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Format guide

Edibles

Edibles are cannabis-infused foods and capsules taken orally. They go through the liver, where THC converts to 11-hydroxy-THC — a metabolite with a longer duration and often a heavier body effect than inhaled cannabis. Onset is slow. Effects last hours. The golden rule of edibles is nearly universal in medical cannabis: start low, go slow.

Onset

45–120 minutes (empty stomach faster; full stomach slower)

Duration

4–8 hours

Bioavailability

6–20% (lower than inhalation but longer-lasting effect)

Best for

  • • Overnight sleep coverage
  • • Long-duration chronic pain baseline
  • • Patients who can't or won't inhale
  • • Predictable, measured milligram dosing
Cautions

Watch-outs

  • • Onset delay causes the most common medical cannabis mistake: taking a second dose before the first has kicked in
  • • Empty stomach onset can be as fast as 30 minutes; plan accordingly
  • • Duration means side effects last too — if the dose is too high, you're in it for the evening
  • • Grapefruit interaction: grapefruit affects the same liver enzymes as THC edibles and can amplify effects
Kentucky law

Kentucky-compliant edibles are dose-labeled per serving and per package. Packaging must be opaque, child-resistant, and non-attractive to minors under 915 KAR 1:110.

Deep dive
The first edible dose for a new patient should be 2.5–5 mg of THC. Not 10 mg — 2.5 or 5. Kentucky edibles are dose-labeled by milligram; you can find products designed for micro-dosing that come in 2 mg or 2.5 mg pieces exactly for this reason. Wait a full two hours before considering a second dose. This is the single most-broken rule in medical cannabis. Onset can be as fast as 30 minutes on an empty stomach or as slow as two hours after a meal — patients often assume the edible 'isn't working' at the 60-minute mark and dose again, then get hit with both doses at once. Edibles are the format where the entourage effect matters most, because 11-hydroxy-THC produced by the liver has a longer, heavier profile than inhaled Delta-9 THC. A CBD:THC balanced edible (1:1 or 2:1 CBD:THC) is often much more tolerable than a THC-only edible, especially for patients who don't want to feel intoxicated during their coverage window. Store edibles the way you'd store medication: locked, out of reach of children and pets, and never in food packaging that looks like the non-medicated version.
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Educational information only. Kentucky's medical cannabis program requires registration under KRS Chapter 218B and a practitioner's written certification. Always start at the lowest effective dose.