Edibles are a great way to gain the health and recreational benefits from cannabis, but can be notoriously difficult to time. Knowing how quickly your edible will hit and how long your high will last is important to enthusiasts both new and OG. Read this guide to learn about edible durations.
Edibles are food products that contain cannabinoids, often tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Edibles made with THC are frequently used for recreational and medicinal purposes providing a range of effects such as relaxation, euphoria, increased appetite, fatigue, and sometimes anxiety.
You came here to find out how long edibles can last; check out this table to help you estimate approximately how long you can expect your high to last based on whether you’re new to cannabis or an old pro and how potent your edible is.
| User Type X Potency | Avg. Onset Time | Avg. Peak Time | Avg. Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive X low potency | 30 min - 1 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 6 hrs |
| Sensitive X avg. potency | 15 min - 1 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 8 hrs |
| Sensitive X high potency | 15 min - 1 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 12 hrs |
| Average X low potency | 45 min - 1.5 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 4 hrs |
| Average X avg. potency | 30 min - 1 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 6 hrs |
| Average X high potency | 15 min - 1 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 8 hrs |
| Experienced X avg. potency | 45 min - 1.5 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 4 hrs |
| Experienced X high potency | 30 min - 1 hr | 2 hr - 3 hr | 6 hrs |
*There is the potential for lingering effects dependent on gender, contents of the user’s stomach, metabolism, and tolerance. Read the article to find out how these factors change the way edibles can affect you.
Low, Average, and High Potency
Figuring out the correct dosage for consumption is challenging when it comes to edibles. There are many factors at play that can change your experience, many of which are laid out in the following article. A low potency dosage can be considered 2.5mg to 5mg of THC, an average dosage can be considered 10mg to 15mg of THC, and a high potency dosage can be considered 20mg of THC. It is suggested if you are new to edibles to start with the low potency dose, wait two hours, and consume more if a higher high is desired. To avoid a bad trip, all users are suggested to wait two hours before consuming additional edibles to allow time for the THC to enter your bloodstream.
How Edibles Hit
When consuming an edible, the raw weed has been put through a heating process called decarboxylation to convert the inactive THCA into active THC. The activated weed is then eaten and makes its way through the digestive tract into the bloodstream resulting in a delayed effect. Smoking cannabis results in a much quicker high since the THC moves from the lungs into the bloodstream and doesn’t require time to be digested. This difference in consumption can make eating edibles a little tricky if the user is a novice.
Once they enter your bloodstream, how long do edibles last? The amount of time that edibles last in an individual’s system depends on a few different variables including the individual’s gender, the contents of their stomach, their metabolism, their tolerance and the potency of the edible.
Individual Differences
The user’s gender, contents of their stomach, and metabolism often determine how quickly the edible takes effect. Typically men are taller than women and have more blood moving throughout their body; this means that taller individuals have more blood cells to dilute the effects of the edible and will not have as strong or as long of an effect as shorter users. If the user eats an edible on an empty stomach they often have quicker results since the digestive tract is only breaking down the edible and not a meal on top of it. If a user eats their edible after having a full meal the effects will likely be more delayed than usual as the body works to digest all of the food present. If a person has a high metabolism they often feel the effects of the edible quicker than those that have a low metabolism as the body is more efficient at digesting food when a high metabolism is in effect.
Potency of the edible is one of the biggest influences of how long the edible will last. If you follow our guide for making cannabutter, you will be walked through the process of infusing 7 grams of cannabis into 2 sticks of butter, or 16 Tbsp. To know how potent your butter is use our potency estimator. Knowing the potency of your edible can help you navigate the table at the beginning of this article more accurately.