each with their own pro’s and con’s whether you are dabbing them or using them to power some edibles.
Due to the precision needed in dosing and packaging cannabis edibles in a rebulated and lab tested market, just a handful of extraction methods/forms of extract are deemed viable from a profit-driven business standpoint.
The vast majority of edibles on the market today are using cannabis isolates/distialltes as their active ingredient. If you just want to be able to accurately dose and advertise specific cannabinoid levels, distillate offers efficient yields and reliable results. A compliance officer’s dream.
Brands can also isolate alternative cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, CBN, etc at levels/ratios much higher than they naturally occur in the plant. Many consumers have optimized their wellness regimen by tapping in to these compounds.
Distillate is usually pretty flavorless, another positive in the minds of most edibles producers who prefer that “clean slate”. It is also usually made from… let’s just say… lower than top shelf weed which drives down the cost of production that can trickle down to savings for retail customers who buy distiallte based edibles.
On the other end of the spectrum are cannabis edibles that utilize a solventless extract like bubble hash or rosin as the active ingredient. In these cases, it is virtually impossible to manipulate cannabinoid ratios away from what the cultivar used in the extraction process naturally expresses.
For example, if you make rosin from a plant that naturally expresses a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD, you can have confidence that the resulting squish will at least come darn close to that combination of cannabinoids. But, you will never see rosin that has a significantly higher amount of rarely occurring cannabinoids like CBG compared to its THC content.
Instead, you are getting the full spectrum of what that plant/cultivar/strain provides.
Cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes, all of it.
The better the buds, the better the resulting rosin. Because of this, the cost to produce rosin on a commercial scale is far higher than the cost to produce distillate.
Some consumers want the exotic cannabinoids and ratios that disty-based edibles can offer. Others want that all natural array that the plant provides on its own when converted into a solventless extract. Some have a budget that dictates one or the other.
If you are not sure of which may be best for you and your individual needs, the most prudent thing to do is a good ol’ fashioned “Coke/Pepsi Challenge” via side by side comparison. The accurate dosing and labeling of regulated cannabis edibles will ensure that you ingest the same amount of active ingredients between different forms of edibles, then it is just a matter of tracking the results to choose your own path to better wellness.
Sweet, Savory, or Somewhere Inbetween: Cannabis Edibles Can Satisfy All Tastes
A common refrain we hear when it comes to buying or munching on regulated cannabis edibles is that folks with higher tolerance levels have to eat way too much sugar in order to hit the dose that works for them. For example, if each gummy in a container has 10mg of THC but the consumer’s tolerance calls for a 60mg dose each time, that’s a lot of candy to eat with your weed.
That can be true but the reality is that the menu for cannabis edibles these days goes way beyond gummies, cookies, and brownies.
Sugar-free, gluten-free, and even THC-free cannabis edibles sell like hotcakes every day in cannabis dispensaries from coast to coast. You have options.
[READ MORE – FACTS vs. FICTION: Can I Overdose on Cannabis Edibles?]
Beverages, bags of chips, and even full blown five course meals can all be cannabis infused these days so it has never been easier to eat or drink your weed and as a result, cannabis edibles continue to rise in popularity among new users and seasoned heads alike.
At most regulated cannabis dispensaries the menu will feature a flavorful array of edible options.
As with all forms of cannabis consumption, find a brand you can trust that is sourcing active ingredients you can rely on and support them and their products. This is how we build a better marketplace from the grassroots on up.
