Missouri Edibles

Get Baked: A Guide to Using Marijuana Edibles in Missouri

Marijuana edibles are now available at Missouri medical marijuana dispensaries. Patients often know very little about the use of edibles to treat their medical condition. In this post, we’ll discuss the options for marijuana edibles, their benefits, and proper dosages.

Edibles manufacturers in Missouri are now churning out marijuana-infused chocolate bars, bonbons, beverages, and gummies for distribution at local dispensaries. Initially, the only product available for purchase was cannabis flower, cannabis concentrates, and marijuana edibles remained on the illicit list. However, in late December 2020, Missouri dispensaries were finally given the green light to sell medical marijuana edibles.

Edibles, if taken responsibly offer a safe, discreet, and convenient way to ingest marijuana. Edible marijuana products are considered to be the most potent, long-lasting, non-invasive form of cannabis consumption. 

However, edibles take considerably longer to take full effect than smoked or vaped cannabis flower. Moreover, smoking is not an option for all patients, especially those with lung problems of high blood pressure. Edibles are an excellent option for Missouri Marijuana Card Patients with heart and respiratory issues.

What Medical Conditions Are Commonly Treated With Marijuana Edibles?

Marijuana edibles are ideal for conditions of the stomach, small intestine, and colon. 

There are abundant endocannabinoid receptors in the human intestines. And some researchers believe that a deficiency in endocannabinoids (that is, cannabinoids produced by the human body) may be the cause of certain intestinal disorders. For patients in whom this is the case, edible marijuana products may offer significant relief.

The effects are also systemic. Cannabinoids absorbed into the bloodstream may alleviate symptoms of not only gastrointestinal disorders but other medical issues such as chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, seizure disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, and many other conditions.

Medical conditions best treated with cannabis-infused candy (on an empty stomach)

Gummies, candy, and chocolate edibles enter the bloodstream after being broken down in the stomach. These sugary treats can be beneficial in treating the symptoms of stomach ulcers and gastritis as well as offering systemic effects. Many medical marijuana patients suffering from sleeplessness, pain, and anxiety find relief from cannabis-infused candy.

Medical Conditions Best Treated With Baked Goods (or candy when taken with a meal)

Due to the fibrous nature of most infused baked goods, symptoms of IBS, IBD, colitis, and Crohn’s disease are thought to respond more favorably to brownies, cookies, and muffins. This is because they must make their way through the entire digestive system. Similarly, candy edibles will have the same effect if eaten with a full meal.]

How Long Do Medical Marijuana Edibles Take To Produce Effects And How Long Do They Last?

The onset time after consumption can vary greatly from product to product. 

Sugary candy such as marijuana gummies and chocolates melt in the stomach. They generally enter the bloodstream within thirty minutes of ingestion. However, full effects can take up to an hour or more to kick in. If cannabis infused candies are consumed on a full stomach, the onset time will be longer.

The complex carbs and heavy fiber contained in baked edibles make for a slower onset time. The full effect of baked edibles may take up to two hours after consumption.

Although marijuana-infused edibles have a significantly slower onset time than other delivery methods, the effects can be felt for a longer duration. Cannabis candies and gummies taken on an empty stomach can last around four hours. The effects of baked goods may linger for up to eight hours if consumed with a full meal.

How Much Marijuana Edibles Should Be Taken?

It’s vitally important for patients to ascertain an effective dosage, taking into account their body weight, age, general health, and prevailing medical conditions. 

When edibles containing cannabinoids are consumed, the digestive process can significantly alter the overall effect of the THC and CBD (the two main cannabinoid compounds in marijuana). 

The terpene content in some strains of marijuana can also cause alterations in the effects. Individuals are strongly advised to know exactly what is in their edible products and how they have been prepared.

The THC and CBD content of edibles can vary widely depending on the manufacturer and the product. Marijuana edibles available in Missouri dispensaries have the cannabinoid content listed on the packaging. However, patients should be cognizant of the fact that sometimes the labeling is not entirely accurate. 

As an added precaution the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association implemented a measure requiring edibles to have a diamond-shaped “THC” stamp, in addition to the letter “M” indicating that they are medicinal products. 

Video about marijuana edibles:

Star With A Low Dosage And Increase Slowly

First-time users of medical marijuana edibles need to adopt a mantra of “start low and go slow.” A dosage of 10 mg or less is suggested when first starting a medical marijuana program. This reduces the chances that the patient will experience unpleasant effects. 

The dosage can be increased incrementally over several days until the optimal dosage is determined. Ten to 50 mg is the suggested dose for most moderate conditions. However, dosages of up to 100 mg are not uncommon for serious disorders such as seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.

For an experienced user, a 10mg dose probably will not significantly impair memory, attention, or motor skills. However larger doses of 25 to 50mg can induce unwanted side effects and moderate to severe impairment.

Medical Marijuana Edibles: How Much Is Too Much?

When first experimenting with marijuana-infused edibles, patience is of the utmost importance. Many unfortunate patients have unwittingly consumed far more cannabinoids than required to alleviate their symptoms and subsequently experienced extremely unpleasant side effects. 

Although the research on edibles is ongoing and somewhat limited, a report in the Journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence” claimed that even tiny adjustments in dosages can cause profound alterations in effects. This is important to note for patients when they are initially experimenting with medical marijuana edible products.

Associate professor Ryan Vandry, of John Hopkins University, made this observation after an edible study:

“There have been very few controlled studies done in which cannabis edibles were administered, and most did not explore multiple doses. Thus, we felt this was an important study to determine the effects of a range of doses in healthy adults to ascertain the safety of edible cannabis products available in retail stores in many places. Another important component of this study was to determine the effect of these single acute doses on drug-testing outcomes… The effects of ingesting THC-containing food products can vary greatly based on relatively small differences in total dose. Most participants tolerated the 10 mg THC dose well, but many participants reported adverse effects and exhibited impairment on cognitive tests after doses of 25 mg or 50 mg THC. Drug effects occurred much later and lasted longer compared with when cannabis is smoked. Peak drug effects were observed from 1.5 to 3 hours after dosing and lasted 5-8 hours.”

The National Institute of Health published a report titled “Tasty THC: Promises and Challenges of Cannabis Edibles,” prompting this statement from the researchers:

“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.”

Even edibles containing the non-intoxicating CBD compound can induce lethargy if a patient overindulges. It’s a good idea to wait an hour or two after ingesting edibles to determine if the dose was effective before consuming more of the product. 

All medical marijuana patients are encouraged to discuss their delivery options with a certified Missouri medical marijuana doctor, as well as with a qualified budtender at a local Missouri dispensary.

Click here to learn how to get a Missouri medical marijuana card.

All Missouri residents are permitted to buy CBD edibles online or in local CBD shops as long as they are produced from hemp. Although CBD edibles are non-intoxicating they offer very similar medicinal benefits to marijuana edibles.

Scroll to Top