Edibles

Introduction

The possibilities for edibles are endless. Whether you want to experiment with a new strain of cannabis or find something that fits your lifestyle, dispensaries often carry various edible products.

Fruit gels

Fruit gels can be made with any fruit, but the most common are strawberry and blueberry. They are a fruit puree cooked down until it becomes a gel.

Fruit gels are made using the same process as Jell-O, but without all the artificial coloring and flavorings you find in Jell-O or even canned pie fillings.

Fruit gels can be eaten with a spoon or stirred into smoothies for added flavor and sweetness.

Waxes and shatter

Shatter is a type of hash oil that has been heated to a very high temperature and then cooled quickly, causing it to become stiff and brittle. The result is a product that looks like glass shards, hence the name.

Shatter has been the main product used in cannabis concentrates since it was invented in 2008 by Colorado-based extraction artist Rick Simpson.

Like many other creative types inspired by his work, I decided to try making my shatter at home using his recipe.

My first batch came out great. It looked beautiful and had excellent flavor but wasn't exactly stable. After only being exposed to air for 24 hours, my shatter had already started forming crystals on its surface due to moisture trapped inside (known as "water spots").

This meant I would have needed storage conditions similar to those used in museums: constant dryness with no light or oxygen exposure whatsoever.

That was not practical for somebody living in an apartment! So if you want your concentrate creations preserved for any length without having them go bad on you (or worse yet, be destroyed), here are some tips from my experience making concentrates using professional-grade equipment over the last couple of years.

Lozenges

Lozenges are cannabis edibles that are eaten like a pill. They're made with THC or CBD and can be flavored any way you want.

The consistency of lozenges is quite flexible: you can use honey or sugar to soften the hard vegetable oil in which the cannabinoids are extracted and then mold it into different shapes.

Alternatively, you could use a hard candy shell with melted chocolate inside as a base for your lozenge recipe (this will make it taste even better).

You can also make them from home by combining some vegetable oil with waxes and alcohol infused with cannabis extractions but keep in mind that this will result in harder-to-eat lozenges.

You'll need something like an ice cream scoop or cookie cutter if you want perfect ones every time.

Tinctures

Tinctures are cannabis-based extracts that can be taken orally. They're typically made by soaking cannabis flowers in a solvent such as alcohol or glycerin for some time (usually several hours) and then straining the plant matter.

When adequately prepared, tinctures can be used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including pain, anxiety, insomnia, inflammation, and appetite loss.

While tincture production is straightforward, it only involves dissolving cannabinoids into an alcohol solution. There are a few more things to talk about when making your tincture at home:

Capsules

They are among the most popular ways to consume edibles because they're exceptionally discreet and sometimes even tasteless.

Capsules can be made from gelatin, vegetarian capsules, or vegan capsules. You may also see them referred to as "gel caps."

Capsules are an excellent way to dose edibles because you don't have to worry about how much THC is in each capsule and how you'll feel after taking them. If a person doesn't like the taste or smell of marijuana, they can use this method, so they don't have to be concerned.

Topicals (lotions, creams, balms, and patches)

Topicals are used to relieve pain and, inflammation, muscle tension, promote healing of wounds, and relieve arthritis pain. They come from lotions, creams, balms, patches, and ointments.

A wide variety of edible and product types are available in dispensaries.

The variety of edible and product types available in dispensaries depends on the dispensary. In some areas, it’s possible to find edibles with up to 70 milligrams of THC, but most states have a limit of 10 mg per serving (or 100 mg for all-inclusive products).

You must always follow local laws when purchasing and ingesting cannabis.

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you a better understanding of the various edibles available in dispensaries, and we encourage you to try them all.

Edibles can be a safe and enjoyable way to consume cannabis if the recommended dosage is followed.

If you want to study more about using edibles, or if you're interested in trying them out for the first time, talk to a medical professional who is knowledgeable about cannabis.