Cannabis edibles have quickly become one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis. They can be baked at home or bought from a range of high-quality brands, taking the form of everything from cookies and baked goods to gummies and even sodas.

Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of diving into edibles yourself? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to get started with edibles, from what they are and how they work to which brands we recommend for your first steps into eating or drinking your cannabis.

‘Edible’ is the word used in the cannabis industry to describe any product that features cannabis as a primary ingredient and is made to be eaten or drunk. That means that cannabis beverages are also edibles, even though they’re not technically ‘eaten.’

If a product gets cannabis into your system only after being swallowed, it’s an edible. Other popular forms of cannabis edibles include gummies, chocolates, baked goods, gum, and even cooking materials like pasta sauces.

But it’s important to distinguish between edibles and sublinguals. While sublinguals do begin their journey through your body via the mouth, they’re applied via a dropper on or underneath the tongue. These aren’t swallowed but rather absorbed directly from this area of the mouth and then into your bloodstream.

Edibles, on the other hand, first enter your system via your stomach. That means that they have some specific properties when compared to other methods of consumption, such as smoking or vaping.

Remember, just like other forms of cannabis, not all edibles have to get you high. There are lots of CBD-centric edibles that customers love for their health and wellness benefits, such as anxiety soothing and sleep aiding qualities.

Cannabis that begins in your stomach must take a different, much longer path than many other forms of ingestion. Because the cannabinoids that give cannabis its effects can’t start taking action until they enter your bloodstream, and edibles first have to be digested before they can get to that point, the effects of edibles usually take significantly longer than other methods. Usually, this can mean as long as two to four hours.

But with that longer onset period can come a more intense high, which means that it’s important to be cautious about your dosage when taking edibles.

Want to try edibles for the first time and ensure you have a good experience? Don’t go all-in all at once. Particularly when it comes to edibles, the ‘start low and go slow’ mantra applies here. Edibles take a long time to kick in, and many people think that they simply haven’t taken enough. So they take more, and then find that they’ve consumed a much larger dose than they want when everything sets in at once.

Thankfully, this kind of experience is easy to avoid. Just start small and be patient— if a dosage of cannabis usually gets you high, it will do the same in edible form. If it hasn’t yet, simply be patient.

It’s also important to remember that edibles can make a quick smoke session in the middle of a busy day more difficult— the delayed onset of effects and long-lasting potency sometimes requires you to set aside several hours for your session, depending on your dose.

Our recommendation? Start with a small dose of 1-2.5mg for your first time, then try kicking up to 2.5-15 mg on up to 30-50mg only when you feel comfortable. The right dose can depend on lots of factors— with edibles, this includes how much food is in your stomach, which will affect how long it takes for your body to process the cannabis.

And remember— start low, go slow.

Trying to find the right brands to get you started in the wonderful world of edibles? Here are some of our favorites that we recommend to customers. These brands produce edibles that are natural, potent, and delicious— and available in a range of flavors and varieties.

Wyld

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Wyld is a principled brand whose cannabis-infused gummies and chocolates are made for an active lifestyle that embraces the natural. Their products are infused with real fruit ingredients as well as the purest cannabis possible, making for both great taste and potent benefits.

Delicious Wyld gummy flavors include Peach, Huckleberry, Marionberry, Raspberry, Pomegranate, and Strawberry. You’ll also love Wyld’s lineup of cannabis-infused chocolates, from Blood Orange White Chocolate to Strawberry and Peach.

You can find the best flavors from Wyld at Farmacy locations, available for in-store purchase or online order.

Plus

Plus edibles are focused on wellness, with each product carefully designed to combine cannabis with other all-natural ingredients to deliver a specific health benefit. For improved sleep, try their Sleep Cloudberry gummies infused with multiple beneficial cannabinoids as well as melatonin.

For improved mood and energy, try the Uplift Sour Watermelon or Tangerine flavors, both infused with THC and formulated to brighten your day.

Atlas

Atlas is one of the most innovative cannabis edibles brands on the market, and we’re huge fans. They’re notable for offering the only cannabis-infused granola bar currently available— and we’re happy to offer it in our stores!

Ready to shop edibles? All edibles from WYLD and Plus are BOGO for $1! You can also get an Atlas cannabis-infused granola bar for just $1 with a purchase of any Atlas product. Browse our selection and place an order for curbside express pickup or delivery today!