Imagine you’re trying a new cannabis product and hoping for relief from pain and discomfort. “When will my cannabis dose kick in?” You may be asking. Consider a few factors—including the strength of the cannabis, the type of product, and how you administer it.
The ratio of CBD to THC in a product will also determine how you feel the benefits of the cannabis and how ‘high’ you’re likely to get.
Below, we’ll take a look at the main types of cannabis and how long you can expect to wait until your dose takes effect.
Inhalation
Smoking or vaping cannabis is a pretty efficient way to feel the effects of the plant. The cannabis enters your lungs and is absorbed into your bloodstream. It then travels to your brain, where its cannabinoids—chemical compounds—bind to receptors in your endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Flower
Buds from the flower contain all of the cannabinoids available in that particular cannabis plant. Flower like ours at VidaCann is raw, pure, and processed only to cut away the leaves and dry out the buds.
The onset time from smoking flower is less than one minute. You should expect the effects to last between one and four hours. Flower can be more variable in its onset and duration than most other methods. Sometimes buds with the same strain name still come from a different source, and their potency and cannabinoid content can vary.
Concentrates
Concentrates are cannabis products that have been processed so that only the cannabinoids and terpenes remain. Excess plant material and other impurities are removed.
When vaporized, you can feel the effects of concentrate within one minute, and they will last for one to three hours afterward. Although vaping is the most popular method, concentrates are versatile in use.
When taken sublingually—under the tongue—effects will occur in 20 or 30 minutes and last from two to four hours. When swallowed, onset can take between 15 minutes and 2 hours, lasting for four to six hours.
Vaporizers
Vaporizing is a discreet way to heat and inhale concentrated cannabis. For convenience, you can buy pre-filled vape cartridges containing similar concentrate products as we’ve mentioned above. The quality of vape cartridges can vary, but VidaCann’s range contains only pure cannabis oil.
You’ll notice the effects of a vape cartridge in under one minute, and it should last for one to four hours.
Oral Consumption
There are two ways to consume cannabis orally—sublingually or by ingesting it.
Ingested cannabis takes longer to kick in than other methods, but the result can be more intense. Sublingual dosing, on the other hand, produces almost immediate effects. The percentage of each dose absorbed is usually higher than through ingestion.
Capsules
Capsules are a convenient way to ingest measured doses of cannabis in pill form. They can be made using any form of cannabis—VidaCann capsules, for example, contain whole-plant cannabis oil. This means you get the benefit of all of the cannabinoids and terpenes in the strain.
Some users take too many capsules because they don’t wait long enough to feel anything. The onset of capsules can take anywhere between 20 minutes and two hours. This can also be affected by metabolism and how empty your stomach is, which would speed up absorption time.
Once the effects hit you, they can be longer-lasting than most other forms of cannabis. You can expect anywhere from four to 12 hours of symptom relief with capsules.
Syringes
Syringes contain concentrated distillate cannabis oil with a high THC content, as well as other cannabinoids and terpenes. The cannabis in syringes is best when cooked in high-fat content food or absorbed under the tongue. It’s easy to accurately dose with a syringe because you can dispense the exact amount of concentrate you need.
When you dose a syringe sublingually, the many veins of your gums absorb the cannabis rapidly and intensely. It’ll take around 20 or 30 minutes before you feel anything, and affect you for two to four hours afterward.
When swallowed, syringe concentrates can take between 15 minutes and 2 hours to take hold, but will then last between four and six hours. Syringes can also be used with any device that will vaporize the concentrate. In this scenario, expect a five-second onset time and one to three hours of effects.
Tinctures
Cannabis tinctures usually consist of cannabis infused in alcohol, although in some products—including VidaCann’s range—the cannabis is distilled into high-quality oils instead. Tinctures usually come with a dropper so you can measure out doses.
Taking tinctures sublingually has an onset time of 15 minutes to one hour. The duration of the dose is usually between three and six hours.
Edibles
Edibles containing cannabis come in many forms—including gummies, cakes, and chocolates. You can also cook cannabis flower into your own baked goods and other concoctions.
Chemical compounds of cannabis are absorbed through the intestines and pass through the liver. Here it becomes 11-hydroxy-THC, a compound similar to THC but often more potent, before entering into the bloodstream.
Feeling any effects from ingestion takes at least an hour on an empty stomach. When eaten alongside food, this can go up to three. You’ll peak around two to four hours after you eat the edible, and depending on the dose, this slow-release can last for many more hours.
Dermal Absorption
Cannabinoids can be absorbed fairly quickly through the dermal layers of the skin and into the bloodstream. This is an efficient method to achieve targeted relief from muscle aches and pains, soreness, or inflammation.
Topicals
Infused with cannabis, topicals are products applied directly to your skin. They’re produced as lotions, balms, ointments, and oils. Other transdermal products are becoming more popular these days, such as slow-release patches. The effects of topicals are limited to the area of application.
Topicals take anywhere from five minutes to two hours to take effect. After this, you can expect four to 10 hours of relief.
Find the Right Product For You, Dosed Correctly
If you’re ready to start your medical cannabis journey, visit one of our VidaCann dispensaries across Florida.
“When will my cannabis dose kick in?” You might wonder. Our experienced budtenders can help you with questions and help you get the maximum benefit from your new cannabis products. Or if you’d prefer to stay remote, our online store has numerous different strains and products for pickup or delivery.
