Cannabis is everywhere, and that’s a fact – starting from cosmetics and clothes and ending on food. The edibles, because that’s the name of foods infused with cannabis, are gaining popularity with each passing day, with many people preferring this way of consuming cannabis over others, as they don’t have to deal with smoking and health problems that it might bring.
However, not many people know, for example, how long does the high that they give you last, or how long after the high is gone is it detectable in your body. The latter is actually quite important information – especially if your workplace likes to do occasional drug tests. After all, you’d want to know if you are safe or if it’s time to buy some synthetic urine to pass it.
If you want to find out the answers to these questions and more, all you have to do is keep reading. So, without any further ado, let’s just jump right into it.
How long does it take for the edibles to kick in?
The first question we will be answering is how long does it take for the high to kick in after consuming an edible. What you need to keep in mind is that, in comparison to vaping or smoking of cannabis in case of which the effect is almost instant, edibles like to take their time.
In general, it takes anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes. However, it depends on many factors, which include the type of edible consumed, as well as the gender, age or food intake of the person consuming it. As one study showed, candies kick in within 15 and 45 minutes, while other edibles can take even up to 180 minutes.
Why do edibles take so much time to kick in? Well, the edibles have to go through the digestive system in order to reach the bloodstream, which is not something that happens fast. When smoking and vaping, THC, which is the active ingredient, has to reach the lungs, which happens way faster.
Keep in mind that some people might experience a delayed reaction to the edibles, which is why, if you don’t feel anything, it’s important to wait for at least 2-3 hours before eating another dose. This will reduce the chances of overdosing and experiencing unpleasant side-effects.
How long does an edible high last?
So, let’s say that you have already consumed your edible, and the high has kicked in. The next thing you’d probably want to know is how long will it last. Well, we have some good news – edibles give you a longer high than other smoking or vaping – it can last even 6 hours, and the strongest effects occur somewhere around the third hour after consumption.
However, just like before there are many factors that influence how long the high will last. Those include the dosage, metabolism and tolerance levels. If you consume a large dose of an edible, your high will last longer.
Even though generally the high lasts around 6 hours, it is not uncommon for people sensitive to cannabis to experience one that lasts 8-12 hours, as it is not unusual for people with high tolerance to experience a 4-hour or shorter high.
How long do edibles stay in your system?
Now, the last and in some cases, the most important question – how long does cannabis stay in your system? Generally speaking, cannabis stays in your blood for roughly 24 hours, while in your urine for anywhere between 1 and 7 days. Keep in mind though that there are some physiological factors that can affect it, for example, your metabolism, body mass, the type and dose of edibles consumed, etc.
If you want to find out how long after consuming cannabis will be detectable on the drug test, the answer is not crystal clear – a lot depends on the type of test that is being used:
- blood test – detectable up to 1-2 days after consumption
- urine test – detectable up to 3-30 days after consumption
- hair follicle test – detectable up to 90 days after consumption
Keep in mind that it also depends on how much you use edibles. If a person uses edibles regularly, they might be detectable even three months after the last use. If a person eats edibles occasionally, they might be undetectable after a week.
Final Thoughts
Since the legalisation of cannabis for medical and recreational use, people started to find different ways of consuming it – one of them being in the form of an edible. It is a relatively new thing, which is why many people still don’t know a lot about it. That’s why we created this short guide. We hope that it was at least slightly useful and that it helped in dispelling some of your doubts.
