On October 17, 2018, cannabis-infused edible products, more commonly known as “edibles,” became legal to purchase in Canada. If smoking doesn’t appeal to you, but you’re intrigued by the experience of a cannabis high, edibles might just be your answer.
Propelled solely by journalistic motivation, fellow HerCampus writer Mary and I had decided that we would like to try edibles again and write an article about the experience. So, when both my shift at work and Mary’s meeting got cancelled because of heavy snow, it seemed like an opportunity too perfect to pass up. Over the summer, I baked a batch of pot brownies that were still stored in my freezer (making and consuming your own edibles has been legal since October 17, 2018) and after 40 seconds in the microwave they were gooey, delicious and potent. Mary and I had a great night and here are our tips on how to have a great high.
1. Don’t Take the Edibles When You Want to Be High
It can take between 30 minutes to 2 hours to feel the effects of edibles, so plan for when you want to be high and take them in advance. Mary and I ate the edibles when we were roughly an hour away from finishing our homework, and sure enough, an hour later we started feeling the effects. Also, you feel the effects of edibles for 2-6 hours, and can experience the after-effects of them for another 6-12 hours, so make sure you have a long enough block of time with no other commitments. While I made it to my 10 a.m. class the next morning, I was groggy and it took some extra hits of the snooze button before I left my bed.
2. Plan for the Munchies
When you’re high, you really LOVE food. If you’re eating something you normally enjoy, having it while stoned will make it taste even better. This occurs because delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (more commonly referred to as THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, affects the pleasure center of our brains. While sober, eating something we like the taste of will cause dopamine, the “feel-good neurotransmitter,” to be released and that’s why the experience is pleasurable. THC enhances this natural mechanism and causes a significantly larger amount of dopamine to be released, which is why food tastes so much better. Once Mary and I had finished our school work, and just as we were starting to feel the effects of the brownies, we decided to go on our first adventure of the night: a visit to our local Shortstop to stock up on snacks. Our vices of choice were Smartfood, Mr. Noodles and cookie dough (we ate approximately half of the dough raw while waiting for the rest of it to become as baked as we were). Also, grab something to drink because cotton-mouth is a hell that no one wants to visit.
3. Get in Touch With Nature
There is just something about being outside when you’re high that’s magical. You feel more connected to nature and more capable of appreciating the beauty of your surroundings.
Mary and I went for a walk outside as it was snowing, and it was truly a winter wonderland. The fallen snow was like a blanket of glitter covering the ground, and watching the fluffy flakes winding their way to Earth was mesmerizing. I’m usually not a winter person in the slightest and only go outside when absolutely necessary, but bundled up and higher than a kite, winter became something precious that I felt lucky to experience.
4. Watch a Movie
Sometimes you get to a point of being high where all you want to do is melt into the couch. Gravity feels incredibly strong and moving seems like an impossible task. This is when you take advantage of your Netflix subscription and put on a movie or show that enhances your trip. Personally, I’m a big fan of movies that feature magic, the supernatural or superpowers when I’m high. Our selection for the night was the final instalment of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn Part 2. Watching the vampires run really fast and jump through the trees was incredibly satisfying. Under no circumstances would I recommend watching a horror or thriller movie when you’re on edibles. The last time I did edibles, someone put on Gerald’s Game and it was a terrible and terrifying experience (spoilers ahead). Right around when the main character started cutting her own wrists to escape her handcuffs, I started freaking out but was also paranoid that if I asked someone to change the movie then they would think I was a wimp. So, for the second half of the movie I was closing my eyes, plugging my ears and trying to think happy thoughts to fight off a bad trip.
5. Be Around People You Trust
The people you’re around are by far the most important factor for having an incredible edible experience. You want to be around people who you usually feel safe and comfortable around; especially because marijuana has the potential to make you feel very self-conscious. For example, if you choose to do edibles around your crush, who you may not know very well, you could become uncomfortably aware of the fact that you don’t have eyes. Well, they’re there, but barely. From personal experience, I would not recommend being around a person you would like to find you attractive when you are convinced that you resemble a gutter rat. Mary and I went over to the apartment of our close friends, people we knew wouldn’t judge us. So we felt free to become one with their couch, embrace the slits that we were trying to see out of and giggle about nothing in particular.
Additionally, if this is going to be your first experience on edibles, or getting high at all, you might consider enlisting a “babysitter” – someone who isn’t planning on getting high and is down to make sure you have a good trip. A babysitter can be great for talking you down if you get paranoid and for making sure you don’t do anything you’ll regret.
At the end of the day, everyone is going to be affected by mind-altering substances differently. Your trip is dependent on how high the THC content is in the edibles, what strain of weed was used to make them, how high your tolerance is and your surrounding environment. But, with the right conditions, edibles can be an enjoyable and rewarding recreational drug experience. My only moment of regret was when I got home, saw that my ex had slithered into my inbox and I couldn’t figure out if I was hallucinating the return of a ghost.