So many different edibles and new cannabinoids names
If you think this is the old-school way of making run-of-the-mill edibles, this isn’t that. A small primer below.
I’ve gotten lots of questions about edibles. My edible experiences have usually hinged on the answer to the question, “Who has access to lots of shake?” ‘Shake’ is the bottom remnants from a larger bag of cannabis. In it are the droppings and trichomes, the smallest and largest of the leftovers and it’s what many people use for making green butter, RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) or THCA (non-psychoactive cannabanoid) butter.
Historically, edibles were used as clippings, shake & trimmings would become available. “Why waste parts of the plant,” someone thought. The main carrier of the decarbed, or decarboxylation of the THC was used in butter, which then found its way into brownies, cookies and all the things people love to bake. While this is a good start, the main issue that legalized states knew would be an issue with this homegrown solution, was that it was impossible to be able to make sure that the CORRECT dosage was going into each type of edible. Legal shops couldn’t sell edibles that were labeled as having 50 milligrams of active components if they only contained 5mg. Or worse, if the packaging said 50mg and there was 500mg, which is a whole hell of a lot to consume at one time, even for established tokers – in essence, taking 500mg of THC at one time would be a terrible experience. In contrast, micro-dosing is assuming 2-5mg at a time. To ingest even 100mg at a time is tough for even the most battle-hardened smokers. 100mg is either going to make someone freak out or fall asleep. The types of edibles, even in cannabis illegal states like Kentucky, can make anyone’s head spin. Some of this has to do with marketing. Making these scientific names appear more standard makes people more comfortable with the nomenclature of cannabis consumption.
In cannabis legal states, edibles come in a diverse range, from gummies, chocolate bars and sweet candies, cannabis infused drinks to other beverages. There’s also the newer branch of THC infused products that are absorbed sublingually or buccally (under the tongue or through the cheek). These sublingual edibles solve the issue that edibles are processed and filtered through your liver. That means, depending on any comorbidities, total time on edibles is 30-90 minutes. Also, if you have never consumed that specific product before, always consider the rule-of-thirds. Take a third, wait 90 minutes, if feeling well, take another third, etc. The worst case scenario is if you get impatient, and take a whole bunch before the first bunch has kicked in. Just remember, your shamanic experience was due to your impatience, hope that you have some CBD around and just take a nap. CBD can counter some of the sensations if you over indulge, so it’s wise to have it handy if you have a history that isn’t conducive to a chill experience while consuming cannabis products.
When people consume cannabis flower, the buds of the cannabis plant, assuming it’s fairly fresh, are consuming Delta-9. Delta-9 THC isn’t super stable, so over time or through processing, it degrades to Delta-8. Delta-8 is a shelf stable THC product. There are roughly 110+ cannabinoids naturally occurring in cannabis and hemp plants. We are only going to hit a few right now, but more are being discovered and the technologies needed to narrow the extraction techniques are being refined quickly. In short, please realize that as an R&D sector, it’s a very fluid landscape. Sometimes, you will have extracts or edibles that are hemp derived, and then, in legal and recreational use cases, they would be derived from cannabis. All told, the detectable amount of THC must be below (less than 0.3% THC) to be considered hemp type products. A little background, H.R.2 – Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, was ratified and signed into law in December 2018. Cannabis containing less than 0.3% Delta 9-THC is legally classified as Hemp and thus legal under federal law.
The names and marketing materials, whether edibles or other consumables like drinks, use specific cannabinoids as primary selling pieces in their literature and posters. The top 3 newer cannabinoids are: THC-H, THC-JD and THC-P. For more information, visit leafly.com.
These might not have made their way into edibles yet, but if past experiences have shown, it’s only time for it to transition from a vape only item to edibles.
THC-P: Discovered in 2019, THC-P is thought to be about a third stronger in psychoactive effects with the main feelings conveyed by users as euphoric, relaxed, heady with a mental and physical buzz. It also appears to be a good anti-nausea, anti-anxiety and appetite stimulating.
THC-H: Is according to hexyl homolog of Delta-9, meaning the molecules are identical, but arranged differently, given different properties during consumption. THC-H was discovered by the same team that discovered THC-P, a year later in 2020. With it being so new, there’s not a lot of clinical data yet, but the initial review appears to show that it could be up to 25 times stronger than THC.
THC-JD: The main association with this is the relaxation and chronic pain and inflammation. THC-JD is still considered fairly rare, but as the extraction techniques get better, this is one that we will be seeing more of if the characteristics and inflammation control properties are found to be substantial. It also appears to be stronger than THC by up to 20%.
Throughout my tenure as Mayor of Freetown, I have fielded many questions from curious consumers. The ins-and-outs of cannabis consumption differ from person to person, can change over time and for the casual consumer, need to be stair-stepped into for the best experience. As always, cannabis use is a person-by-person experience, so not everyone’s experience is the same. Take your time, enjoy the ride.
Canna-curious and have some questions? Email and Ask the Mayor!
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Remember, we’re not telling you to use cannabis, but if you do, be informed.
