Maybe you’ve been wondering but feel too afraid or embarrassed to ask, can edibles cause digestive problems? The truth is, yes, they can for some people! If that’s you, read on to learn more about why this happens and what you can do to avoid this.
Table of Contents
Article Features
- Why edibles can cause problems and ingredients to look for
- Notes on when to consult your doctor for additional help
- Want to skip the hard work? Shop with me and have premium, high-quality cannabis products delivered directly to your door! Now shipping across the US.
Why You Will Love This Guide
If you’re looking for a great alternative to smoking weed, edibles might just be your new favorite thing.
Smoking can be tough on your lungs, so switching to edibles could be a healthier option, especially if you’re using cannabis over the long haul.
Plus, they’re super discreet, fun to enjoy, and a big hit in my Well With Cannabis Community.
But, like all good things, there’s a catch—they can sometimes cause digestive issues for some people. Don’t worry, though!
This guide is here to walk you through why that might happen, how to handle it if it does, and, most importantly, how to avoid it altogether.
Can Edibles Cause Digestive Issues?
Cannabis edibles can be a tasty and popular way to consume cannabis, but some people might notice a downside—digestive issues.
When you eat cannabis-infused products, like brownies or gummies, the cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) interact with the receptors in your body’s endocannabinoid system.
This interaction can have many perks, such as helping with pain relief, improving mental health, and easing symptoms of certain chronic conditions.
However, some side effects can pop up, especially for first-time users.
Digestive trouble is one potential side effect to keep in mind. Additional issues may include:
- abdominal pain
- stomach ache
- diarrhea or constipation
- increased heart rate or blood pressure
Interestingly, these problems likely aren’t caused by the active cannabis ingredients themselves, but rather by other ingredients in the edibles—like oils or lecithin—that can bother some people’s stomachs.
⭐ Pro Tip: Everyone’s reaction is different, so it’s worth experimenting cautiously to find what works best for you!
Ingredients to Watch Out For
If you think your edible cannabis products are giving you some unwanted side effects, it’s worth taking a closer look at the ingredients.
Check the label to see if any of these options below might be the culprits.
If you stop consuming something and notice a big improvement in how you’re feeling, there’s a good chance that ingredient was causing the issue.
Types of Oil
Before giving up on edibles entirely, take a moment to review what’s in them—specifically, the type of oil used as the carrier. Sometimes, the oil can be the reason behind your discomfort.
For example, coconut oil and MCT oil, both popular in CBD products like oils, are known to cause digestive troubles for some people.
Coconut oil can speed up your digestive system—it’s even used to help with constipation.
MCT oil, on the other hand, is absorbed super quickly by the body, which can sometimes upset your gut.
It even draws water from the colon, which could lead to diarrhea, especially if you already have digestive issues.
If pairing edibles with fats isn’t working for you because of these oils, you might want to try switching to a tincture or using just decarbed flowers in your edibles instead. It’s all about finding what works best for your body!
Lecithin
Oil and water don’t naturally mix—it’s something we all learn early on.
But if you’ve enjoyed salad dressings, gummies, or other edibles, you’ve seen the magic of how they come together anyway.
That’s thanks to lecithin, a handy emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in recipes.
Not only does this ensure your edibles have an even distribution of THC, but it also helps them last longer.
Plus, lecithin might make cannabis absorb faster, leading to quicker and more noticeable effects.
Beyond edibles, people have talked about lecithin’s potential health benefits, like helping with mastitis, high cholesterol, or even Alzheimer’s Disease.
On the flip side, some folks might experience side effects like bloating, nausea, or diarrhea—but the good news is that these don’t affect everyone.
For most people, it’s totally fine to keep enjoying their gummies!
Cannabis Allergy
An estimated 10% of cannabis consumers are actually allergic to the plant’s pollen or other components.
The allergy symptoms are typical of other allergies, including a runny nose, rashes, hives, and itchy eyes.
If you have an allergy to the cannabis plant and ingest it, you might experience vomiting and diarrhea.
If you suspect an allergy, it is a good idea to contact your healthcare provider, who can help you with a specific treatment plan.
How to Ease the Symptoms
If you find yourself suffering from diarrhea after eating edibles, there are some things you can try to ease unwanted stomach troubles.
- Look at the other ingredients in your edible to determine if it is something else that is causing the stomach discomfort
- Don’t consume edibles on an empty stomach
- Adjust your dosage
- Hot showers – many consumers report this is very helpful for easing symptoms, although this is more commonly associated with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Smoke or vape rather than ingest cannabis
When To Seek Further Help
It is essential to consult with your doctor if you experience long-term side effects, especially if you have medical conditions such as:
- inflammatory bowel disease
- ulcerative colitis
- disease
- irritable bowel syndrome
- acute pancreatitis
- other gastrointestinal disorders
- crohn’s disease
- chronic pain
- have heart issues
- are a cancer patient
- are pregnant
- take prescription drugs
The doctor might diagnose a pre-existing disorder or help you pinpoint what is causing diarrhea.
If the culprit is the edibles, can help determine which component is causing the distress and help you plan the best course of action long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is more likely that the additional ingredients in the edible are responsible for digestive issues.
Aside from the psychoactive effects of edibles, there is a possibility that edibles may cause the following symptoms: rapid heartbeat, short-term psychiatric conditions like anxiety or panic attacks, and digestive distress, as outlined above
While marijuana intoxication is possible, an overdose that would require an emergency room visit or death is not. While the effects of THC may cause psychoactive effects and a racing heart, they are not deadly.
Conclusion
Wrapping it up, while edibles can offer plenty of benefits, they might cause diarrhea for some people.
Scientists are still working to understand why this happens.
If you notice this issue, try to figure out which part of the edible might be causing it and adjust your intake.
Don’t forget, cannabis comes in all kinds of forms with various ways to enjoy it. Curious to learn more?
Check out the Edibles Made Easy Course—it’s a great way to deepen your knowledge!
Take your edibles to the next level…
My Edibles Made Easy Online Cooking Course will teach you how to easily make cannabis edibles and topical recipes at home. This step-by-step video course will teach you how to infuse, extract, and create edibles with many different product types – all from the comfort of your own home.
More Articles You Will Love
Articles & How-To Guides
A Beginner’s Guide to Cannabis Edibles
Articles & How-To Guides
Lecithin for Edibles: Where, When & Why We Use It
Articles & How-To Guides
👉Can Mango Enhance the Effects of Cannabis Edibles?
Articles & How-To Guides
Hi, I suffer from chs but still want to experience the feeling of getting high.any suggestions.
Hi Terry, thanks for sharing your thoughts. While CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome) can make cannabis use tricky, there are alternatives you can explore. Some people turn to CBD products, which don’t cause a high but may help with relaxation. Others look into non-cannabis options like meditation, breathwork, or herbal supplements that promote a sense of euphoria or calm. Unfortunately, a high from THC isn’t recommended.
Hi Emily trying to figure out if edibles are making my mother have loose bowels. She has wonderful results for her agitation (Alzheimers) but just has so many bowel movements. Not sure if it could be the gummies
Hi there, Karen! 😊 I’m so glad to hear that your mother has found relief from her agitation with the edibles. However, I completely understand your concerns about her bowel movements. While some individuals may experience digestive changes when trying new products, it’s important to keep an eye on how she’s feeling overall. I recommend discussing this with her healthcare provider to ensure everything stays on track. Wishing you both the very best!
I got a form of CHS from taking gummies which was horrible diarrhea and it only stopped after I stopped using gummies all together! It’s not always the additives! Sometimes people DO have a reaction from ingesting canabanoids, it’s called canabanoid hypermesis! I tried delta 8 vape instead and I broke out in hives, I think I’m just straight up allergic to weed which f*cking sucks! The scientists need to make a hypoallergenic strain for snowflakes like me lmfao!!
I am so sorry to hear about your experience, Stefannie, thank you for sharing with us!
This stinks. Or smells good depending. I have almost everything on the contradiction disease list+ so many more. Those so many mores are lupus,sjogrens& Reynaud phenomenon. And that’s what I use it for that& sleep cuz I’m bi-polar&I never sleep.Its helping so many things I had to switch to edibles because of lesions& nodules on my lungs.but the edibles are making my stomach worse.I used just straight butter.i don’t cut it down&I made snicker doodles,Wich are delicious as an edible. U can barely taste the THC.WHAT DO I DO?
HI Elizabeth. I am so sorry to hear of the struggles that you are experiencing with consumption methods. Have you tried the sublingual tincture method where you hold the oil under your tongue? You can use any oil, or even butter. Check out our article here: Tincture vs. Edible: The Major Difference and let me know if you have any further questions! This should help though. Sending you healing vibes Elizabeth!