Do you feel like you are fighting a silent battle with cannabis edibles? You try a gummy or a baked good, but instead of total relaxation and warm euphoria, you feel…. nothing? No matter if you increase the serving size or switch up the brand, you still are left (impatiently) waiting. 

If edibles don't work for you, several things may be going on. Which is good news because it means there are likely a few ways to fix it. So, let's get into how edibles work to properly diagnose why they aren't working for you.

Edibles are a category of cannabis products infused with cannabinoids and designed to be ingested. This delicious collective of products can include gummies, baked goods, and savory dishes, as well as drinks, teas, and syrups. Even capsules and tablets can technically fall under this category because they follow the same oral route. 

All edibles share one key trait: They're processed through the digestive system. Unlike inhaled cannabis, which enters the bloodstream almost instantly through the lungs, edibles take a slow and meandering trek through the stomach and intestines.

If you've ever felt sluggish after a big meal, you know digestion can take time—and so can the onset of the effects of edibles. This delay is due to a process known as first-pass metabolism, where the active compounds must go through a slow metabolization before they enter the bloodstream.

In your gut, this means THC (and other cannabinoids) gets gradually absorbed through the intestinal walls. Then, these active compounds travel along the portal vein to the liver, where liver enzymes convert them into secondary compounds called metabolites.

Only when THC (and any THC-adjacent cannabinoids like delta-8) hits your liver does it get converted into 11-Nor-9-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH). This far more potent psychoactive metabolite readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. Once the conversion starts, you begin to feel the first effects.

From the first bite of that brownie to the peak of its effects, it's an exceedingly slow process and often why so many people feel like edibles just don't work for them.

No two bodies are the same, and no two edible experiences are the same. Just because your friend feels euphoric after a 10 mg gummy doesn't mean you will, too. So what's going on? Why isn't it working?

If edibles aren't working for you, it could be for any of the following reasons—or a combination.

Edibles do not produce instantaneous effects. Depending on what you had for lunch, your metabolism, and even your genetics, the effects from edibles can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to reach their peak.

If you've tried an edible and are waiting for the effects to kick in, the first step is simply to keep waiting. Try eating a small snack and drinking some water; otherwise, it's smart to wait a few hours until you go back for seconds. Sometimes, the edibles aren't working simply because you haven't waited long enough.

What if you just can't handle the hour(s)-long wait for edibles to kick in? You have options! Try a few puffs from a THC vape or fast-acting nano-emulsified THC for faster onset times. 

Did you know you can develop a tolerance to THC? This is because after we repeatedly expose our cannabinoid receptors to THC, they can become less sensitive. Over time, this means you'll require more THC to feel the same effects.

If this sounds like what's happening for you, try gradually increasing the serving size by 5 to 10 milligrams. (Again, you'll have to be patient for the onset of effects to avoid overdoing it.)

But, if you've increased a few times now, you might also try taking a tolerance break, also called a “t-break.” Purposefully taking time off from THC allows your cannabinoids and endocannabinoid system time to reset and recover. After a few weeks, try reintroducing a 10 milligram gummy to see how your body responds. 

There is always a chance the edible you tried is just old, poorly made, or has degraded cannabinoids. Obviously, if you found the gummy at the back of a drawer or under the couch, it may have just expired, or, maybe you left it exposed to light and air and the cannabinoids degraded. However, if you sourced the product from an unregulated black market source, this could also indicate low-quality and untested ingredients—including the THC levels.

We always recommend you buy edibles from reputable sources with third-party lab testing that supports the claims on the packaging. If you can't find the test results on the label or online, this could be a sign this edible won't work as well as you want.

Finally, if everything else has been ruled out, it's possible that you are one of the few people with a minor genetic mutation of the liver enzyme responsible for metabolizing cannabinoids.

Clinical research has discovered there are a handful of people with a specific mutation to the CYP2C9 enzyme, which means they metabolize much less THC than others. 

An earlier study suggested this may be as much as 30 percent less. Both of these studies have been very small, so there is a possibility that some people aren't able to metabolize THC at all.

You may have heard this point rehashed again and again, but it's true: When it comes to cannabis, quality does make all the difference—especially with edibles. High-quality products aren't just tested for safety and contaminants but also to confirm they contain all the active ingredients you're paying for. From a QR code or an online batch test, you can actually confirm a product has the THC content listed on the package.

Premium edibles often go beyond just THC, featuring live resin or full-spectrum extracts that preserve the plant's full range of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. This diverse blend works to create a more balanced, potent, and enjoyable experience.

If you keep fighting to feel the effects of edibles, know that you are not alone.  Edibles affect everyone differently, which means that for some people, there may be little to no effects at all.

From what you've eaten beforehand to serving size to genetic variation, there are far more reasons why your edibles aren't working than you may expect. But in most cases, if you have a bit of patience for the process, there should be a way to overcome the issue.

Keep experimenting. Keep trying. Just remember to go low and slow, and until next time, Mind your Mind.