Table of Contents
- What are THC Drinks?
- What are THC Edibles?
- THC Drinks vs Edibles: How do They Compare?
- THC Drinks vs Edibles: What’s Better?
- How to Choose Wisely
- The Bottom Line
The options for federally legal THC consumption have come a long way. And while having your pick of THC products to choose from is a good thing, it can be a little intimidating at the same time, especially if you’re still new to the cannabis scene. Where do you begin? Which THC products will get you the experience you’re after? How do you know you’re getting a good product from a reliable brand? All good questions! And we think you’re right to be asking them. Let’s drill down to two popular categories in the THC world: the rapidly growing THC drink and the already popular THC edible.
Understanding THC drinks versus edibles—what makes them different, what makes them similar, and what’s the better call for the effects that appeal to you the most—is the best way to figure out which one’s right for you. Let’s get to it.
What are THC drinks?
THC drinks, also known as cannabis drinks or cannabis beverages, are precisely what the name suggests—beverages infused with THC , or tetrahydrocannabinol. Of more than 100 identified cannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant, THC is undoubtedly the most recognizable (although CBD , or cannabidiol, is a close second). When you think of Woodstock and pot-smoking hippies, you’re thinking about THC. This is the cannabinoid responsible for the “high” we all associate with marijuana—for good reason, given its ability to cause euphoria, stress relief, and a general sense of happiness.
In a cannabis-infused beverage, THC is infused into a liquid and combined with various sweeteners and other ingredients. The finished product can vary pretty significantly. It might be a THC seltzer—light, fizzy, refreshing—or a juice, tea, coffee, or lemonade. You get the idea. Just like THC edibles, there’s quite a bit of room for creativity. And just like edibles, effects depend on details like dosing, potency, and your own metabolism and tolerance level.
Most THC drinks are low-dose, which makes for a mellower effect than what you experience with edibles. Plus, they work well in social settings, and people increasingly prefer infused beverages as an alternative to alcohol. It makes sense—THC drinks are designed for mellow enjoyment without the adverse effects, like intoxication and that nasty day-after hangover. Some people compare the effects of a THC drink to those of a light beer—mild and controlled.
What are THC edibles?
A THC edible is pretty self-explanatory as well. It’s a food that’s been infused with THC, so it’s a pretty broad category. Gummies are among the most popular THC edibles, but you’ll also find baked goods like cookies and brownies, chocolates, mints, and candies. Cannabis-infused butters and oils also qualify as edibles.
Edibles have been the traditional choice for many cannabis users, but THC drinks are starting to gain in popularity.
THC Drinks vs. Edibles: How Do They Compare?
THC drinks often get lumped into the broader THC edibles category. It makes sense—both kinds of THC products are put into your mouth and swallowed, where they make their way through your digestive tract. But where THC edibles zig, THC drinks zag. It creates a distinct experience in terms of overall intensity, as well as when effects take hold and how long they last.
Effects: Onset and duration
Before you can feel the effects of, say, a THC gummy, it has quite a journey. It travels from your mouth to your stomach, where it’s broken down like anything else you eat. Then it’s off to the small intestine, where the THC is absorbed into your bloodstream and sent to the liver. Here, it’s converted into a new, more potent compound known as 11-hydroxy-THC, which produces more intense and longer-lasting effects. Once the new compound is processed, it finally hits your brain. And that’s when effects become noticeable.
The whole process takes time—anywhere from 45 minutes to well over an hour or longer, and effects last longer than those from smoking, vaping, or drinking THC. As with all things cannabis, the experience is highly personal and hinges on factors like how much THC you consumed, how efficiently you metabolize THC, and your frequency of use.
THC drinks are processed a little differently. Sure, you swallow it just like an edible that you’ve chewed, but liquids absorb far more quickly than solids in the digestive system. Formulation also plays a role. THC drinks tend to hit faster than edibles—though not necessarily harder—because of how they’re made.
Most THC drinks are made with nanotechnology, which makes the THC incredibly small so that it’s absorbed faster in your stomach and, if you’re the type to sip and savor, even sublingually in the mouth. That means less THC has to go through the liver before it can hit your brain and trigger noticeable effects. Plus, it means less THC is converted to the stronger 11-hydroxy-THC, which makes for a milder, more controllable experience without the peak typical of edibles. You can reasonably expect to feel the effects anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes after your first sip, with the results lasting for a few hours.
Legality
In terms of legality, both THC drinks and THC edibles are held to the same federal standard. To be federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill , these products must be derived from hemp, not marijuana . While both are considered cannabis, hemp plants have less THC than marijuana plants.
The second requirement is that the finished product cannot exceed 0.3% THC by dry weight (which, incidentally, is the same percentage of THC that legally differentiates a hemp plant from a marijuana plant). Assuming a THC product of any kind meets these two rules, it’s legal on a federal level, even though it can still get you high.
Here’s where things get a little murky. Individual state laws all vary, which means what’s legal in one part of the country may be completely illegal in another. If you live in a state where recreational or medical marijuana is legal, you can head to your nearest licensed dispensary to buy THC drinks or THC edibles (though you do have to be 21 or older). If you’re in a state that prohibits cannabis altogether, well, you’re out of luck.
The same applies to the online purchase of THC drinks and edibles. Even if they meet federal requirements, individual states are free to regulate or even ban hemp-based products as they see fit. Long story short? Check local laws to understand what’s permitted in your state before trying to order.
THC drinks vs edibles: What’s better?
Deciding between THC edibles and THC beverages comes down to personal preference and what you’re hoping to experience. In a side-by-side comparison, THC drinks generally hit faster than THC edibles, with a lighter, smoother high. They’re ideally suited to social situations, where it’s nice to have something you can sip on (especially if you’re avoiding alcohol). Plus, unlike an edible, where you don’t have much control over the outcome—it’s a kind of “wait and see” experience—the high from a THC drink is a little more controlled. You can sip slowly and gauge effects much faster.
Edibles tend to bring about more potent effects and a longer-lasting high, but you have to be patient—effects take much longer to kick in. You can be more discreet about eating a cannabis edible, like a gummy, than you can a THC drink. And while there’s a lot of variety with edibles, many of them often have a stronger marijuana flavor. Cannabis drinks generally do a better job of masking that taste, thanks to how they’re formulated.
In the THC-drinks-vs-edibles showdown, it’s ultimately up to you to decide what’s most important. Whatever you choose, the best approach is to start with a low dose and allow sufficient time for the effects to become noticeable. It’s a longer window with traditional edibles, so remember to be patient! If you have a hard time pacing yourself, a THC drink may be a better choice.
How to choose wisely
Whether you're drawn to a cannabis-infused beverage or a traditional cannabis edible, stack the deck in your favor from the jump. That means choosing the right product for your needs from a brand you can trust. Look for companies that are transparent about their hemp sourcing and are committed to third-party lab testing.
That means it should be quick and easy to access current certificates of analysis , which provide all the necessary information about potency and safety considerations. In other words, you want to know with certainty that these cannabis-infused products are free of residual solvents, heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, and other contaminants, like mold and mildew.
Whether or not you prioritize organic certifications in other areas of your life, it's worth doing with cannabis products. Hemp is a bioaccumulator, which means it's particularly efficient at absorbing compounds from the soil in which it grows. Conventionally grown hemp is treated with pesticides and fertilizers, and those chemicals ultimately make it into the plant. Organically grown hemp, on the other hand, isn't treated with the same kinds of chemicals. It makes for a cleaner, higher-quality finished product. Side note: Cornbread Hemp is proud to be the first USDA organic CBD company in America!
Be mindful of both dosing and serving size. Proper dosing is key to a good time, and it's especially easy to overdo it if you're consuming cannabis edibles specifically. That's because of the lengthy onset of effects. However, going back for more before the effects have time to take hold can be a recipe for an unpleasant experience. Too much THC is likely to make you feel anxious or paranoid. You may also experience a headache or an upset stomach, and you may feel so tired that you need to lie down.
Sipping on a cannabis drink, like a THC seltzer, is less likely to get you into trouble in the same way (assuming you aren't chugging can after can). They're designed for sipping and enjoying, for one, and effects are noticeable much faster. Still, before you start drinking, check the label so you're clear on THC potency and make a point of tracking how many servings you have.
The bottom line
If you're comparing THC drinks to edibles, the biggest differences boil down to their respective effects. In general, low-dose THC drinks have a milder, more controllable high, and effects are noticeable much faster. THC edibles offer a stronger experience, and you'll need to be patient, since effects can take up to two hours to kick in—but they'll last much longer as well.
Choosing between the two ultimately comes down to deciding what is most important to you. If you're new to cannabis or looking for a mellow high that will kick in fast and be gone in a few hours, a THC drink is a good call. For something longer and stronger, an edible is a better choice. In both cases, remember to start low, go slow, and enjoy responsibly.