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As someone who has judged literally hundreds of cannabis-infused edibles, I can sympathize. Eating an overdose of THC can be scary, even for seasoned smokers. Before legal medical marijuanaand the revolution in lab testing, it was extremely difficult for a novice to determine the potency of a home baked batch of brownies, but now we have candy bars with the THC content listed in milligrams. Legalization has made cannabis foods much safer, but it’s also introducing them to a whole new audience, many of whom have no idea what to expect.

So here’s the scoop: Eating 10 – 25 milligrams of THC will make your muscles relax, and waves of bliss will blanket your body. Giggling and silliness are common. You will feel relaxed and cozy, and get the best “super sleep” of your life. The high can last from four to six hours, or longer with higher doses. Keep in mind that everyone’s metabolism is different, and your weight and fitness will play a role in how your body reacts to edible pot foods. Pain patients seeking to replace pharmaceuticals can grow to tolerate daily doses of THC in the hundreds of milligrams.

Colorado has put together a task force to pursue new edibles regulations, aimed at avoiding accidental ingestion by children and limiting amounts that can be purchased. As the great legal cannabis experiment continues, industry and government will need to work together to ensure consumers are properly educated about how much THC they should be eating. Mandating budtender training, passing out brochures with common sense safety and dosage tips, and effective, fact-based public service campaigns will go a long way towards ensuring that first-time pot tasters have enjoyable edibles experiences instead of visiting emergency rooms.

Dowd’s panic attack was due to her ignorance about the basics of edibles safety, and her rookie mistakes could have been avoided with five minutes of Googling. To help other cannabis virgins avoid making those same mistakes, we’ve compiled our 10 Commandments of Edible Cannabis Safety:

Start with a low dose of 10 milligrams of THC and wait two hours before consuming any more cannabis. Your digestive system processes pot slowly, especially if you’ve already eaten a substantial meal. Once inside your liver, THC is converted into another chemical called 11-hydroxy-THC, which is actually more potent, explaining the intensity of an edibles high.

Combining edibles with alcohol should only be attempted by those who have mastered both substances. Smoking a jay while rocking a beer is a completely different vibe than scarfing a pot brownie when you’re already wasted. Keep in mind that a few glasses of Chardonnay will magnify the effects of pot chocolate significantly, causing nausea and dizziness, aka “the spins.”