Hey, Calgary and area! At most of your local dispensaries there will generally be an option to choose between THC/CBD edibles or beverages. THC is the compound in the cannabis plant that gets you high. (This is the psychoactive part of the plant.) CBD is the non-psychoactive part of the plant that is generally taken to help relax without the high. The maximum amount per edible or beverage is 10 mg of THC as the Canadian government has put a cap on them. But they can have fluctuating THC or CBD milligrams, making them great for beginners or people who are starting to experiment with their preferred methods. Most dispensaries in Calgary or dispensaries near you will give you the advice “Go low, start slow.” This just means you should always start with less THC and slowly take more, rather than taking too much too quickly. A small dose or “micro-dose” would usually be between 2-4 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD. In the Canadian Cannabis market, vitamins, minerals, nicotine, and alcohol are not allowed to be added in beverages or edibles, while caffeine is allowed in some products but is very controlled. There are also sugar-free options if you would prefer! This helps with making sure everyone who wants the option to try edibles or beverages can. Deciding on the best option for you can be hard when you’re first starting out. In this blog, we break it down.

Edibles

Edibles are available in multiple forms such as gummies from brands like Wana, Spinach, Wyld, Shred’ems, White Rabbit, and many more. Then there are chocolates like the ones from Legend, Bhang, Bernard’s, and Canna Squarz, and baked goods, like the lemon poppyseed brownies, salted caramel cookies, or raspberry cookies from Olli. Sublinguals have been picking up in popularity too lately because of their high dosage including Kin Slips, Joltz, and Being strips. Many brands also offer varying amounts of both THC and CBD. In our Chestermere dispensary our favourite gummy brands to recommend are Wana in both their quick and original flavours. We love this brand among many others because they offer exciting flavours and the option for a slower or quicker onset. They also offer their “Midnight Berry CBN” gummies which aid in sleep and are very low dosage of THC. There’s also brands like Spinach and their Sourz brand of gummies. These are popular because of their great flavours and low mg per piece. They also offer 1:1 peach orange options. The appeal of edibles is that there’s options for pretty much anything out there. The downside to edibles is they typically have a slower onset. This is because they must pass through the liver, meaning it takes longer for your body to break down the THC or CBD. Because of the way they break down they have the potential to last longer in your system compared to other methods like smoking or vaping. Be prepared for the edible to take a while to enter your system. (It could take anywhere from 45-90 minutes to have an effect.) These effects can last 3-8 hours depending on your metabolism, so ensure you’re in a relaxing environment. Edibles are a great option if you are first starting out, prefer a lower dosage, and/or aren’t looking to have an immediate onset, which is dependent on everyone’s preference at that time. If you’re looking to relax, we would recommend a blend of CBD and THC. Another favourite for relaxation is the WYLD brand Peach 5:1 gummy with 50mg of CBD and 10mg THC per package is great for unwinding. On top of that they’re an environmentally mindful company with natural flavours and compostable packaging.

Beverages

Beverages are a sub-category of edibles, but they are a little different than your average gummy or brownie. They enter the body through the mucus membranes in the mouth and under the tongue. This gives beverages a far quicker onset and you can expect effects within as few as 5-15 minutes. Bev’s are typically offered in the market in the 5-10 mg range, making it a little bit trickier to find lower-dose beverages. Some of our favourite 10 mg drink brands include Keef for their great flavours and little-to-no distillate taste, XMG for their unique flavours and smaller cans, and Summit because of their larger bottle with delicious lemonades. The 5 mg category just expands options for flavours, like the Tweed iced teas, collective project pineapple mango coconut, or weed seltzer style Bev’s. There are fewer flavour options to choose from when you’re looking for lower mg, but you can also find an array of balanced THC:CBD or just CBD alone. For THC under 5 mg we would recommend the Quatreau lime and ginger 1:1, which has 2 mg of both THC and CBD, or the Ace Valley moonlight or daylight beverage options that have 2 mg of THC and 10 mg CBD. Little victory sparkling beverages have been a popular option because of the refreshing blood orange and dark cherry flavours they offer. Beverages are great for social events because of their discretion and the fact that their onset is so quick, making this option very appealing. Again, with drinks, “Go slow, start low.” Bev’s are also an interesting option because there are far more low-calorie and sugar free options, giving everyone an opportunity to find drinks to try. For the low-cal crowd, we always recommend the tweed seltzers because of their low calorie count and delicious flavour. The sugar-free crowd might like the Houseplant lime because of it is low sugar and low calorie, or the HYTN sparkling waters. Beverages can also come in flavours like sodas from brands like Keef or XMG, non-alcoholic beers from brands like Mollo or Bedfellows, carbonated waters like Houseplant and even seltzers like the ones from tweed or Versus. If you’re looking for a quicker onset, have a bit more experience, or want to try a slightly higher mg, drinks might be an interesting option for you.

Edibles or Beverages: Which is Better?

Are edibles or beverages better? We can’t really say that drinks or edibles are better or worse – they are just better suited for different needs and experiences. It depends where you will be, what you’re doing after you’ve taken them, how long you want to wait, and how experienced you are. A less experienced user might want to try a lower mg gummy alone, or with a few close friends. You might even want to include some CBD. We would recommend the Wana Pomegranate blueberry Açai 5:1, which has 25 mg of CBD and 5 mg of THC for the whole bag, or, if that’s too much, maybe a four-pack of Sourz from Spinach at 2 mg per piece. A more experienced user will probably opt for a high mg beverage like XMG, Keef, or the Collective Project blood orange. If you’re ever worried about becoming too high, just take half of the edible and wait an hour before consuming more. See how you feel once the hour is up and then you can take the other half if you feel like you need more. With drinks it’s probably best to opt for a low mg drink, but if you want to try a higher mg beverage only drink some of it and wait the hour. This way your body has fully digested the THC and it’s not going to sneak up on you. Always remember to “Go slow, start low.”

Comfort is the main thing you should consider when experimenting with edibles or beverages. Calgary dispensaries should have an array of options for edibles, Bev’s, and sublinguals for you to choose from. It’s hard to know what to look for so make sure you ask the budtender about products you’re unsure of. And ask for recommendations! Our staff would be more than happy to talk to you about their favourite products, our most popular products, or stuff that’s just fun to try. Visit Lake City Cannabis today!