Tasty THC: Promises and Challenges of Cannabis Edibles
Daniel G Barrus, Kristen Capogrossi, Sheryl Cates, Camille Gourdet, Nicholas Peiper, Scott Novak, Timothy W Lefever, Jenny L Wiley
November 15, 2016 DOI: 10.3768/rtipress.2016.op.0035.1611 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Argues that edibles present unique regulatory challenges because of varied extract formulations and limited research on how ingestion differs from inhalation in therapeutic efficacy, subjective effects, and safety. The authors highlight that delayed onset with ingestion leads some consumers to take more than intended before effects appear, often producing adverse effects, and describe regulatory approaches taken by four states with legal recreational cannabis. |
Abstract
Food products containing cannabis extract (edibles) have emerged as a popular and lucrative facet of the legalized market for both recreational and medicinal cannabis. The many formulations of cannabis extracts used in edibles present a unique regulatory challenge for policy makers. Though edibles are often considered a safe, discreet, and effective means of attaining the therapeutic and/or intoxicating effects of cannabis without exposure to the potentially harmful risks of cannabis smoking, little research has evaluated how ingestion differs from other methods of cannabis administration in terms of therapeutic efficacy, subjective effects, and safety. The most prominent difference between ingestion and inhalation of cannabis extracts is the delayed onset of drug effect with ingestion. Consumers often do not understand this aspect of edible use and may consume a greater than intended amount of drug before the drug has taken effect, often resulting in profoundly adverse effects. Written for the educated layperson and for policy makers, this paper explores the current state of research regarding edibles, highlighting the promises and challenges that edibles present to both users and policy makers, and describes the approaches that four states in which recreational cannabis use is legal have taken regarding regulating edibles.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | 2004 | Review | |
| Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history. General (historical and pharmacological review) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis | 2001 | Review | |
| Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs | 2011 | Review | |
| Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug | 2006 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Age-related differences in the impact of cannabis use on the brain and cognition: a systematic review European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience January 24, 2019
- Psychedelic experience dose-dependently modulated by cannabis: results of a prospective online survey. Psychopharmacology November 4, 2021
- Aversiveness and Meaningfulness of Uncomfortable Experiences with Edible Cannabis Journal of Psychoactive Drugs July 29, 2019
- Pediatric Brain on Cannabinoids: Adverse Effects of Cannabinoid Products in Children and Adolescents IntechOpen eBooks August 3, 2022
- Cannabinoid Exposure and Subjective Effects of THC and CBD in Edible Cannabis Products. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research February 1, 2024
and 4 more in the library
Cites 12
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- Abuse potential and psychoactive effects of δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol oromucosal spray (Sativex), a new cannabinoid medicine. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety September 2011
and 7 more in the library