A Guide to CBD Edibles | What are They and How to Use

CBD Edibles are ready-to-eat food and drink items infused with CBD. Edibles high in CBD are widely used for their therapeutic effects. They are convenient, discreet, and an easy way to add CBD to your life.

This Guide to CBD Edibles helps you understand what CBD edibles are, how they’re made, how to administer their dosage, what are their benefits, and where to buy CBD edibles in India.

Outline
What are Edibles?
What are CBD Edibles?
CBD Edibles vs CBD Oil
-Consumption/Use
-Dosage
-Effect
How to make CBD Edibles?
Administering Dosage in CBD Edibles
Types of CBD Edibles in India
How to Use CBD Edibles?
Pros and Cons of CBD Edibles
Side Effects of CBD Edible
What to look for in a CBD Edible?
Buy CBD Edibles in India

What are Edibles?

The word ‘edible’ describes anything that we can eat. The meaning of the term edible is often understood in contrast with unpalatable or poisonous varieties. A cannabis edible, also a cannabis-infused food, is any food or drink product that contains cannabinoids.

More often than not, cannabis edibles contain one of the two major types of cannabinoids—THC or CBD. THC-dominant edibles serve the purpose of recreation and medicine. CBD-dominant edibles promote a sense of general well-being and primarily serve a medicinal purpose.

Foods and beverages that contain the non-psychoactive cannabis compounds are called hemp foods.

What are CBD Edibles?

CBD edibles are ready-to-eat food and drink items that contain high amounts of CBD. We can ingest these items directly and do not need any fire to activate their chemical compounds (as is often the case with cannabis vapes and cigarettes). An increasing number of people are beginning to prefer edibles over other forms of cannabis or CBD consumption because there is no smoke to inhale.

There are two common types of CBD edibles:

1. Balanced THC/CBD edibles: also called marijuana edibles, these contain an equal or almost equal amount of THC and CBD. The presence of THC in these edibles imparts some of the classic cannabis high.
2. CBD-dominant edibles: that contain little or no measurable amount of THC. Because of this, these edibles do not cause out any kind of intoxication.

To put it simply, a CBD edible is any type of food item that contains different amounts of hemp-extracted cannabidiol.

CBD Edibles vs CBD Oil

Many CBD consumers often confuse CBD edibles with CBD oil. For much of the time, CBD oil has been the primary source of using CBD. But with the development of a range of products, CBD edibles are becoming the choice of preference.

These are the 3 main differences between CBD Oil and CBD Gummies that every user ought to know:

Consumption/Use

CBD Oil can be used in one of the three ways—sublingually/orally, through addition to food, or topically. CBD Edibles, however, are directly consumed like candy. CBD edibles contain CBD oil as the main ingredient.

In one case, CBD oil is the product you’re using whereas in the other, it is an ingredient.

Dosage

CBD oil usually comes with a built-in dropper that has markings in mL for dosage control. When using CBD oil sublingually or topically, you can control (i.e. increase or decrease) the amount of each dosage. Your first dose can be different from your second or third dosage.

For example, if you have a 30mL bottle of 300mg CBD, then each mL will have 10mg of CBD. If you want to take 10mg of CBD, you need to fill the entire dropper. In case you want to increase this dosage to 15mg, you can fill the dropper twice—once up to the 1mL mark and once up to the 0.5mL mark.

In CBD edibles, the amount of CBD you will be consuming is pre-set. A specific type of edible, for instance, a packet of CBD chocolates, will contain the same amount of CBD in every piece.

For example, if you have a pack of 30 gummies of 300mg CBD, then each gummy will have 10mg of CBD. Each piece of gummy in this packet will invariably contain 10mg CBD. While you may be able to double the dosage to 20mg (by consuming 2 10mg gummies), you will not be able to control the dosage as in the case of CBD oil.

Effect

When consumed sublingually, CBD oil reaches the bloodstream directly and shows almost immediate effects. On addition to food, CBD oil can take up to an hour to show visible effects. When applied topically, CBD oil shows a localised effect within 3-5 minutes.

CBD edibles (similar to adding CBD oil to food) go through the liver and the digestive system before reaching the bloodstream. This process typically takes up to an hour. However, CBD edibles stay in the body for a longer time and appear to have a more consistent effect than CBD oil.

How to make CBD Edibles?

CBD edibles are made primarily by using CBD oil as the main ingredient in different forms of eatables.

CBD edibles, like all other CBD products, can come from any of the three distinct types of CBD:

1. Full-spectrum CBD products: These products contain all of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and molecular compounds within the cannabis or hemp plant. That is to say, these types of products include THC. In these types of extracts, the medicinal effects of all cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other comoounds combine together to provide a wholesome and better relief. If derived from hemp, the amount of THC in full-spectrum CBD oil will be negligible. However, if derived from other varieties of cannabis, the amount of THC may be present in dosages significant enough to cause mild to moderate intoxication.
2. Broad-spectrum CBD products: These products contain all of the cannabinoids of the cannabis or hemp plant except THC. Broad-spectrum extracts also provide the combined benefits of all chemical compounds present in the cannabis plant but without any risk of intoxication.
3. CBD isolate products: These products contain only and only CBD. No other cannabinoids, terpenes, and molecular compounds except CBD are present in these products. The source of these products is often industrial hemp and not cannabis.

Extracts derived from cannabis and hemp can both be labelled as ‘full-spectrum’ but they are not the same. Hemp products with this label contain the complete profile of the hemp plant, which by definition contains only trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3%). These products are technically full-spectrum but they may not provide the complete experience that consumers associate with full-spectrum products from more chemically diverse cannabis plants.

Administering Dosage in CBD Edibles

Monitoring your CBD dosage in edibles is fairly simple. The amount of CBD in each individual piece is constant. Unlike oils and tinctures, you do not need to measure the dosage in each use.

Let’s say your ideal dosage is 20mg of CBD at an interval of 5 hours. You can look for pills, capsules, or any other edible product that contain exactly 20mg CBD per piece. If not, you can look for the ones that contain 10mg per piece and take 2 pieces at a time.

Types of CBD Edibles in India

With the increasing popularity of CBD edibles, the range of products is huge. This is one of the better things about edibles—there are options that the consumer can choose from. Some CBD edibles are more common and popular than others but every consumer is sure to find something that suits them.

Gummies

Gummies are the most common way of consuming CBD. They are exactly what they sound like—gummy candies infused with CBD. Typically, these are available in the shape of gummy bears but you may also find them in the shapes of rings, fruits, cannabis leaf, etc. These also give the option of choosing a certain flavour over the other.

Featured Read: How to Buy CBD Gummies in India| A Guide

Protein Bars

The next popular type of edible is CBD protein bars. These are gaining much popularity in workout regimes. Gym-goers absolutely love CBD protein bars as they provide just the right punch of protein. The option of flavours is comparatively fewer in protein bars but the nutrition wins.

Dried Fruit

These are a healthier alternative to sugary CBD treats. These are gaining popularity owing to the variety of fruit options that consumers can try out.

Pills & Capsules

To tap on the sense of well-being that comes with CBD, many manufacturers are now making dedicated day and night time CBD pills and capsules. These work just like vitamin supplements and promote a healthier lifestyle.

Featured Read: How to buy CBD Capsules in India | A Guide

Beverages

To complete the circle, consumers now have the option to drink CBD. They can now choose from CBD-infused teas, coffees, cold drinks, and refreshers.

How to Use CBD Edibles?

Edibles are perhaps the quickest and most convenient way of taking CBD. Every CBD edible product comes with a pre-set dosage that gets equally divided among the total number of servings.

Taking CBD edibles is just like consuming other snacks, gummies, beverages, or chocolates. It is only in the case of day and night time pills and capsules that a consumer needs to be more mindful.

Day and night time CBD capsules are created with the specific goal of inducing calmness and a sound sleep respectively. That is to say, these are used more for the therapeutic (or medical, so to speak) effects. Therefore, it is important to keep a check on your dosage.

When consuming pills and capsules, be sure to note how much amount of CBD does the whole packet have and how much will each portion contain. Value this against your daily CBD need or target and then settle on a specific quantity.

When choosing any CBD edible, the first question you need to ask is the kind of experience you’re looking for. If you want an experience completely independent of the intoxicating effects (that of THC), then you should go for a CBD-dominant product.

If you prefer a THC-inclusive experience, then you can opt for balanced edibles. In case you want an advanced THC-inclusive experience, then you might want to choose THC-dominant edibles.

Pros and Cons of CBD Edibles

More and more people are beginning to favour CBD edibles. These products show some significant advantages over smoking and/or vaping CBD. In this section, we analyse the pros and cons of consuming CBD in edible form.

Pros

1. Long-lasting relief: CBD edibles leave a longer effect on the body than inhalation or oral consumption. The food item combines with other food products in the body and CBD is released more slowly over an extended period of time. The therapeutic effects of CBD in the body are thus prolonged.
2. Convenient usage: Edibles are quick and easy to use. You can carry them around and consume at your convenience.
3. Set dosage: The dosage of CBD in edible products is pre-set. Each bite or sip is going to have the same amount of CBD as the previous one. This makes administering a consistent dosage easy.
4. Less risk of lung irritation: Edibles do not require any kind of smoke to be activated. Since there is no smoke of any kind in edibles, there is a significantly lesser risk of lung irritation.
5. Easy to DIY: CBD edibles can easily be made at home. You can get all the ingredients and bake them like any other food item.
6. Greater plant synergy with other herbs: CBD is not the only therapeutic compound out there. On combining CBD with other natural herbs, for instance lavender or basil, the therapeutic effects multiply.

Cons

1. Other ingredients can be unhealthy: CBD edibles often come in the forms of candies, chocolates, and fillers. It is important to remember that CBD oil is just an ingredient in edibles. The edible products are going to contain other ingredients such as fillers, sugars, and preservatives, which in themselves are not healthy for the body.
2. Comparatively higher quantitites: Since edibles contain an overall less amount of CBD, their dosages (and thus quantity) need to be high. But in edibles, you will be consuming other ingredients as well. The high consumption of these can have a bad effect on your health.
3. Take longer to kick in: Edibles undergo the digestive process before entering the bloodstream. Therefore, they take longer to show an effect. Typically, an edible can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to show effect. This inconsistency can make it difficult to put your dosages in structure.
4. Variable Consumption: Dosages in CBD edibles can range anywhere from 5mg to 50mg. In that case, you might need to consume 20 pieces of an edible to have an effect on your body. And in the long run, that can prove to be harmful to the body.

Side Effects of CBD Edibles

CBD is generally a safe and well-tolerated compound for people of all ages. According to studies, one cannot overdose on CBD and so there is not much to worry about. It is, however, possible to witness some side effects with any kind of CBD product.

These include nausea, headache, diarrhoea, fatigue, dry mouth, and dizziness. More often than not, these side effects imply the intake of a high dose. But if you continue to experience adverse effects, we recommend you stop taking CBD and consult your medical professional.

What to look for in a CBD Edible?

While out for buying a CBD edible product, especially online, you should consider the following factors:

1. Type of CBD: does the edible contain full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate CBD?
2. Concentration: is it CBD-dominant, balanced, or THC-dominant?
3. Ingredients: CBD oil is just one of the many ingredients in edibles. Scan the label for allergens or harmful or suspicious ingredients.
4. Strength: what is the quantity of CBD in the whole pack? How much will you be taking with each serving?

CBD edibles are a convenient way to experience the long-term wellness benefits of CBD. When it comes to dosage, they may not be as effective as oils or tinctures, which are more direct in their effect on the body. However, for beginners, CBD edibles are a safe and discreet option. And when consumed consistently over a prolonged period of time, they can enhance the wholesome well-being of the mind and body.

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