Why You Should Avoid Cannabis Edibles on an Empty Stomach

We all eat and drink, but many people do not like vaping concentrates or smoking flowers. Cannabis edibles emerged to fill such a void, thereby making cannabis consumption an easy and intuitive act.

Cannabis edibles are food items that contain cannabis. Due to the advancement in technology and the emergence of distillates, we now have a wide selection of cannabis-infused beverages, packaged food, gummies, mints, cooking oil, and baked food items.

Just like inhaling cannabis, these edibles provide the desired “high” effect when consumed. The primary difference between these two forms of consumption is that the bloodstream absorbs cannabis concentrates directly while the digestive system processes edibles. Hence, it may take several hours before they are absorbed into the bloodstream.

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Before you consume any product with THC, it’s significant to know its constituents, the active ingredients, and the amount of THC available per serving or the total THC infused into it. Since edibles are now legal, there is great emphasis on creating them with care while following strict processing rules and government regulations. You will find the majority of these edibles as sugary treats in Edible Canada. However, it’s recommended to take them in portions as they could come on very strong compared to vaping or smoking flowers.

Many believe that cannabis users should not take edibles on an empty stomach because of their high risks, such as paranoia and anxiety. But no one seems to know about any scientific claim to it. Most experts have opined that it causes THC to be absorbed at a quicker rate. But is that all there is to this?

Read this post to the end to learn why you shouldn’t consume cannabis edibles on an empty stomach.

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Does Food Affect the Effects of Edibles?

You can easily consume edibles whether your stomach is full or empty. However, the effects are dramatically affected. It’s similar to the feelings you get when you consume alcohol either on an empty stomach or with food.

Irrespective of this, the effects of cannabis are highly unpredictable. Most people do not experience peak effects until several hours after its consumption. The type of edibles you consume after eating can also determine their impact on the body. THC is fat-soluble and absorbs in the large intestines. Hence, they are mostly dessert foods infused with fat-soluble THC.

Since THC is absorbed through the digestive tracts, it could cause a long-lasting and more potent high. This could become a relief to those who desire a long-lasting effect after consumption. Therefore it’s recommended to figure out the right dozing before consuming cannabis edibles for recreational purposes.

Note: There are many other options for making keto edibles, such as cacao keto bites with cannabis, gummy bears, pretzels, and so on.

The Effect Edibles without Food

If you consume cannabis on an empty stomach, you may feel the effects harder than when you had eaten. In a recent study, most people who consumed cannabis on an empty stomach opined that they could feel the hits a few minutes after taking the edibles.

This shows that if they had eaten before consuming it, it may take several hours before they would feel any high effects.

Although most medical experts warn that eating edibles on an empty stomach could trigger serious side effects such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and anxiety, there is no scientific proof to support such a claim yet.

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This is mostly because many studies on cannabis and its effects on the body are still unconcluded, while others probably lack enough research data to support such claims. However, the majority of evidence is from personal experiences from users.

Suppose you are considering eating such edibles for the first time. In that case, it is significant to eat food first to avoid any possible reaction which the body may display as a defense mechanism because of the absence of food in the stomach.

The Effects of Edibles with Food

If you consume cannabis edible after eating, it will take a longer time for its high effect to manifest. Generally, the high effect may vary significantly from the feeling you get when you consume edibles on an empty stomach.

Therefore, if you do not want to feel the effects of cannabis quickly, you may eat food before its consumption. However, it’s pertinent to know that our bodies may react differently to THC. For most cannabis users, food does not affect how quickly their bodies react to THC.

If you take cannabis edibles immediately after eating, the effects of THC will not come quickly as they should. Moreover, its high effects are less intense and may likely last longer. Therefore, to avoid possible adverse effects, it’s recommended to reduce the dosage by 50%. Also, avoid operating heavy machinery or drive after its consumption.

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But if you know how cannabis affects you, you may want to explore more options. It could be eating the edibles on an empty stomach or consuming other dessert types alongside. But if you want to avoid an uncomfortable high, ensure you eat well enough before eating cannabis edibles.

The Risks of Overindulgence

The desirable effect of consuming cannabis is to feel more relaxed. But things may go south if you overindulge either accidentally or knowingly. When there is too much THC in the digestive tracts, symptoms such as faster heart rates and unnecessary panicking may erupt. However, these symptoms could become more severe, depending on the degree of overindulgence.

For instance, you took a piece of cookie, and it tasted so nice that you immediately decided to have more bites. If the cookie was laced with THC, you could get uncomfortably high, and such effects may last for as long as 12 hours.

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Since most of these edibles are available as sugary treats, this could be bait for new users who aren’t used to the exact dosage their bodies could tolerate. Unfortunately, cannabis edibles manufacturers aren’t ready to let go as they keep flooding the market with almost irresistible cannabis-infused edibles.

Final Thoughts

Cannabis edibles are a healthy consumption provided you don’t overindulge, “says Laura Lagano, a holistic cannabis practitioner and a US-based Functional and Integrative Nutritionist. She opined that it’s possible to consume edibles while sticking to a healthy diet. If you want to give edibles a try, ensure it’s a product that declares its THC concentration and consumes them at a time of the day when you are less active.

Read more: CBD Chocolate Bar: All You Need To Know