Marijuana edibles now legal in Oregon for recreational sale

Oregon took its first step Thursday into a new world of “high” cuisine, as adults 21 and over can now buy marijuana edibles, the legal sale of which began across the state.

But what exactly does that mean for the average cannabis consumer?

An edible enthusiast may purchase one marijuana-infused edible per day containing up to 15 milligrams of THC, any amount of cannabis-infused topical products containing no more than 6 percent THC, and one receptacle of cannabis extract containing up to 1000mgs of THC.

“You don’t want to start with something high in the hundreds, in terms of milligrams. because you can definitely take too much,” said Cannabend Store Manager Jesi Schafer.

In terms of safety, there’s a thin line between too much and too little. We spoke to St. Charles Emergency Department physician William Reed to see how much is too much.

“So like all things, moderation is key,” Reed said. “Absorption takes awhile, and everyone’s different. Effects don’t really kick in for 30 minutes, and then that may be quicker or longer for some people. So they may ingest too much wanting to get their high.”

Along with keeping yourself safe, you need to make sure to keep your pets and children safe as well. There have already been several cases of children getting into their parents’ edibles stash.

“Like any other medication, it’s got to be kept out of reach, and if they have an issue the child needs to come in and get evaluated for it,” Reed said. “Most of the time, the kids do fine. But it’s better to just come in and get them evaluated to make sure they’re going to do fine,”