Nearly everyone who enjoys cannabis has a story about a time they ate too many edibles and nearly lost their minds. Yet some people can eat an outrageous amount of edibles and feel perfectly fine.
Why are edibles so damn strong and why do people have such different tolerances?
There is a scientific answer to that question. The reason why cannabis seems stronger when eaten, rather than smoked, is because you actually absorb a different compound when you eat edibles. When you smoke, THC enters your lungs and enter the blood stream through the alveoli. Once in the bloodstream, it takes just seconds for the THC and other cannabinoids to reach their specific receptors in your brain. When you eat cannabis, the THC is processed in the liver where your body slowly metabolizes it into 11-Hydroxy-THC which is more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Although it can take longer to metabolize, 11-Hydroxy-THC has a very intoxicating effect that people generally regard as more indica-feeling. The high is described as relaxing, lethargic, and pain-relieving. Hydroxy-THC is so much stronger than delta-9 THC that when you're feeling the strong effects of edibles, you actually have
less
THC in your system than if you had smoked the same amount.
That still doesn't explain why people have such widely varying tolerances to cannabis edibles. The answer to that question is two-fold. One reason why edibles seem so strong to some is related to the explanation above. When you're eating instead of smoking, you're absorbing a different compound (hydroxy vs delta) so the tolerance you've acquired from smoking weed every day means nothing. You're basically a newb again and need to build up your tolerance again. The other reason is genetic. For cannabis to be effectively metabolized in your liver, your body needs to have a substantial amount of cytochrome enzymes and some people just produce more than others. The more cytochrome enzymes your body produces, the higher you'll feel from edibles. For some who don't create enough of these enzymes, cannabis edibles are just an overpriced treat that won't do anything. For the rest of us, cannabis edibles are a wonderful indulgence that should be enjoyed cautiously.
