Why Can’t I Feel Edibles?
If you are one of the few who eat gummies and feel nothing, don’t be alarmed: there’s nothing wrong with you. In fact, you may just be even better at processing THC than others.
Dr. Staci Gruber, the director of the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery programs at McLean Hospital (1), says:
“People with an unusual variation of a key liver enzyme could essentially be too efficient at processing ingested THC, turning the compound into its “active” high-causing metabolite and then its inactive waste product before the active form can enter the bloodstream or brain. It’s also possible other people’s enzymes make them unusually inefficient at performing this process, with little THC getting metabolized in the first place.”
There currently aren’t any studies that explain why this phenomenon occurs, but scientists are hypothesizing with what they already know. The main hypothesis is essentially:
People with uncommon subtypes of the CPY2C9 gene, the gene which encodes the enzyme that allows THC to transform in our metabolic system, break it down so fast it doesn’t have an opportunity to create the psychoactive effect.
Essentially, their bodies skip the part that allows them to get high. They’re eating the cannabinoids without processing them. Bummer, right?
This is a plausible hypothesis, but it potentially isn’t the only reason some people can’t feel edibles. There are many different factors at play when it comes to humans ingesting cannabis. The first is our metabolisms and which enzymes we have. The other factors at play include weight, gender, overall health, and even how much food a person has consumed at the time of ingestion (you can learn more about those factors here). All of these things affect the outcome of the cannabis we consume.
But if you’re feeling down about all of this, there’s some good news (hopefully):
Different cannabinoids besides THC haven’t yet been studied, either. So there could still be some out there that can work for you.
Each cannabinoid has a different molecular structure our bodies respond to, and with each differing structure comes a different way for our body to break it down. That means there’s a chance some cannabinoids out there could work for you!
Different cannabinoids to consider:
THCV
CBD
CBG
CBN
Or if all else fails, there’s always flower.
Sources:
1) The Boston Globe. "Ediblocked" May 12, 2021. Webarticle. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/12/marijuana/ediblocked-some-people-cant-get-high-eating-marijuana-scientists-arent-sure-why/2) Gasse, Angela et al. "Toxicogenetic analysis of Δ9-THC-metabolizing enzymes" Int J Legal Med. Jul 25, 2020. National Library of Medicine. Webpage. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7578149/