Edibles

Recently, a staff member questioned me about Edibles, explaining that her teenage daughter had informed her on Edibles, a past method of ingesting marijuana that has resurfaced in new and dangerous ways. Today the marijuana brownie is only one of many ways to ingest the drug and can be startlingly easy to obtain. They can be purchased on-line or in stores authorized to sell them in several other forms like candy, soda or granola. Not only can recipes for home-made edible marijuana can be found on-line but now alcohol and LSD infused Edibles too. In the last year, USA Today has chronicled the problems that have accompanied the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Several stories of apparent marijuana overdosing have appeared, including this article:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/26/marijuana-edibles-suicide/70503914/

As the THC in marijuana is absorbed more slowly through edibles than in other forms, its effects are delayed. It is hypothesized that this delayed effect may lead consumers to ingest larger amounts of edibles which may lead to problems such as losing control of one's body and hyperventilating, poor judgment leading to suicidal behavior, hallucinations, rambling thoughts and speech. Colorado regulations limit the amount of THC in Edibles to 10mg per serving; however, there are no regulations on how many servings in a package. When is the last time you ate one piece of candy?

Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, May 8, 2014 NIDA, November 10, 2014