Eat (or) Drink, Be Merry: THC Drinks vs Edibles

Not too long ago, if you wanted to partake in a little THC, you had to break a few laws, put a little fire in your lungs, and hang out with folks you haven’t seen since high school. But now? Legal THC is making its way across the nation, and dispensaries and liquor stores are racing to stock store shelves to meet growing demand.

For the un-or-under initiated, though, it can be intimidating to stare down the unfamiliar plethora of weed products. Those shelves are filled with more options and usually about as many puns as the brunch menu at Denny’s (which you may well also want to acquaint yourself with after it hits).

A good place to start is by understanding THC Ddrinks vs. edibles, two easy entry points. (For now, we’ll ignore the cross-section where they meet, THC Gushers).

Catch some feels: Keep your eyes on the qualia

Let’s start with the common ground: Everyone is different—and anyone who says otherwise is especially different in an untrustworthy way.

That said, no matter which product you choose, folks tend to share some pretty common experiences with THC drinks and edibles:

• Chill: Some feel calm and relaxed. Good for them!

• Euphoria: Just to clarify, not like the show (which usually involves way harder drugs). Rather, folks using THC often experience happiness and get the giggles—or big manly guffaws. Like we said—it bakes all kinds.

• Anxiety: A few say they feel anxious. A nifty little trick that some find helps is to buy THC products with a combo of THC with CBD to balance them out. It's how they find their sweet spot.

Your experience?

That will depend on a range of factors, including your body chemistry, tolerance, and the type of THC in the product you choose. Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC are the most common types, and we find d9-THC is most commonly associated with that pleasurable high you get from smoking cannabis. (That's what we use.)

Ingest for a quest, imbibe for a ride — Onset time for THC drinks vs edibles

Here's where things are a little different.

• Edibles: These typically take 45 minutes to an hour to take effect. That's because the THC is metabolized by your liver before entering your bloodstream. The important thing to remember is that if it’s been less than an hour (according to a clock, not your impatiently tapping toe), maybe hold off on eating that extra brownie or gummy “just in case.”

• THC Drinks: These work much faster. That's because drink makers break down the THC into tiny particles and suspend it in their drinks. The result: It's absorbed through the gut wall for a more rapid onset. So fast, most people feel the effects kicking in between 5 and 20 minutes.

You can remember the difference with this nifty rhyme: If it bites, just sit tight. If it sips, get ready to rip. (We’re currently accepting submissions for even better rhymes, so reach out as they hit. Bonus points if you wrote it high.)

Designated driving the message home - How does onset impact your experience?

Obviously everyone’s different, and maybe you’re an incredible scheduler with your hours blocked out on a daily planner. But for many of us? Fast-acting THC means less impatient toe-tapping, and that helps us steer clear of overconsumption. (Not to mention you’re less likely to be mistaken for an out-of-work tap dancer, nobody’s idea of a good time.) 

For the non-executive assistants among us? Faster absorption can give you a little more control—helping to get you out of the waiting room and putting you in the driver’s seat. (But only metaphorically. Driving high is illegal, nationwide).

A tickling time balm— duration of THC effects

• THC Drinks: Effects usually peak within 20-30 minutes and wear off after 2-3 hours (which, if you’re being honest, is probably about as long as you ought to watch that new Netflix show in one sitting anyway).

• Edibles: Effects can last between 4 to 6 hours, so plan accordingly. Perfectly synced for The Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions, or Wagner’s Ring Cycle, but maybe less optimal for the shorts on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim (whose website was shut down this year, but still exists as “a brand,” R.I.P.).

Tips for the trips! Words of advice for first-time drink enjoyers

• Start Low: Begin with a low-dose product (5mg of THC or less) to gauge your body's response. Remember how we said everyone’s different? We meant you, too! And only you can know just how different you are. This isn’t the World Series, you’ll have a much better time if you under rather than overshoot, and if it really turns out you’re a heavyweight, well, great news: we sell 12-packs. But take your time, there’s no rush. We’re chill (maybe because we had a few while waiting, but don’t worry, we saved plenty for you).

• Choose Quality: We recommend opting for THC beverage companies that use natural ingredients. Also look for brands that use third-party lab testing (and publish their results) for a consistent product and more reliable experience. We’re still in the early days of saleable THC beverages, but things are far enough along that there’s just no reason to regret having gulped down a tanker of bathtub moonshine when you could’ve gotten the good stuff.

• Be Patient: With yourself, with THC, with the world. Only you know what it’s like to be you, and only you can decide the right way to ease into the mellow horizon of your choosing. It may take a bit of experimentation to find out what’s best for you, but we’re here to help, and we recommend the same headspace in this that we took in making Cantrip in the first place: The best way to do it is to do it right.

Safe journeys and may your THC adventures be as giggly or guffaw-filled as you please, your drinks potently potabless-ed, your snack attacks snacktacular.