What to Expect When Experimenting with Different Strains in Edibles

Cannabis, Edibles

Edibles are one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis, and for good reason! They help moderate the sometimes intense effects of strains, prolonging and leveling out the high. They are also easier to transport and store, and the level of creativity you can achieve when cooking or baking with them is unmatched. However, weed edibles also present some challenges that are specific to this type of cannabis consumption.

For instance, one of the most common questions people often have when purchasing edibles or creating their own is whether you can mix and match. Every strain will behave differently in an edible, but what happens if you use more than one strain at once? It’s certainly possible to do this, but it’s important to understand what can happen if you do.

Let’s explore what to expect when experimenting with different strains in edibles and whether you need to be worried about getting creative.

Can You Mix & Match?

The short answer is yes, you can mix and match, and it’s common to do so. If you purchase store-bought edibles, you have likely already consumed a product made with multiple strains of weed. As long as the overall composition of the strains is similar in terms of THC or CBD content, the rest doesn’t matter as much.

Still, you can’t skip choosing the mixed strains carefully. Just don’t worry too much if you can’t find enough of a particular variety to complete your cooking or baking; it’s all right to substitute something similar.

The Challenges of Experimentation

Experimentation can be a lot of fun, especially when it comes to weed. For those crafting their own edibles (or considering mixing pre-made eddies of multiple types), there are some challenges that accompany the craft.

While these certainly aren’t insurmountable roadblocks, they should be on your radar so that you make informed choices while you craft the perfect edible. Here are some of the most prominent difficulties you might face when you start experimenting.

The uncontrolled high

Each marijuana strain has its own blend of terpenes, which each affects the brain in different ways. From encouraging relaxation to providing a euphoric mental shift, people seek out varying cannabis types to achieve their specific goals. By mixing strains that stand in stark contrast to each other, you could create an edible that runs a less controlled high.

Edibles with numerous mixed ingredients or strains that do not target similar goals can create discomfort. For instance, suppose that you mixed a strain that inspires and motivates with one that provides deep relaxation. This might leave you with an overpowered sense of needing to get out and about but just enough relaxing properties to feel frustrated that you can’t.

Dosage challenges

Similar to the difficulties with a balanced high, adding different strains to edibles can lead to dosage challenges, especially when adding strains with significantly different levels of THC or CBD.

Not only are eddies harder to dose in general (because creating a perfectly even mixture isn’t consistent), but using two strains could mean that you’re getting one bite of a lot of one strain and none of the other. This creates potential problems with dosage that could leave you either not getting the high you wanted or getting too much and feeling uncomfortable.

The effects of heat

Extracting oils from cannabis, lighting a blunt, and other activities all expose weed to heat. This is normal, but it’s important to understand that it also changes the composition of the cannabis.

This is no problem when you can adjust the dosage of a single strain based on how it responds to heat, but when you mix two or more strains in an edible (that needs to be heated), problems can start to arise. The two varieties may respond to heat differently, which might produce an end product that is not as you expect.

Eddies hit different

In general, edibles provide a different experience than vaping and other options. They take longer to kick in (and often longer to wear off as well), which means you’re committed to what you created for an extended period as soon as you take a bite. If you combine different strains, it takes a lot longer to fine-tune an edible to your idea of perfection.

Use High-Quality Weed or Edibles When Experimenting

Experimenting with different strains in edibles is perfectly fine, but it should be attempted with a bit of education and care. Be sure to start with high-quality weed or oils as the base of any of your edibles so you can focus on creating the perfect outcome, not whether your cannabis is worth its salt. Stop by Pure Oasis to see the strains you can choose from or get tips from our budtenders on which varieties may make for a great eddie.