As the laws on marijuana become more relaxed there appears to be a considerable shift in marijuana consumption, it appears that the incidence of smoking is going down and the consumption of marijuana edibles is going up.
In the first year that marijuana became legal in Colorado it has been reported that over 5 million edibles were sold. Marijuana did not become legal until the middle of 2014 in Washington State but reports are edibles are selling fast and furious there as well. In states where there are medical marijuana laws in effect, edibles are also selling well.
Although the market shift is quite noticeable there are problems that must be addressed. People who are exposed to marijuana edibles for the first time can easily get carried away with it. A big part of the problem is ignorance on the part of users that are unaware of the potency.
It must be stated that eating marijuana is different than smoking it. When you smoke marijuana the THC goes directly into the lungs and from there it goes quickly into the bloodstream. When you ingest marijuana it first is digested in the stomach, it then passes to the liver and then and only then does it enter the bloodstream.
When marijuana is eaten it can easily take a half an hour to feel the effects, not so with smoking. Herein lies the problem, the person who consumed the edible does not feel the immediate effect and eats more, the result can be a problem.
When you smoke a bud of marijuana you are smoking plant material from a specific plant, if you buy a bag you are getting marijuana from one plant or at least you are getting the same strain. If you favor marijuana edibles cannabis oils have been added to the food recipe.
Marijuana buds are used by smokers, the oil that is used for edibles often comes from the trimmings. The trimmings that are used may not be from the same plant or strain, they may not even be all the same sub-species.
Marijuana has been around for years but most research that has been conducted has been aimed at smoking. With the increase in interest as well as consumption of edibles it is expected that more scientific data will be forthcoming. In the meantime, knowing what you now know about how the THC takes time to enter your bloodstream, exercise care; wait a while for the effects to kick in.
