Smoking may be the most popular method of consuming weed, but it may also be eaten. Eating marijuana usually does not mean eating the raw plants; it means eating food products that contain marijuana. These include candies, ice creams, salsa, baked goods and other foods containing chemicals from the plant, notably the main psychoactive ingredient –tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But no matter in which form you take it, what will happen to your body?

What Happens If You Eat Weed?

Effects of eating weed and smoking it are not exactly the same mainly because of the speed of the high feeling. With smoking, the high kicks in almost soon after smoking and wears off within about three hours. However, if you eat weed, you might go for 30 minutes to 3 hours before you start feeling the high which may stay on for 6 to 10 hours.

In addition, THC is altered by digestion, which does not happen when weed is smoked. Metabolism by the liver changes delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol to a new variant known as 11-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol which has more psychedelic properties. This means that eating marijuana has more pronounced effects than smoking. It also leads to more cannabinoids in urine, which increases the possibility of detection.

What Are the Risks of Eating Weed?

There is a high possibility of overdosing from eating foods containing marijuana. 

• Because eating weed takes more time to get the high, this may lead a user to take an excessive quantity of the drug.
• The quantity of THC in the ingested marijuana is not known, which may lead to overdose.
• In case a user is on other drugs or medications, THC metabolism may be affected. This may cause amount of THC in the bloodstream to rise to dangerous levels.

"What happens if you eat weed" can be worsened by overdosing. Marijuana overdose is signified by symptoms such as disorientation, delirious or feverish felling, followed by hangover. In severe overdosing cases, users may develop paranoia, hallucination or panic attacks. This may endanger themselves and others.

While a marijuana overdose can bring on a terrible feeling akin to dying, it is not lethal. It will normally wear off within a day and requires no hospitalization. But you will still get lots of side effects including bloodshot eyes, dry mouth, elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate for the period when the overdose persists. In such a state, activities that require good coordination and concentration, including driving and operating machinery, will be difficult or impossible to carry out. Don't do these activities because they might lead to dangerous situations. In case you feel you’ve overdosed through eating, try to calm down. Start sipping on water and eat some clean food. 

Dose

What happens if you eat weed? It has been answered. The law requires that the quantity of THC and the number of servings are displayed on all packages. In the case of Colorado State, 10 mg of THC constitute one serving. It is important to note the following:

• Beginner users and users with small body frames may find stated one serving of 10 mg to be too much. In such cases, it is safer to start with 5 mg.
• One bar of chocolate may contain up to 100 mg of THC.
• Digestion of chocolates, brownies and other rich, dense products takes longer to get the high. Drinks and tinctures containing cannabis are digested faster and their effects set in fast.
• A user’s gender, weight, eating habits and metabolism also determine the rate and potency of the THC in the edibles. 

Precautions for Eating Weed

With all the risks and dangers in mind, if you still choose to eat weed, here are some safety tips.

• Go low and slow. Go for a low dose of THC such as 10 mg and wait for at least two hours before taking more. The digestive system digests cannabis slowly, especially when you have had a heavy meal.
• Always label homemade cannabis foods. If you infuse any food with cannabis, put a label on it immediately to prevent accidental eating by your partner, children, friends, neighbors or guests.
• Never mix marijuana with alcohol. "What happens if you eat weed" can be blown out of proportion by mixing cannabis with alcohol or any other drug. This can be dangerous and should be avoided. Never eat an infused brownie, chocolate or other edibles together with beer, wine or whisky.
• Always eat a proper dinner. Marijuana edibles have more pronounced effects when you eat them on an empty stomach. Always eat a full meal before eating cannabis edibles.
• Keep marijuana away from children. Always store your cannabis-infused edibles locked up to avoid accidental consumption by children. Educate older children on the effects of cannabis edibles and let them know they are for adults only.
• Keep non-medicated snacks on hand. Avoid excessive eating of marijuana edibles by always keeping regular snacks on hand to eat whenever you feel hungry.
• Keep calm in case of indulgence. Should you overdose on cannabis, do not panic. It will pass within a few hours. Go to a safe place and lay down. You might drift into a lengthy sleep session and wake up after 10 or more hours.
• Never prank. Never play pranks on people by giving them foods infused with cannabis because this is criminal. The effects can be very scary and dangerous when they don’t know why they have a high.