What Happens If You Eat Raw Weed? (Spoiler: It’s Not What You Think)

What happens if you eat raw weed? Not much, and certainly not the kind of weed high you might expect. While the cannabis plant contains chemical compounds that can interact with your body, its raw form will not deliver the same effects as smoking cannabis or consuming cannabis in prepared edible products. Without heating, the intoxicating potential of cannabis remains inactive.

Key Takeaways 

• Eating raw cannabis will not get you high because it contains THCA instead of active THC.
• Decarboxylation is necessary to unlock its effects.
• Raw cannabis contains acidic cannabinoids, fiber, minerals, and other compounds that research suggests may offer potential health benefits.
• Consuming raw cannabis may have anti-inflammatory properties, neuroprotective effects, and support digestive health.

What Happens If You Eat Raw Weed? The Short Answer

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If you are wondering whether you can eat weed straight from the jar or fresh from the plant, the answer is yes. The results, however, may be underwhelming.

Why Eating a Weed Nug Won’t Get You High

When you chew a raw weed nug, you are mostly just eating fibrous plant material from the Cannabis sativa plant. In its natural form, cannabis contains high levels of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), not THC. THCA is the acidic precursor to THC.

Research shows it may have benefits such as reducing inflammation, easing joint pain, and supporting brain health, but it is unlike THC in that it does not create a euphoric high. Without decarboxylation, consuming THCA will not produce the same effects as THC. This is why smoking cannabis, vaping, or baking with decarbed flower produces psychoactive effects, but eating raw marijuana does not.

What Actually Happens When You Eat Raw Cannabis

When you are consuming raw cannabis, your body treats it like any other leafy green. You are simply getting the earthy taste of raw flower.

That said, raw cannabis and its fan leaves contain acidic cannabinoids, vitamins, and terpenes that research suggests may have pain-relieving effects and support digestive health, heart health, lung health, and certain health conditions like multiple sclerosis.

While it can be a nutritious addition to smoothies or salads, the nutritional value comes from its vitamins, minerals, and fiber rather than psychoactive effects. For most people, the experience is more about the bitter taste and fibrous nature of the plant, which can sometimes cause digestive issues or other adverse effects.

Better Alternatives to Eating Raw Weed

If you want more than the grassy taste and limited impact of eating cannabis raw, there are plenty of ways to use it more effectively. Heating the plant transforms THCA into THC, creating a range of effects and potential therapeutic benefits people are seeking when it comes to using cannabis.

From there, you can prepare edible products, choose cleaner inhalation methods, or purchase precisely dosed cannabis products from a licensed dispensary. Each approach works differently with your body processes and offers unique advantages, whether your goal is flavor, potency, or convenience.

Making Edibles

If you want the full range of effects, start by decarbing your flower so cannabinoids can interact effectively with cannabinoid receptors.

• How to Decarb Weed
• What to Make With Cannabutter

This method lets you turn cannabis into edible products that may offer pain relief, anti-nausea benefits, and other potential benefits, without the wasted cannabinoids you would get from eating raw weed.

If cooking is not for you, there are other ways to consume cannabis without rolling a joint or inhaling cigarette smoke:

• Vaporizing – Gently heats cannabis to activate THC without burning the plant, reducing exposure to other substances found in smoke.
• Tinctures and sublingual oils – Provide faster onset than traditional edibles and avoid the digestive issues that can come with consuming marijuana in its raw form.
• Store-bought edibles – Professionally made cannabis products from a licensed dispensary are lab-tested, accurately dosed, and designed for consistent effects.

Final Thoughts

Eating weed in its natural form may sound simple, but without heat, the compound responsible for the weed high remains inactive. While raw cannabis contains nutrients, acidic cannabinoids, and potential health benefits, the science is still developing, and any therapeutic potential should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

If your goal is pain relief, neuroprotective properties, or a euphoric high, stick to cannabis products designed for smoking, vaping, or eating after proper preparation.