These days, people are consuming raw cannabis by adding it to smoothies or salads.

Why?

As it turns out, cannabis offers a plethora of essential oils, terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoid acids, and vitamins that can have a plethora of dietary benefits.

Some have tried to down a gram of weed after being stopped by police, or perhaps they’re too broke for rolling papers, so they eat the weed instead in hopes that they’ll still get their buzz on.

But what happens when you eat raw weed, and can you actually get high from it?

Let’s explore.

No High If Weed Isn’t Decarboxylated

You might think that eating cannabis buds would work like consuming edibles, but that’s not the case.

Eating raw weed won’t produce the psychoactive effects you’d get from smoking or consuming edibles. This is because the cannabinoids in the raw buds, like THCA, aren’t activated. THCA is a non-psychoactive precursor to THC, and it needs to be decarboxylated (usually through heat, like in an oven) to convert into THC, which gives you the “high” effects.

Without heat, there’s no conversion, and therefore, no high.

Digestive Discomfort

Side effects of eating weed raw include stomach discomfort.

The plant material has a ton of fiber and can be difficult to digest, possibly leading to a stomach ache or nausea in some cases.

On the flip side, if you decarboxylate your weed by adding the necessary heat to release the cannabinoids etc, then THCA will be converted into THC.

Once decarbed, the weed can be consumed directly or mixed into foods to produce the desired psychoactive effects. However, because THC is fat-soluble, it’s often more effective to mix decarbed weed with a fat like butter or oil before consuming it.

This allows your body to absorb the THC more efficiently, leading to a stronger and longer-lasting high.

We knew that eating plants was good for us, but the cannabis plant being included in that list? Might feel like a shocker.

But, cannabis is a plant at the end of the day. And plants can host a ton of nutritional content.

Raw weed contains:

• Cannabinoids
• Vitamins (A, C, E, D K, B12)
• Minerals (Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc)
• Fiber
• Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
• Antioxidants

If you’ve eaten raw weed in the days leading up to a drug test, there’s a good chance it will show up in your system.

Urine tests, which account for more than 75% of drug tests, detect the cannabis metabolite THC-OOOH. Even though raw cannabis contains THCA, which isn’t psychoactive, it still gets metabolized by the body and can result in a positive test.

To avoid this, it’s best not to consume raw cannabis before a drug test. If you have, consider common detox methods like drinking plenty of water and exercising to help burn fat and speed up your metabolism.

As long as the cannabis flower is properly decarboxylated, yes, you can get high from weed eated. However, it might not be the ideal plant to incorporate into your regular diet since it can cause stomach discomfort.

If you do decide to munch on some raw bud, be sure to control the dosage since cannabis in edible form can lead to delayed effects.