Stop Putting All the Blame on Cannabis Edibles

Stop Putting All The Blame On Cannabis Edibles

blaming edibles

If you’ve been following cannabis news, you’d notice that recently, edibles have been getting a bad rap.

However, the news reports are all veering towards the negative.

One study that’s been making the rounds was conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, which claims that more patients have been rushed to the emergency room after consuming edibles. It also says that these patients have displayed more cardiovascular and psychotic issues compared to people who inhaled cannabis.

“Part of the issue (with edibles) is that the onset is delayed and the peak effect is delayed,” says Dr. Andrew Monte, associate professor of emergency medicine at the CU School of Medicine. “This was a concerning finding, in that there were many more acute psychiatric visits,” he explains. The study assessed the health records of 9,973 patients who showed up at the emergency department at the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital from 2012 to 2016; they revealed that there were three times as much cases since Colorado legalized recreational cannabis by January 2014.

The doctors also noticed that “there were a lot of visits associated with edibles, even though they were not the predominant product used, and they seemed to be sicker compared to those who inhaled,” Dr. Monte explains.

Then there was the case of a 70-year-old man from New Brunswick which went viral in February. The man consumed a lollipop with a whopping 90mg of THC, and he had a history of heart disease. The case was even published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

No matter how old you are, 90 milligrams of THC is a ridiculous amount to consume.

So who exactly is to blame?

Blame Your Government For The Lack Of Public Awareness And Education

First of all, stop blaming the cannabis industry for these problems. These news only do nothing but give ammunition to prohibitionists and people who still drive Reefer Madness myths.

It’s akin to blaming alcohol companies for drinking and driving accidents, but no one really does that anymore these days. Because you’d be called stupid for driving drunk.

Knowing that driving drunk is dangerous should be as common knowledge as it is when you handle 90mg of THC in anything.

The main reason why people eat edibles in the first place is because they aren’t educated enough to understand the implications of doing so. And that lies in the hands of the government because instead of investing time and money on research and education, they’re spending time and money keeping cannabis prohibited. When you keep cannabis illegal, people will still want to get them from the streets without knowing what they really contain, also because taxed cannabis is so much more expensive. And people don’t know what to do with it.

Edibles Are Not For Everyone – And That’s OK!

Look, edibles really aren’t for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Anyone with a basic understanding of cannabis products can tell you that edibles are among the most potent forms of cannabis, which is why they work so well for patients suffering from terminal illness and chronic pain. They hit hard and they last a long time. Of course, there are also people who enjoy taking edibles for recreational purposes but that’s because they are already familiar with dosing and how to eat them – you aren’t supposed to finish an entire lollipop if it has 90mg of THC; you take a few licks and them put it away.

Cannabis-infused food has been around for several decades now, but the government still hasn’t been able to wrap their heads around how it works. Instead, the authorities label them as dangerous and harmful. So are prescription drugs, but it isn’t getting as much flak as edibles are.

Edibles have long been a popular, and for many, well-loved way of getting stoned. It’s strong, and you don’t even really need a lot. It’s isn’t uncommon to find people who actually prefer getting high with edibles. And while there’s no such thing as overdosing, too much edibles can certainly make you feel like you’re going to die.

That’s why being informed is SO CRITICAL when it comes to using cannabis. It isn’t a one-dimensional plant or medicine; there’s so much to know and understand about how to use it especially if you want a pleasurable experience medicating or taking it for recreational reasons.

So stop putting all the blame on edibles, once and for all.