Are H4CBD candies dangerous?

In an incident reported at the end of December by Le Parisien, a gathering of friends turned into a bad trip after consuming sweets purchased in a Parisian CBD shop and containing H4CBD. The consequences were benign, but some individuals ended up in hospital. Could this Secret Ganja have been avoided?

According to Le Parisien, these sweets contained H4CBD, a synthetic cannabinoid derived from CBD, CBD and THC in legal doses below 0.3%. THC, the active substance in cannabis, is known for its psychotropic effects, while CBD, psychoactive but not psychotropic, occurs naturally in the plant. H4CBD, a cannabinoid manufactured in the laboratory, adds a layer of complexity to these products.

Even if these products are legal in France, their consumption carries risks. As Professor Nicolas Authier, a specialist in pharmacology and addictology, reminds BFMTV, the threshold of 0.3% alone is misleading. The quantity of cannabinoids ingested is more important than the percentage.

The consumption of’edibles, Cannabis-infused food generates more effects than when smoked, with the disadvantage of a long latency between ingestion and onset of effects. It's therefore generally advisable to wait 2 hours before seeing if the ingested dose takes effect, and to avoid taking a slice of space cake, for example, beforehand, at the risk of experiencing a double kiss-cool effect on the way up.

The gummies in question also contained 25 mg THC, a very high dose for non-consumers. For reference, the maximum dose of a edible on the legal Californian market is 10 milligrams of THC, with a limit of 100mg of THC per pack (i.e. 10 doses of 10mg or 20 doses of 5mg).

Another area of concern is the transparency of product composition. The Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behavior (Mildeca) found that a significant proportion of CBD-based products on the French market did not contain what was indicated on the label. 6% of the samples tested, moreover, contained neocannabinoids including H4CBD.

This lack of transparency inherent in the absence of regulation, as well as the lack of warnings from sellers, leads to risks for consumers, as demonstrated by the «Secret Santa» incident, where people thought they were consuming a standard CBD candy.

How to consume edibles for the first time?

If you want to try this type of legal cannabis-infused edibles, then you should buy them from trusted sites that describe the gummies' contents perfectly. If these contain more than 10 milligrams of THC, then they will be very strong. As always with edibles, It's better to take 2 at 2-hour intervals than to regret taking 2 at the same time.

You should also be aware of the following.

How do edibles work?

The edibles are consumed orally and processed in the stomach and liver, while smoked or vaporized cannabis enters the lungs and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

The effects of edibles take much longer to be felt, as they must first be digested and metabolized. This is why they are generally more potent and last longer than smoked or vaporized cannabis.

How long does the effect of edibles last?

Don't expect your space brownie to start taking effect as soon as you've swallowed it. Due to digestion, the effects of edibles tend to peak 1-2 hours after consumption and dissipate within 2-3 hours, whereas the effects of smoked cannabis tend to peak within 10 minutes and dissipate rapidly within 30-60 minutes. These are estimates; individual metabolisms, as well as external factors such as eating your edible on an empty stomach, age and pre-existing conditions, can influence these timescales.

Edibles may seem powerful, but compared with inhaled cannabis, they actually deliver a lower concentration of cannabinoids into the bloodstream. Ingestion of edibles introduces only 10 to 20% of THC and other cannabinoids into blood plasma, whereas inhaled cannabis reaches a concentration closer to 50 to 60%.

Being a cannabis user, even in quantity, has no impact on edibles tolerance; a low-dose edible can still knock out even the most experienced canna-lovers. They'll just be more used to the effect, but surprises can happen.

What should I do if I have unpleasant sensations?

The effects of edibles can be very different from those of burning, vaping or dabbing. After all, our bodies metabolize them via different systems, and highs from edibles are the longest-lasting of all consumption methods because the THC passes through the liver during digestion, increasing THC's longevity.

We recommend you try to stay calm, You can also try eating a hearty meal to boost your metabolism. You can also try eating a hearty meal to boost your metabolism. or take CBD to mitigate the effects of edibles. If you can, a good long nap can also do the trick.

Most importantly, you don't die from a THC overdose. The effects always wear off eventually. It just sometimes takes longer than you'd like!