How to Make THC Edibles Better with CBD Flower

Regardless of your perspective on THC, it’s a fact that this cannabinoid was never meant to be separated from CBD. For thousands of years, THC and CBD coexisted in harmony within every strain of Cannabis sativa produced by nature, and it was human intervention that drove these two cannabinoids apart.

It’s not too late to make things right, however. It’s surprisingly easy to return CBD to its rightful place at the side of THC, and making edibles is one of the best ways to enjoy the benefits of these cannabinoids simultaneously. In this guide, learn the benefits of using CBD and THC together, and find out the easy way to make edibles that contain both of these cannabinoids.

Benefits of THC edibles

THC has been added to food since the dawn of stoner culture. Plenty of types of THC edibles aside from pot brownies are now available, however, and cannabis connoisseurs have improved their methods of including THC in edibles considerably since the days when giggling amateur chefs threw whole marijuana nugs into brownie batter and hoped for the best.

While THC has its share of downsides, there’s no doubt that this cannabinoid also offers plenty of benefits. THC is believed to be a potent antioxidant, this cannabinoid is commonly prescribed for glaucoma, and THC also appears to improve your appetite and reduce nausea.

Taking THC in edible form might improve this substance’s benefits while reducing its negative effects. For instance, ingesting THC orally limits the intensity of this cannabinoid’s intoxicating qualities while significantly extending its duration of effects. When taken in reasonable quantities, THC edibles won’t intensely alter your state of mind, and instead, you’ll feel a mild buzz over the course of 3-6 hours.

Benefits of CBD edibles

Like THC, the intensity of the effects provided by CBD is reduced when you ingest this cannabinoid orally. Regardless of how you consume CBD, however, this cannabinoid isn’t intoxicating, and in fact, CBD does not appear to have any significant negative effects.

The main benefit of taking CBD orally is the extended duration of effect that this ingestion method offers. It takes a few hours for CBD you ingest orally to make its way through your digestive tract, and this cannabinoid imparts its benefits during this entire time.

CBD has been researched for its potential antioxidant effects, and this cannabinoid has also been studied for its potential neuroprotective properties. Whatever individual benefits CBD may or may not have, however, this cannabinoid might exert an additional array of useful properties when paired with THC.

Does using CBD and THC together provide the entourage effect?

During the early days of cannabis research, scientists primarily focused on the potential benefits of individual cannabinoids. Recently, however, a paradigm shift has occurred that places increasing emphasis on the benefits that THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids provide when used together.

Starting with the discovery that CBD appears to be more effective when paired with other cannabinoids, scientists have posited that each of the cannabinoids present in Cannabis sativa becomes more potent and effective when used with other cannabinoids. Called the entourage effect, this phenomenon is used to explain the increase in effectiveness observed when people ingest the full-spectrum of cannabinoids present in hemp flower instead of ingesting isolated cannabinoids.

The entourage effect is commonly discussed in the context of using CBD with other non-intoxicating cannabinoids, but there’s no reason that this phenomenon wouldn’t also occur when using CBD in tandem with THC. In fact, a variety of studies indicate that pairing THC with CBD might unlock new benefits of each cannabinoid while potentially mitigating the undesirable properties of THC.

Does using CBD with THC make you tired?

Both CBD and THC have the potential to make you tired. While THC commonly causes a brief period of intoxication, sleepiness often ensues once this cannabinoid’s primary effects wear off. When it comes to CBD, one of this cannabinoid’s only known negative effects is increased tiredness.

Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that using these two cannabinoids in tandem might result in a greater feeling of tiredness than either cannabinoid causes individually. Since ingesting either CBD or THC orally reduces the intensity of the effects that these cannabinoids offer, however, consuming edibles that combine CBD and THC might mitigate these potential fatigue-inducing properties.

Does using CBD reduce the negative effects of THC?

CBD has been researched for its potential to reduce the intensity of THC’s intoxicating effects. THC primarily induces intoxicating effects by binding with the endocannabinoid system’s CB1 receptors, and research indicates that CBD may act as a negative allosteric modulator at this neuroreceptor. If true, this would mean that CBD might reduce the intensity of the high caused by THC.

CBD has also been researched for its potential anti-addictive qualities. Unfortunately, THC has potent habit-forming properties, providing another reason that you might want to use CBD and THC together.

How to make easy CBD and THC edibles

You’re up to speed with the potential benefits that CBD might provide when added to THC edibles, so now it’s time to provide you with a hands-on guide to producing your very own edibles that contain both CBD and THC:

1. Combine CBD and THC flower

There are lots of different ways to add CBD to THC edibles, but we think that the simplest method is combining CBD flower with THC flower and infusing this multi-cannabinoid mix into oil of your choice. We provide detailed directions on how to produce cannabis oil in our guide “3 Ways to Make CBD Oil Using CBD Flower,” but we’ll go over the basic steps you’ll need to follow below.

Start by taking equal parts of both CBD-rich and THC-rich flower and grinding your bud into a container. Most cannabis oil recipes call for between 3 and 10 grams of bud, so you might want to try taking a 1/8th of CBD flower and a 1/8th of THC bud and grinding them together. If you want your edibles to veer to one side or the other of the cannabinoid equation, however, you might choose to include 3 grams of hemp and 5 grams of marijuana or vice versa.

For the best results, decarboxylate your buds before you cook them into edibles. This process transforms the carboxylic acid forms of THC and CBD (THCa and CBDa) into proper cannabinoids. Decarboxylation intensifies the effects and improves the benefits of your edibles.

2. Infuse this mixture into your favorite oil

Use one of the methods we describe in “3 Ways to Make CBD Oil Using CBD Flower” to make your very own THC/CBD cannabis oil. Remember to properly prepare your work area and take adequate precautions before getting started.

3. Make some delicious multi-cannabinoid edibles

Follow the recipe of your choice to make a batch of delicious edibles that contain both CBD and THC. Brownies are the obvious choice, but you can also include cannabis oil in savory dishes, other desserts, or even drinks.

Why you should make edibles with CBD and THC today

Many people enjoy using THC, but this cannabinoid has undeniable drawbacks. By throwing CBD into the mix, you can maximize your enjoyment of THC while also potentially protecting yourself from some of this cannabinoid’s less-desirable qualities. Edibles provide milder, gentler effects than most cannabinoid ingestion methods, so boosting your THC edibles with CBD is one of the best ways to experiment with the benefits that these two cannabinoids provide when used together.