Handling Too Much Edible

When smoking or vaping cannabis, the onset of the drug's effects is fairly quick, from seconds to minutes. This makes it easier for a person to better control the desired effect.

Edibles, on the other hand, are where cannabis consumers get into trouble and have bad experiences. I've mentioned, ad nauseum, there's never been a recorded death in an adult from cannabis, alone. But, it doesn't mean you can't have a bad experience. 

Many people who've tried cannabis edibles for the first time end up consuming too much. It's such a common issue that people say, "Don't pull a Maureen Dowd," named for a New York Times reporter who ate too much of a cannabis infused edible while covering the cannabis industry in Colorado. 

Edible Issues

One key issue with edibles is knowing the dose (10 mg THC is the ideal starting point, then wait two hours). Companies that professionally make edibles are the best at measuring accurate doses, but the strength of their products can still vary. Consumers who casually make edibles, by mixing it with butter for cooking (called cannabutter), typically can't predict the exact dose by the time it reaches a person's plate. Also, since edibles can take up to two hours until the effects are felt, people frequently get impatient.

Handling Too Much

While eating too much cannabis won't kill you, it can make for an unpleasant night since it's a mild psychedelic, especially if a person suffers from anxiety.

 It's been said, and I'd like to see clinical studies on this, that a person who is too high can dial down that discomfort by consuming CBD. THC makes a person feel high, while the CBD part of cannabis has more of an anti-inflammatory effect.

 The most important thing for a person to do, if they've consumed too much of an edible, is to remain calm. A trip to the ER probably won't be of much help for most people. Instead of focusing on the discomfort, try to either sleep or distract yourself. Having to "fight back" and squelch the unpleasant feeling while unfocused can be unsettling. In other words, you shouldn't consume edibles unless you're in comfortable surroundings. For the novice, crowds and traveling should probably be avoided, regardless if its walking or riding.

 The best thing you can do, if you've consumed too much, is to settle down, watch a Pixar movie, and go to sleep (don't even consider watching an episode of Black Mirror).

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