How do I take my medicine? Do I have to smoke it? Are edibles available? These are the questions that I hear every day from patients interested in medical cannabis.
Hi. I’m Dr. Dan Stein, board-certified neurologist and medical cannabis expert. Edibles have to do with consuming cannabis.
You’re eating something. It’s an edible like a brownie or a gummy. Out west where cannabis has been legal for medical use for many years since 1996 in California, lots of different products are available. Not just edibles but all sorts of tinctures and strips and things like that.
But edibles are particularly popular. They usually come in 10-milligram doses although you can also find in two and five-milligram doses out west.
Here in Florida, we don’t have edibles per se. What we do have are capsules and liquids that you can swallow. It’s the same basic process. You take your medicine and you consume it. It becomes metabolized by the liver and then in the bloodstream it spreads through the brain and has its effect.
Edibles are converted to a potent molecule called 11-hydroxy-THC. Some of you may already know about delta-9-THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
The 11-hydroxy form is what happens when the liver converts an edible or a capsule or a liquid to a more potent metabolite. That’s why when people swallow edibles or capsules, they may have a more intense effect. It’s a delayed effect. It usually comes on after about 90 minutes and may last longer than inhaling your medicine, maybe about to six or seven hours.
So it’s important to understand about edibles and the options we have here in Florida, the capsules and the liquids to swallow. The onset is delayed. The effect can be more intense and the duration of the effect is longer.
So these are the types of questions that people ask and the answers that you will likely receive in clinic if you come in for a consultation. I do understand that you’re watching this video because you may have concerns or questions of your own.
If you are a seasonal or permanent resident of Florida, feel free to call us and come in for a consultation. I answer questions like yours every day and I would love to hear from you. You can reach me by phone, 941-400-1211 or by email, info@neurologyofcannabis.com. That’s our video for today. I’m Dr. Dan Stein. Thanks for listening.