Until research catches up, it’s always wise to start slowly with marijuana consumption to see how your body and brain react.

Whether you’re looking for an immediate feeling of euphoria or easing anxiety and pain, the timeline of how long marijuana has to take effect depends on many factors. From type of plant to amount ingested, how frequently you partake to medicines you already have in your body, marijuana can affect everyone’s body differently.

My420Tours believes multiple factors come into play when discussing a high and how long THC takes to enter and create an effect in the human body. They explain that it comes down to:

• How it’s consumed
• The quantity consumed
• The quality of the product
• Strains being ingested
• Your body’s metabolism
• Tolerance

According to a 2017 Vice article,Dr. Aury Holtzman explained that over time, marijuana plants, like indica and sativa, have evolved their DNA to contain terpenes.

Terpenes are like the fingerprint of a plant’s smell and strain- they affect potency and which “high” you feel. According to Dr. Holtzman, indica offers a body high while sativa seems to offer a head high. Just as the timeline differs from person-to-person, often there are different sensations relating to how each individual experiences a marijuana high.

Photo courtesy Simple Accessories

Sacred.Garden believes highs can also differ by whether edibles are taken on an empty stomach, or if other medicines are involved. They explain it like this:

“THC is typically oil-soluble. However, the digestive process makes THC water-soluble. As a result, it can end up being far more potent and last much longer. The intensity of an edible high can be magnified by how it’s experienced. Edibles can result in a body high, as opposed to the head high that comes with smoking.”

Smoking or ingesting marijuana through a joint or e-cig seems to offer the quickest reaction as cannabinoids go directly into the user’s lungs and, in most cases, can be felt within a few minutes. When gummies or baked goods are swallowed, the stomach breaks down the compounds while the liver converts the compounds. Often the feeling of reaction to marijuana comes slower, around a half-hour.

Medicines you may be already taking can also create uncertainty in timing with marijuana as well. A 2018 study published in the journal Medicinesfound that limited data showcased the possibility of medicine reactions, but more research was needed. The study cited that, “There is still limited data on significant drug interactions caused by medicinal cannabis. Thus, the evidence-based clinical guidelines on interactions of drugs with medicinal cannabis are still lacking.”

Until research catches up, it’s always wise to start slowly with marijuana consumption to see how your body and brain react.