It is the most frequently asked question: How long do edibles stay in your system? A growing number of states are legalizing marijuana use, and one way people consume it is through edible cannabis products like candy or baked goods. These products can take 2-6 hours to hit you, but they can stay in your system anywhere from 6-24 hours after you ingest them. That’s why it’s essential to be aware of how long do edibles stay in your system, so you can be mindful of when the effects start wearing off and make sure you don’t drive or do anything else dangerous during that time.
What Are Marijuana Edibles?
Edibles are marijuana product that is ingested orally. The effects of an edible are typically felt more quickly than the smoked form of marijuana. In addition to the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), most edible products also contain fats and sugars, which the liver can metabolize into compounds with psychoactive properties. Edibles can come in many forms, including candy, brownies, cookies, and other baked goods.
Common types of marijuana edibles include:
- Baked goods (most commonly brownies)
- Candies
- Gummies
- Chocolates
- Beverages
- Lozenges (cough drops)
How Does the Body Process Edibles?
The effects of edibles vary from person to person, but how long they last largely depends on the individual. Once an edible is eaten and digested, its active ingredient enters the bloodstream through the digestive tract. From there, it travels to the brain, where it binds to cannabinoid receptors and creates a psychoactive effect. Different types of cannabinoids bind at different rates, which means some will have an immediate impact while others will take longer to feel their effects. The length of time an edible lasts also depends on factors like how much was eaten and whether it was taken with food.
How Long Do Edibles Stay In Your System?
It depends on a few factors. The half-life of cannabis changes with time but usually falls somewhere in the 3 to 12-day window. The exact length is impacted by the quantity consumed and whether the person is a casual or habitual user. Habitual use leads to forbearance, requiring increasing amounts to feel the same high. Those with lower tolerance will metabolize and eliminate THC faster than heavy users. Finally, some people also experience what’s known as peak delay, which occurs when peak levels of THC are delayed following inhalation and oral ingestion. Peak delay can last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.
Common side effects of marijuana edibles
Common side effects of marijuana edibles include:
- Drowsiness
- Relaxation
- Sedation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Psychotic episodes
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Respiratory depression or trouble breathing
- Heart problems
- The trouble with thinking, memory, concentration, and problem-solving
- Impaired judgment
- Loss of coordination
- Increased heart rate
- The increased appetite (“munchies”)
- Bloodshot eyes
- Dry mouth
Do Edibles Show Up on Drug Tests?
Here’s a timeline for each kind of drug test:
- Blood: 3-4 hours
- Saliva: 24-72 hours
- Urine: 3-30 days
- Hair: Up to 90 days (or longer, if you have a lot of it)
Since employers often use urine to test for drug use and performance issues, that’s where we’ll focus. Two primary marijuana metabolites appear on drug tests: carboxy-THC (ca-THC) and THC-COOH. They show up at different times—ca-THC is detectable after only 5 days of use, while THC-COOH is detectable after 10 days. However, if you smoke or vape every day for weeks at a time, your carboxy-THC levels will increase rapidly—after 28 days of daily smoking or vaping, ca-THC levels can be twice as high as after 5 days of smoking.
Where Are Edibles Legal?
These various states and the District of Columbia given below have legalized at least medicinal use:
- Alaska
- Arizona (medical only)
- Arkansas (medical only)
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida (medical only)
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Louisiana (medical only)
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana (medical superior)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire (medical only)
- New Jersey (medical only)
- North Dakota
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (medical only)
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania (medical only)
- Rhode Island
- Utah (medical only)
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia (medical only)
Why Do People Say Edibles Aren’t Safe?
Some say that eating cannabis isn’t safe because they don’t know how long it will take for the edible to kick in or if it is safe to drive after taking one. The truth is, there are a lot of factors that can affect how long an edible lasts. Several factors can affect how you feel after consuming cannabis, including:
-The amount of THC present -Your tolerance level -The type of edible consumed (i.e., brownie vs gummy bear)
For example, if you consumed a marijuana brownie, you might not feel the effects as quickly as with a gummy bear. Another factor is whether or not you have eaten anything else before or after consuming the edible, which can play a role in its effects.
Conclusion
So the conclusion of How long do edibles stay in your system is that the effects of an edible can last up to 12 hours, but that depends on the size and strength of the edible. It can also depend on how much you’ve eaten. If you overeat, the effects will last longer. The amount of time it takes to feel high after eating an edible is different for everyone because it’s based on how their body reacts to cannabis.
