Cannabis Edibles Risks and Safety
Marijuana edibles are great, and rapidly growing in popularity. That being said, consuming too much can cause a number of negative side effects, meaning individuals, especially newcomers, should proceed with caution just to be safe. There are real risk and safety concerns with cannabis edibles.
Health effects
Although consuming the right amount of marijuana edibles is a fun and sometimes exciting or even relaxing experience, consuming too many can cause a number of effects. These include:
Short-term effects
- anxiety or fear. Some may go into a mini-panic mode if they’re new to marijuana edibles
- confusion, not being sure why you feel this way
- dizziness or nausea
- Reduced short-term memory
- higher heart rate
- paranoia
- drowsiness
What to do
If you find that you’ve over-consumed on marijuana edibles, try to:
- Remain calm and find a place to lie down
- Close your eyes and breath in through your nose and out through your mouth
- Drink plenty of water
- Remember that this will all pass shortly
How long the effects last
Typically the effects of marijuana edibles are felt around 30 to 45 minutes after consumption, with the “peak” being around 90 minutes in (though this varies from person to person). The overall effects are then felt for 4 to 6 hours. However, if someone over-consumed and starts to feel sick, typically this wears off after an hour or two.
Driving after consuming edibles
Edibles have different effects on different people. We recommend avoiding driving after consuming any type of marijuana edible, at least until you know that the effects are minimal enough to have no impact on your driving ability. In many states where marijuana is legal it’s still illegal to drive high, so if a cop suspects you are and you fail a roadside sobriety test, you could be charged with a DUID (driving under the influence of drugs). In some states, like Washington, cops are allowed to administer a drug test to determine if you have THC in your system.
Edibles and pet risks
It’s becoming increasingly popular for pet owners to give their pets marijuana edibles or marijuana oil in order to help heal whatever may be ailing them. However, typically these are given at lower-doses than those consumed by humans, and often they’re heavy with CBD rather than the psychoactive THC.
A pet over-consuming on marijuana edibles can result in confusion for the animal, and may lead to them becoming ill and having many of the same negative effects as humans do: However, the pet has no way of knowing why they’re feeling this way, and may even become aggressive (though this is rare).
Because of this we recommend making sure to take precautions to ensure that your pets don’t accidentally consume your marijuana edibles. And if you want to give your dog edibles, start with small doses (say, 2.5 mg), or find products specifically designed for pets (which is becoming increasingly easy in legal marijuana states).