Why Don’t Edibles Work For Me? Reasons & Alternatives That Actually Work

You eat a gummy, wait an hour and feel...nothing. Your friend who ate the same gummy is floating on a cloud and you're wondering if you ate a dud imposter.

Now edibles do take their time to show effects, unlike smoking, which is almost instantaneous.

Most people can feel the effects after taking edibles. While they usually take 40+ minutes to kick in, they pack a much heavier punch than smoking.

If this was your first time trying edibles like Delta-9 THC Gummies, it’s helpful to know what happens and how being high feels like.

But you're not feeling any effects even after eating one. You're not alone, and the answer isn't always just ‘eat more.' The reason can be anything from your biology to what you had for lunch.

Why does this happen? Let's explore the reasons together.

Key Takeways

• Genetic mutations in liver enzymes like CYP2C9 prevent THC conversion in ~10% of users.

• Digestive health (gallbladder removal, IBS) and even gut bacteria diversity critically affect absorption.

• Tolerance Troubles between smoking and edibles can lead to underdosing.

• Product quality, formulation and extraction methods (e.g., cannabinoid ratios, terpene profiles, nano-ionization) drastically affect bioavailability.

How Do Edibles Work?

When you eat an edible, THC goes directly through your digestive system and gets processed by your liver and undergoes first-pass metabolism.

Your liver enzymes, namely CYP2C9, transform Delta-9 THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, which is a stronger form of THC.

Cannabinoids then enter your bloodstream and travel throughout your body causing feelings of euphoria, relaxation, sedation, and giddiness.

It is 2-4x more potent and longer lasting than Delta-9 THC, which explains why the effects can last over 8 hours with edibles.

Why Edibles Are Not Working For You

There can be many reasons you might not be feeling as much or nothing at all with weed gummies and other edibles.

Maybe It Hasn't Kicked In Yet?

Cannabis gummies and other edibles can take 60-90 minutes to kick in. If you're still under that timeframe, it's best to wait and assess how much effect you feel.

Want to skip the hour-long wait? Try our fast-acting Nano-ionized Delta-9 Gummies. They have an onset time of 15-20 minutes and much higher bioavailability than standard edibles and the effects stay with you for longer.

Our Odyssey Live Resin Gummies are also packed with nano-ionized cannabinoids. Odyssey gummies combine nano-particles with rich, live resin terpenes, for nuanced, strain-specific effects that many people want. 

Essentially moving beyond a simple 'high' to a more complete and personalized sensory journey.

Genetic Mutations - The "Ediblocked" Effect

There are some people who have a genetic mutation in liver enzyme production. Their livers don't produce Cytochrome P450 (CYP2C9), which is the main enzyme that metabolizes THC. Without CYP2C9, your body isn't able to convert THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, its stronger form, resulting in weak or negligible effects.

Some researchers also state that people with this mutation might not be inhibiting THC processing, but actually process it much quicker, too quickly to have an effect.

These people can be stone cold sober when consuming a dose, which would send a regular person into a full-blown trip.

If you have this genetic mutation, it's not that you won't be able to feel it, but you may need way higher doses to get the effects.

This mutation isn't common, it affects less than 10% of people, predominantly of European or Caucasian ancestry.

Try going for sublingual tinctures, which bypass the liver processing and first-pass metabolism.

If you've tried many edibles, including Cannovia's nano-ionized THC Gummies, try Metered-Dose Inhalers (MDIs) or sublingual tinctures.

The significantly smaller particle size (28.8 nanometers) enhances absorption directly through the digestive tract, reducing reliance on the specific liver enzyme pathways.

Digestive System Interferes

Edibles work best with healthy digestive systems. Your digestive system can be the culprit if you have difficulty digesting other foods as well. Conditions like IBS, Crohn's disease or gallbladder removal can disrupt how your body digests fats.

Since THC, just like CBD, is lipophilic (fat soluble), poor fat absorption leads to less THC entering your body.

You Have A High Tolerance

If you're someone who uses THC daily or very regularly, it's possible that you've developed a high tolerance. With repeated usage, you need more THC to feel the same effects.

If that's the case, try increasing your dose by 2-2.5mgs and wait until the onset to find your perfect dosage.

What else can you do if your tolerance is too high? Try taking a break from THC, popularly called a T-break. Even a short, 48 hour reset can make you a bit receptive to THC again.

In fact, if you take a pause for 3-4 days, you can feel similar effects with just 1/3rd of your original higher dose.

In this timeframe, your baseline tolerance starts to reset, and it's up to you if you want to go back to THC or wait a while longer.

If you want to reset your tolerance completely, that's going to take a little longer. Our bodies quickly adapt and build tolerance to things like caffeine, alcohol and, yes, THC.

For cannabis, there's no "perfect time" that's universally applicable as everyone is different.

Generally, researchers suggest a 3-4 week pause period for a complete rest, but you may need less or more time depending on how high your tolerance is.

You Have An Empty Stomach

Edibles produce the best effects when consumed with fatty meals, since all cannabinoids are lipophilic (fat soluble). Try eating them with a fatty meal like snacks or a shake for better absorption and more potent effects.

For example, a handful of almonds, a spoon of peanut butter or some avocado toast can also suffice. You can also go for meals with cheese and cream in them to boost how much cannabinoids your body absorbs.

Your Edibles Are Low-Quality Or Expired

Cannabinoids degrade over time and with exposure to heat and light. If you're consuming cannabis edible that has expired, you won't feel the complete effects, if at all. Another reason is the product composition itself.

Let's be honest, there are a lot of cannabis products everywhere. From unregulated black market sources to premium edibles with solventless extraction. If you're getting yours from an unregulated source, you can never be sure of the quality.

Many gummies on the market don't actually have the amount and ratio of cannabinoids that they claim. That's why you should always check the Certification Of Analysis and make sure that it's third party lab tested.

Want Better THC Gummies?

Most of the edibles use solvent-based extraction methods like CO2 extraction where liquid or gaseous supercritical CO2 is used to extract the cannabinoids.

We use the most advanced extraction method, Cellular Deconstruction Technology to extract our cannabinoids with physical energy instead of chemical solvents.

This process creates nano-ionized cannabinoids, which makes them fast-acting, longer lasting and more stronger than regular gummies at the same dosage.

But Cannovia’s gummies go deeper than just faster effects; it's about the 'Art of Feeling,' with our Odyssey line.

Our Odyssey Live Resin gummies are made to help you explore a universe within yourself. 

With sativa-dominant strains like Blue Dream and Pineapple Express for waves of creativity and energy and Granddaddy Purple for profound relaxation, relief and sleep.

If you’re looking for something for relaxation which is not as sedating as Granddaddy Purple, try out Harmony THC+CBD Gummies for that sweet spot.

Okay, I've Tried All The Edibles And Felt Nothing. What Now?

If edibles fail completely, you can try:

• THC Beverages - THC Drinks and THC Drink Mixes can be a good choice because of their nano-size particles which can partly bypass first-pass metabolism. You can try them to see if they work for you.

• THC Oils - These are sublingual oils which you can put under your tongue. They're absorbed by the lining inside your mouth without going to the liver. The effects show in around 15-20 minutes.

• MDI Inhalers - Metered-dose inhalers are smoke-free inhalers that deliver THC directly to the lungs, where it's absorbed into the bloodstream almost immediately, bypassing the digestive system completely.