9 min read
Sam North
THC edibles and THC gummies are among the most popular and potentially therapeutically effective medical cannabis products available to UK medical cannabis patients, but they work a little differently to other formats. Taken by mouth, they pass through the digestive system, so the effects build gradually and tend to last longer than inhaled or sublingually administered cannabis product.
Key takeaways
Contents
The term ‘THC edibles’ refers to any food or drinks infused with THC, one of the two major cannabinoids (along with CBD) produced by cannabis plants. THC is the major psychoactive compound in cannabis plants, but it also offers a wide range of potentially therapeutic benefits.
The category is very broad: THC gummies, baked goods, soft drinks, THC infused alcohol, and chocolates are all classed as THC edibles, but in UK medical cannabis settings the options are narrower. Legally prescribable options come in controlled, consistent, highly regulated formats rather than the home-made products you may picture. Here at Releaf, that format is pastilles, a small, gummy style edible with a controlled dosage in every pastille.
THC edibles are only legal in the UK when prescribed by a specialist doctor listed on the GMC Specialist Register. If you’d like to learn more about the legal nuances of both THC and CBD edibles in the UK, head to our full guide on whether edibles are legal in the UK.
Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, known more widely as THC, is the main psychoactive component of cannabis.
When you take it in edible form, it works differently to both inhaled or sublingually administered medical cannabis products. Instead of reaching the bloodstream quickly through either the lungs or the tissues under the tongue, edibles travel down through the digestive tract and into the stomach.
From there, the THC is absorbed and passes into the liver, where it is converted into 11-hydroxy-THC, a more potent and longer lasting compound than the delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol you first ingested. This movement through the digestive system and into the liver is why the effects of edibles take longer to be felt, usually between 30 mins to 2 hours, and also why the effects tend to last considerably longer than inhaled or sublingual products.
Apart from the psychoactive effects, THC may offer patients relief from the symptoms of:
Yes. Medical cannabis has been a legal treatment option in the UK since November 2018, and while the NHS is still unwilling to offer cannabis-based treatment options outside a handful of rare cases, private clinics like us here at Releaf have stepped in to help patients access treatment.
Releaf patients have access to a range of edibles that offer different ratios of THC and CBD. At Releaf, THC gummies are prescribed in pastille form: small, gummy-style edibles that have regulated, consistent cannabinoid doses in every pastille.
Unlike THC gummies and other edible products available on the black market, every single medical cannabis pastille that we offer to patients undergoes stringent testing to meet strict regulatory requirements. This means that you can trust the numbers the label displays on the packaging concerning the THC, CBD, and other compound levels.
Despite being illegal when not prescribed by a specialist here in the UK, it is possible to find THC edibles being sold direct to consumers online, and from illicit street suppliers. These products come with some very real risks.
There is simply no way of knowing how much THC, CBD, or any other compound they may contain, and without the regulatory oversight and stringently enforced testing that legal medical cannabis edibles are subject to, there is no way to truly know what you are taking, or whether it is fit to consume in the first place.
Think of the different types of medical cannabis products as having the same ‘core personality’ with slightly different ways of expressing themselves. The cannabinoids and other therapeutic compounds doing the work are the same (THC, CBD, terpenes, flavonoids, minor cannabinoids, etc.), but the way they are administered changes how quickly the effects will become noticeable, and how long those effects last.
As we touched on earlier, with edibles, the effects take a little longer to be felt than other forms, and they also last longer. A THC gummy has to work its way through the digestive system before the cannabinoids reach the liver where they are processed before reaching your bloodstream, which can take anywhere between 30 minutes and two hours.
The trade-off is a much longer duration. The effects of THC edibles last a fair bit longer than inhaled or sublingual formats, up to between six and eight hours in many cases. This can be very helpful for patients needing extended relief, particularly for symptoms caused by chronic pain conditions or if you are struggling with sleep issues.
|
Medical cannabis format |
How it is taken |
Typical time until effects are noticeable |
Typical duration |
Key points |
|
THC pastilles |
Allowed to slowly dissolve in mouth before swallowing |
Anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours |
Between four and eight hours, dose-dependent |
Pastilles (THC gummies) take longer for effects to be felt than inhaled forms, with the effects also lasting longer. This may benefit patients needing more sustained symptom control, like those needing overnight support |
|
Medical cannabis flower |
Vaporised and inhaled |
Two to ten minutes |
Between two and four hours |
Vaporised flower works faster than edible THC pastilles, with the effects wearing off in around four hours. |
|
THC vapes |
Inhaled through a THC vape, with an attached THC cartridge filled with a medical cannabis extract that may also contain CBD |
Two to ten minutes |
Between two and four hours |
THC vapes are among the most convenient way for patients to access inhaled medical cannabis, especially for those on the go looking for dose discretion. |
|
Sublingual medical cannabis oil |
Held under the tongue for 60 to 90 seconds |
Around 15 to 40 minutes |
Between four to six hours |
The effects of sublingually administered medical cannabis oils should be felt sooner than orally taken THC pastilles, as the cannabinoids are absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the tissues underneath the tongue, bypassing the digestive tract. |
|
Medical cannabis capsules |
Swallowed |
Anywhere between 30 minutes and two hours |
Between four and eight hours, dose dependent |
Medical cannabis capsules are among the closest formats to pastilles, as they pass through the digestive system before being processed by the liver. They offer a similarly gradual onset of effects, with extended effect duration. |
|
Illicit street weed |
Usually burned and smoked through a joint, pipe, or bong |
Seconds to two minutes |
Between two and four hours |
Smoking produces effects almost immediately, but this comes with heavy health risks. Smoking medical cannabis is illegal in the UK. Prescribed medical cannabis flower must be administered through a suitable dry herb vaporiser. |
All medical cannabis products prescribed to patients in the UK are subject to regulatory oversight and made to Good Manufacturing Practice standards. Each pastille comes with a precise, fixed dose. Your prescribing specialist will suggest a starting dose, with most patients starting low and then slowly increasing the dose over a period of weeks until they find the dose that works best for them.
THC gummies and other forms of THC edibles have an efficacy period of around six to eight hours, and those effects will usually be felt within 30 minutes to two hours.
Yes, potentially. Along with offering a range of therapeutic benefits for some patients, THC is an intoxicating compound, and edibles are no exception. In fact, as the THC is processed by the liver when taken in edible form, it is converted into a more potent form (11-hydroxy-THC), so the effects may be stronger than an equal dose of inhaled or sublingually administered THC.
That said, when taken orally, THC goes through the ‘first-pass’ metabolism in the liver. This reduces the level of THC that ever makes it to the bloodstream intact, with oral bioavailability of THC being lower than when inhaled or taken sublingually.
They may be, but as with all forms of medical cannabis treatment options, there really is no one-size-fits-all solution for all patients. Whether one of Releaf’s legally prescribed medical cannabis pastilles, medical cannabis strains, THC vapes, or medical cannabis oil options may help with your specific symptoms depends on how you respond to treatment, your condition, and your medical history, which is what your prescribing specialist will help work through during your initial consultation and subsequent follow-ups.
To find out if you might qualify for a prescription, head straight over to Releaf’s medical cannabis eligibility checker. It’s fast, free, and designed to give you clear answers from the most trusted UK medical cannabis clinic.
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