Humans have been consuming cannabis for thousands of years, that we already know. We also know we’re a population of animals that sure loves to eat! Put them together and you’ve got a fantastic market for cannabis edibles. But we’re not talking about any old edible right now. Here we’re looking at the most interesting edibles, and the most creative ways of eating cannabis.

Food is the best, and there are a million interesting edibles on the market for cannabis! Whether you like your edibles sweet, or salty, there’s something for everyone. Some are higher in CBD, some in THC, and some are made with delta-8 THC, the alternate form of THC on the market, which produces slightly less psychoactive effect, and a more energetic, clear-headed high. No matter how you like to consume cannabis, there are plenty of options, and that goes for delta-8 as well. If you have yet to try D8, check out our awesome Delta 10 THC and Delta-8 THC deals, and pick up a new kind of cannabis product.

How they used to do it

There are a lot of cool and interesting edibles on the market for cannabis, though its good to remember that cannabis has been eaten throughout history, just not as the edibles we know today. Back then, it wasn’t understood that cannabinoids are fat soluble, or that they can be leached out into substances like butter. One of the first mentions is from China back in 1,500 BC when cannabis was being consumed as a tea. The records from this time are actually written in the past tense, indicating this tradition might be even older than the dated records.

Cannabis became big in Hindu culture around 1,000 BC, when the drink bhang came into play. Not only is the drink still big today in India, but it was even the basis for the cording in the current international law that governs cannabis legality globally, the Single Convention on Narcotic Substances treaty.

A little less ancient history

Obviously, there’s a huge difference between edible cultures of ancient history, and the edible culture of today. Today’s edible culture started with an American in Paris. Enter Alice B. Toklas, the life partner of American author Gertrude Stein, who was a part of the Paris literary upper class in the early-mid 1900’s. Alice was famous for her cannabis fudge, which ended up in her 1954 cookbook, the Alice B Toklas Cookbook, which can still be bought today. The recipe for ‘Haschisch Fudge’ which shows up in the cookbook, uses ground cannabis, not hash, creates more of a fudge than a brownie, and apparently was not Alice’s own recipe, but had come from someone else.

All this might have blown away without much notice, if not for the 1968 Peter Sellers film entitled I Love You, Alice B. Toklas, which features a stressed out lawyer who eats Alice’s brownies. This movie brought the ‘pot brownie’ via Alice’s recipe, into the mainstream, and instituted it as a major aspect of 1960’s hippy counter-culture. Edibles like brownies are still some of the most popular edibles out there, and are made by tons of different companies, with tons of different options. This brownie became the iconic idea of the marijuana edible back then, but these days there are way more interesting edibles on the market for cannabis.

Why we love cannabis edibles so much

I think there are a couple different answers here. The first is that we like to eat. While this goes for America, and it’s fattest-in-the-world population, it also goes well for the rest of the widening world, making anything that goes down the throat, a popular choice. Consider that 36.5% of Americans are considered obese, with another 32.5% considered overweight. That’s solidly 69% of the US that can’t effectively control its food intake. Is it really shocking that a form of drug and medication taking to become popular would involve actually eating it? Kind of seems right up our alley.

The other thing to remember about edibles, is that an edible creates a different experience for the user. When THC is smoked, it goes directly to the lungs, where it’s transferred to the bloodstream, and then transported immediately to the brain. In the brain, THC binds to CB1 receptors, making the user get that ‘high’ feeling within moments of taking the smoke or vapor into their lungs. This high generally lasts about 1-2 hours, so its not uncommon for cannabis smokers to smoke several times a day.

On the other hand, when THC is ingested, it goes down the throat and to the stomach. Everything is broken down in the stomach, and active cannabinoids are sent to the liver for metabolization. In this metabolization process, the delta THC molecule (can be delta-8 or delta-9) with this chemical structure: C21H30O2, becomes 11-hydroxy-THC with this chemical structure: C21H30O3. Though it doesn’t look to be a big shift in chemistry, this drastically changes the effects of the molecule.

This new molecule provides a more intense high, with more focus on a body-high feeling. And the effects don’t wear off after two hours, but can last up to six or more. This longer, more intense, coverage, makes edible products better for issues that require longer duration of effects. However, edibles come with a specific caveat. This process through the digestive tract which changes the molecule, also takes a lot more time. In contrast to the near immediate high of smoking, when eating an edible, it can take up to three hours for effects to kick in, with a general minimum waiting period of 30-45 minutes for quicker cases.

Think about how frustrating this wait is for someone who wants, or needs, the effects. For this reason, it’s easy to overdose on THC when eating edibles, if too much is eaten before effects have time to kick in. While this won’t cause any real damage, it will subject a person to feeling pretty bad for a number of hours, which isn’t a fun experience for anyone. Edible users should know themselves, and the products they are using, to avoid consuming too much THC at once.

Most interesting cannabis edibles

Brownies were the way that edibles catapulted into the cannabis mainstream in the 60’s, and for quite some time, brownies and cookies were the primary way to consume cannabis as a food. But, oh, how times have changed. In such a cool and delicious way. Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting edibles made from cannabis on the market today.

Cannabis-infused beef jerky

I’ll start with my favorite, because it’s near and dear to my own heart. Cannabis beef jerky. And yes, you’ve read that correctly. You might not have thought it was possible. In fact it probably neve crossed your mind. But let’s be honest, meat is fatty, and that makes beef jerky a decent product to infuse with cannabinoids. And what’s better than one company putting out cannabis beef jerky? Several! Like, Kushie Bites CBD Beef Jerky. These delicious meat morsels come in packs containing 250 mg of CBD, and 11 grams of protein, and are a perfect low-carb, high-protein snack. Packs are resealable, and come in both Original and Teriyaki flavors. As an extra bonus, each $25 bag is pesticide free, heavy-metal free, and THC-free.

Perhaps you want THC in your meat products though. In this case, Stoned-Aged Jerky is the way to go. The company produces a line of THC-infused artisanal beef jerky products coming in four flavors, each containing 10mg of THC for a single dose, and 100mg for 10 doses. Flavors: Twisted Teriyaki, Black Pepper – which both come as meat strips, and Original, BBQ Habanero, Southwest Rancheros, and Mandarin Teriyaki which come as meat links. Strips contain 5 grams of protein per strip, and links contain 10 grams of protein. All products are gluten free, and made from grass fed beef. These products are excellent for retailers and wholesalers who want to put a new kind of product on their shelves.

Yet another company that’s all in with its beef jerky? Jerkules, a company devoted entirely to creating mouth-watering cannabis infused beef jerky products. The company offers Teriyaki Jerky and Jerkules Beef Jerky in packages containing one ($14.99) or two ($15.99) ounces. Each serving contains 11 grams of protein, and 250mg of CBD, complete with lab testing results on the site.

Chips

Beef jerky isn’t the only interesting product that now comes with cannabis. So does everyone’s favorite party snack: chips! And there’s not just one kind. If you want to get your party started right, buy some Jay’s CBD Potato Chips made by Earthshine Organics. These great little treats are fantastic for keeping things consistent during the day, or for getting the party started at night. The chips are CBD-infused, with either 100, 200, or 300mg per serving. Each bag costs $24.99.

If you’re more of a Doritos type of person, have no fear, there are products for you too. Like 420Now’s THC Doritos Tortilla Chips. Each package contains 600mg of THC per 28.3grams of nacho cheese flavored Doritos. As a THC heavy product, these medicated Doritos are available for purchase only in Canada now, and cost $20 per bag.

CraftElixir offers some fancier selections, with its line of Lori’s Potato Chips, a variety of infused chips in the tastiest of flavors, like Sweet Potato. These chips are handmade from organic potatoes, seasoned to perfection with cinnamon, sugar, and sea salt, with 10mg of THC. There’s also a Roasted Garlic option, and Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper. All with 10mg of THC per bag.

Like Hot Cheetos? InlandEmpire420Supply has you covered with its Flamin Hot Chiefos, each bag containing 500mg of THC. These $9.99 bags are great for just yourself, or for wholesalers or those buying in bulk, who can take advantage of wholesale prices, like 25 packs at $9.49 each, 50 packs for $8.99 each, or 100 packs for $8 each.

Sauces/spreads

Perhaps you want your cannabis to come as some form of spread. Maybe you want it as part of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. These days, this is possible, with products like Kushie Bite’s CBD Peanut Butter. Each jar of peanut buttery goodness contains 300mg of CBD, and is both pesticide and heavy-metal free. Jars cost $30 each. Kushie Bites goes a step further, also offering a peanut butter treat to your favorite furry friend with CBD Dog PB Buddy Biscuits. These $23 packs contain 100mg of CBD for your pooch.

Maybe you want to rub some cannabis all over your barbeque meat. Well, you can do that too. You can even do it with delta-8 THC. Agrodine offers a super tangy delta-8 barbecue sauce, with a sweet, smoky, Southern-style flavor. Each 12oz bottle contains 500mg of delta-8 THC, and should leave users with a clear-headed high that is slightly less intense than delta-9, and which won’t bring on any anxiety for users. Each bottle of this special sauce costs $34.99.

And finally, if you want to drip your cannabis infusion spread all over your other food, this can be done too. Why2Fly has an entire line of spreadable cannabis condiments, like ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce. The ketchup and mustard both come infused with 5mg of THC (0 CBD), and the hot sauce comes infused with 10mg of THC (0 CBD). These products ship all over the country.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Some of the more unexpected, new-age, and interesting ways of consuming edibles of cannabis. These days, cannabis can be put into all kinds of products, and the companies on this list are really taking advantage of cannabis technology to put some pretty cool products on the market.