Can you eat THC oil?

In this article, we will answer the question “Can you eat THC oil?” and discuss what are the effects of eating THC oil.

Can you eat THC oil?

Yes, you can eat THC oil. However, it may lead to risk of cannabis-induced psychosis. THC oil is one of the names given to “cannabis concentrate”, “cannabis wax” or “cannabis oil” (1). 

Oral cannabis products, or ‘edibles’, come in a variety of forms. Both THC and CBD dominant cannabis-infused food/drink products are widely available, and are particularly popular in places where a legal retail cannabis infrastructure exists. 

In addition to food products, cannabis oils and tinctures intended for oral ingestion are also common, especially for CBD-dominant products. Between 30 and 47% of adults and approximately 61% of adolescent cannabis users have consumed edibles (4).

Cannabis “wax” is a hyper-concentrated “hash oil” formed by solvent extraction, resulting in up to 90% THC along with residual solvent and pesticides. One survey of wax dabs users concluded no increase in “problems or accidents,” but greater “tolerance and withdrawal” compared to smoking the cannabis plant (1).

What are the risks of eating THC oil?

The risk of ingesting THC cannabis oil is exposing yourself to the adverse effects of this psychotropic compound, such as intoxication, panic attacks, or disorientation (2). 

There are, however, some therapeutic effects of these chemical compounds. THC may assist alleviate symptoms of pain, anxiety, nausea, and other significant medical conditions.

The effects of consuming cannabis concentrates are negative. 

With regard to physiological effects, THC produces an increased heart rate, reddened eyes, and a dry mouth. As for psychotropic effects, a mild euphoria, an enhanced sensory perception, fatigue, and eventually dysphoria together with anxiety have been observed. 

The following dose dependent effects were observed in clinical studies, both in vivo (i.e. in living organisms) and in vitro (i.e. in laboratory dishes): 

• Psyche and perception: fatigue, euphoria, enhanced well-being, dysphoria, anxiety, disturbed orientation, increased sensory perception and enhanced sexual experience, hallucinations, psychotic states. 
• Cognitive and psychomotoric performance: fragmented thinking, enhanced creativity, disturbed memory, unsteady walk, slurred speech. 
• Nervous system: attenuation of pain, muscle relaxation, appetite enhancement, decrease in body temperature, vomiting, antiemetic effects, neuroprotective effects in brain ischemia. 
• Cardiovascular system: increased heart rate, enhanced heart activity and increase in oxygen demand, vasodilation, reduced blood pressure, collapse. 
• Eye: reddened conjunctiva, reduced tear flow, reduced intraocular pressure. 
• Respiratory system: bronchodilation, dry mouth. 
• Gastrointestinal tract: reduced bowel movements. 
• Hormonal system: effects on luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, prolactine, somatotropin, TSH, reduced sperm count and sperm mobility and quality, suppressed ovulation and suppressed menstruation. 
• Immune system: impairment of cell-mediated and humoral immunity, anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating effects. 
• Fetal development: fetal malformations, fetal growth retardation, impairment to fetal and postnatal cerebral development, improved postnatal development (5).

What is the difference between eating and smoking THC oil?

The difference between eating and smoking THC oil is that by smoking the effects are immediate, while by eating the effects are perceived after a time.

When cannabis products are ingested orally, THC is absorbed inconsistently and is extensively metabolized via first-pass effect. Users typically experience the effects of THC about 2 to 4 hours after ingestion, and its effects last for 6 to 8 hours. 

Studies have shown that for every 1 mg of THC consumed via smoking or vaporizing, about 2.5 mg of THC needs to be ingested to experience the same effect.

However, persons who ingest cannabis products often experience a more intense and longer-lasting effect. This intensification likely occurs because when cannabis is ingested, THC is hydroxylated in a higher amount to 11-OH-THC, a highly active metabolite, by the cytochrome p450 enzyme, when compared with smoking (3).

Is eating THC better than smoking THC?

There are some advantages of eating THC instead of smoking THC. Edible users cite less perceived health risk compared with smoking, stronger drug effects, ability to use discreetly, and facilitation of sleep as reasons for preferring these products. 

Users report that drug effects from the use of edibles are often unpredictable (i.e. either too weak or too strong). The unpredictable nature of drug effects associated with edible use may be due to the fact that labeling for THC and CBD content is often inaccurate for these products (4).

How can you use THC oil?

You can use THC oil adding them to edibles. Cannabis oils are often taken orally as a liquid and sometimes incorporated into food items (3).

But don’t worry; as the legal cannabis market continues to grow, more products will emerge. For example, delta 8 THC is now available in soft gel form.

You should take your time and utilize it wisely, just like any other product for health and wellbeing or simply plain pleasure. Please contact a medical expert if you have any questions or concerns about THC, and please utilize the (bud)dy system whenever possible.

Exactly what is CBD oil?

CBD oil is a concentrated form of extracts of cannabinoids (most often THC or CBD). Cannabis constituents can be extracted using a solvent such as ethanol or a hydrocarbon gas (e.g. butane or propane), CO2, a pressurized heat press, or ice water. 

Cannabis extracts are most commonly inhaled or orally administered, but can also be used via other methods (4).

An extraction process is used to isolate cannabinoids like THC and CBD from marijuana plants. Chemical extraction is the procedure by which most of the oils in a dispensary are made. 

Cannabinoids and other beneficial chemicals like terpenes and flavonoids are extracted using a solvent and then added to carriers such as hemp oil or MCT oil.

The extraction technique may infer the purity and safety of the final CBD product. Toxic residues left behind by other solvents, including chlorophyll and wax, are eliminated by CO2 extraction, which yields a strong and safe product that is devoid of these contaminants.

Among THC-dominant cannabis extracts, the THC concentration is typically substantially higher than found in dried cannabis. Moreover, many cannabis concentrate products have been found to contain pesticides or residual solvent materia. 

Case reports have documented episodes of acute psychosis, neurotoxicity, and/or cardiotoxicity, following inhalation of cannabis concentrates. It is unclear whether these adverse effects were the result of high THC concentrations, contamination, or a combination of both. 

These products should be avoided by novice users, and standards for manufacturing and testing these types of products are urgently needed (4).

Other FAQs about Oils that you may be interested in.

Can you make a cake with olive oil?

How to counteract too much oil in food? 

What is bulletproof MCT oil?

Can you substitute canola oil for olive oil?

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “Can you eat thc oil?” and we discussed the effects of eating THC oil.

Reference

1. Pierre, Joseph M., Michael Gandal, and Maya Son. Cannabis-induced psychosis associated with high potency “wax dabs”. Schizophrenia Res, 2016, 172, 211-212. 
2. Hazekamp, Arno. The trouble with CBD oil. Med cannab cannabin, 2018, 1, 65-72.  
3. Peters, Jeramy, and Joseph Chien. Contemporary routes of cannabis consumption: a primer for clinicians. J Osteop Med, 2018, 118, 67-70.
4. Spindle, Tory R., Marcel O. Bonn-Miller, and Ryan Vandrey. Changing landscape of cannabis: novel products, formulations, and methods of administration. Curr Opin Psychol, 2019, 30, 98-102.
5. Grotenhermen, Franjo, Gero Leson, and Petra Pless. Assessment of exposure to and human health risk from THC and other cannabinoids in hemp foods. Leson Environmental Consulting, Berkeley. 2001.