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What Are Edibles and Why They Hit Different Than Smoking Weed
Edibles are THC foods that take 2hrs to hit because your liver makes them stronger. Start with 2.5mg, wait, and avoid the classic mistakes.
Written by Sipho Sam
September 11th, 2025
Edibles are foods and drinks infused with THC that get you high when eaten instead of smoked.
They include gummies, chocolates, and beverages that all contain the same psychoactive compound found in weed, just delivered through your stomach instead of your lungs.
Here's the tension: you're making a decision now about something you won't feel for up to two hours, and once you eat that 2.5mg microdose gummy, there's no Ctrl-Z, no taking it back, because the experience will unfold on biology's timeline, not yours.
That biological clock is why your friend who smokes daily still ended up curled on the couch after one brownie, why Reddit fills with "help, I ate too much" posts every weekend.
It's exactly why understanding how edibles work differently from smoking prevents you from becoming another cautionary tale.
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Table of Contents
What Are Edibles? Foods With THC That Get You High
Your Liver Turns THC Into Something Stronger
Why Edibles Take 2 Hours to Hit (And Why That Matters)
The THC Amount That Works for You (Not Your Friend)
What Actually Happens During an Edible High
Hemp Gummies vs Dispensary Edibles (Same High, Different Laws)
How Long Edibles Show Up on Drug Tests
Why Edibles Look Exactly Like Regular Candy (And Why That's a Problem)
When to Take Edibles (And When You Absolutely Shouldn't)
What Are Edibles? Foods With THC That Get You High
Edibles are any food or drink product infused with THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis that creates the high.
Unlike CBD edibles, which don't get you high, THC edibles produce euphoria, altered perception, and the full range of cannabis effects through eating rather than smoking.
The most common forms you'll encounter are gummies (by far the most popular), chocolates, hard candies, cookies, brownies, beverages, capsules, and mints.
THC binds naturally to fats and oils, which explains why you see so many butter-based baked goods and oil-based gummies but not THC-infused celery sticks.
There's an important distinction most people miss between hemp-derived edibles like Mood's Delta-9 gummies.
They contain the exact same THC but remain under 0.3% by dry weight (making them federally legal and shippable to most states except Idaho and South Dakota).
Marijuana-derived edibles, sold in licensed dispensaries, typically contain higher THC percentages and are only available in states where recreational or medical cannabis is legal.
However, your body processes them the same way as hemp-derived edibles.
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Your Liver Turns THC Into Something Stronger
When you eat an edible, your liver acts like a chemistry lab that transforms regular THC into something called 11-hydroxy-THC.
11-hydroxy-THC is a metabolite that crosses into your brain more easily than the THC from smoking, creating effects that feel deeper and more intense even at the same THC amount.
This liver conversion explains the mystery that trips up so many people: why your tolerance for smoking doesn't translate to edibles.
Someone who comfortably smokes a whole joint might find themselves overwhelmed by a 10mg gummy because the THC isn't stronger in the edible.
Your liver turns it into something that hits your brain differently.
Think of it this way: smoking delivers THC directly to your bloodstream through your lungs, like taking the highway, while eating an edible sends THC through your digestive system and liver first.
It's like taking the scenic route that somehow ends up being more powerful, which means you need different safety rules for edibles than you'd use for smoking.
Why Edibles Take 2 Hours to Hit (And Why That Matters)
Edibles operate on what I call the Two-Clock Model: your stomach clock determines when effects start (30 minutes to 2 hours).
Your liver clock determines how intense they'll become, and you can't speed up either clock by wishing, worrying, or taking more.
Your stomach contents massively affect timing, with an empty stomach potentially meaning effects in 30 minutes, while a full meal could push it past two hours.
The type of edible matter, too, since beverages and mints absorb faster than dense chocolates or baked goods.
What stays constant is that once you consume the THC amount, you're committed to waiting.
This waiting period creates the classic mistake where you take a gummy, feel nothing after 45 minutes, assume it's not working, and take another.
Both hit at once two hours later, so you should set a timer for two hours when you take your edible and distract yourself with a movie, walk, or creative project.
Watch: All About Edibles
The THC Amount That Works for You (Not Your Friend)
The ladder of THC amounts looks like this: 2.5mg gives most beginners a gentle introduction with mild relaxation.
5mg produces clear effects that newcomers definitely notice, and 10mg (Colorado's standard serving) can overwhelm anyone without tolerance.
Your sweet spot exists somewhere on this ladder, which requires starting low.
Here's why your experienced friend's advice might wreck you: regular users often need 20-50mg to feel what you'll feel from 5mg.
So when they say "just take half," they might mean half of a 20mg gummy (10mg), which could send you spinning because their tolerance built over months or years doesn't transfer to your fresh receptors.
Mood's microdose options starting at 2.5mg let you climb the ladder methodically by taking 2.5mg your first time, waiting the full two hours, evaluating how you feel, then trying 5mg next time if you want more, a systematic approach that beats taking too much once and swearing off edibles forever.
What Actually Happens During an Edible High
The edible experience unfolds in predictable windows, starting with onset anxiety (0-2 hours), where you wonder if it's working, if you took too much, or if you're immune.
Then, effects creep in, usually as a body sensation first, like warmth or tingling, followed by the mental shift.
Peak intensity hits around the 4-hour mark when the 11-hydroxy-THC concentration in your blood reaches maximum.
Common sensations include:
Cotton mouth
Time moving strangely (five minutes feeling like an hour or vice versa)
Enhanced sensory perception where food tastes amazing and music sounds richer
Waves of euphoria mixed with deep relaxation
Your body may feel heavy or light
Your thoughts may become more abstract or creative
All of which are completely normal.
Warning signs that you've overdone it include:
A rapid heartbeat that won't calm down
Confusion about where you are
Difficulty breathing
Extreme paranoid thoughts
Too much can trigger panic that feels like an emergency. However, the key difference is that the panic from THC peaks and gradually fades over hours.
While real emergencies get progressively worse, the main downside is that once you're on the ride, you're committed for 4-12 hours, with residual effects potentially lasting 24 hours.
There is no off button or quick fix except time.
Hemp Gummies vs Dispensary Edibles (Same High, Different Laws)
The 0.3% dry weight rule sounds complicated, but here’s the simple version: hemp-derived gummies can still contain the same 10mg of THC as dispensary gummies because a 4-gram gummy can legally hold that amount while staying under 0.3% of its total weight.
In other words, it’s the same THC with the same effects — the only difference is the legal classification based on the source plant and concentration.
This technicality is why Mood can ship Delta-9 gummies to your door in 48 states while dispensary products can't leave their state.
The Farm Bill created this loophole, where hemp-derived products that stay under the percentage threshold are federally legal even though they produce identical effects to marijuana products.
Your body doesn't care about legal classifications because THC from hemp and THC from marijuana are the exact same molecule with identical highs, matching durations, and constant risks.
Choosing hemp-derived isn't settling for less but rather accessing the same experience through a different legal door, especially valuable if you live somewhere without dispensaries.
How Long Edibles Show Up on Drug Tests
THC from edibles appears in drug tests for up to 30 days in urine, regardless of whether it came from hemp or marijuana.
Your body metabolizes all THC into the same compounds that tests detect, with one-time use typically clearing in 3-5 days, but regular use builds up in fat cells and extends detection windows.
Blood tests detect THC for about 12 hours after consumption, saliva tests for 24-72 hours, and hair tests potentially for 90 days.
These windows apply equally to a dispensary brownie or a hemp-derived gummy since the test doesn't distinguish source, only presence.
This reality stops many curious people from trying edibles because workplace or random drug testing means any THC use carries risk.
There’s no secret method to beat tests and no amount low enough to guarantee non-detection, making the choice binary: consume THC and risk detection, or abstain completely.
Why Edibles Look Exactly Like Regular Candy (And Why That's a Problem)
Modern edibles are designed to mimic regular candy in appearance, taste, and packaging.
That tropical gummy may look identical to its non-THC convenience store cousin, creating risks if houseguests, roommates, or anyone unaware confuse it for a regular snack.
Secure storage isn't paranoia but practical risk management through a locked drawer, high cabinet, or designated container.
It prevents accidental consumption, and since heat and light degrade THC over time, that locked drawer should also be cool and dark to maintain potency for 6-12 months rather than losing effectiveness within weeks in a hot car or sunny windowsill.
Label your storage clearly and tell roommates and regular visitors that you keep edibles, so they know to ask before eating random gummies.
This prevents the awkward and potentially frightening situation of someone accidentally getting high at your place.
When to Take Edibles (And When You Absolutely Shouldn't)
Timing matters more with edibles than smoking because of the two-hour uncertainty window.
Taking one before a dinner party could mean peaking during dessert — comfortable for some but overwhelming for others — while saving it for the evening at home removes social pressure and lets you ride out the experience privately.
Never mix edibles with alcohol during your first few experiences because both substances affect judgment and coordination, but together they amplify each other unpredictably, turning what feels like a mild buzz into sudden room-spinning intensity.
So save the combination experiments for after you know your THC tolerance.
Consider your next-day obligations carefully because while intense effects fade after 4-6 hours, residual grogginess can linger into the following morning.
For example, a 10mg edible at 8 p.m. might have you waking up still feeling altered at 7 a.m.
So plan for a clear schedule the day after your first few edible experiences and choose Friday evening over Tuesday night when you have Wednesday morning meetings.
The difference between edibles and smoking isn't just the timeline but that edibles follow biology's schedule, not your impatience.
And just like that, you understand the two-clock model, the liver conversion that makes edibles hit different notes, and the waiting game that trips up newcomers.
Respecting the biological clock prevents every cautionary tale you've heard by starting with 2.5mg, waiting the full two hours, never mixing with alcohol initially, and planning for a 4-12 hour commitment.
The rules themselves are simple — the real challenge is having the patience to follow them when a gummy tastes like candy and your brain insists nothing is happening after 45 minutes.
If you're ready to explore with the right foundation, Mood's beginner-friendly edibles offer the control newcomers need through precise THC amounts, third-party lab testing for consistency, and microdosing options.
That allows you to find your level without overshooting. Because the biological clock will tick regardless, you might as well start with products designed for people learning to tell the time.
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