Edible medical cannabis is not your mom and dad’s reefer. Here are 13 do’s and don’ts

You’ve got your 'script and you’re ready to rush down to your local dispensary to buy a grocery bag full of quasi-high-end edibles. It’s a great time for medical cannabis patients: New and established companies have flooded the market with candies and cookies and popcorn and pretzels and lemonades and hot chocolate mixes, and it’s a buyer’s market to boot. But for anyone lacking edibles experience beyond that unmarked brownie consumed decades ago at a college party, it’s also a potential minefield of confusion and misuse. That’s why we put together this list of wrist-slapping suggestions for edible rookies.

DO practice micro-dosing. Start small and slowly increase the dosage until you find your level.

DO treat edibles like food. A moldy Rice Krispie treat is a moldy Rice Krispie treat, whether made with weed butter or not.

DON'T get a food that you can’t resist. If you inhale peanuts like an elephant, maybe don’t buy medicinal peanuts.

DO favor cannabis beverages over cannabis edibles if you have digestive issues.

DON'T be in a hurry. Stay patient and give the cannabis time to do its work before you go back for seconds.

DO sample more than just candy and cookies. The future of edibles is savory rather than sweet. The closer we get to full legalization, the higher the scrutiny on an industry that will need to prove it’s not marketing to children.

DON'T leave your edibles where pets and children can get them. Note that many edibles are packaged in a manner similar to their nonmedicinal, store-brand doppelgangers.

DO be self-aware, and know your body, including any food-related allergies. The medicine affects different people in different ways; it’s not the same high as smoking marijuana.

DO trust the brands that you like. It’s great to be adventurous, but if you find a brand that works for you, try its other products rather than label-hopping.

DON'T take edibles on an empty stomach. Treat them the same way you would treat a painkiller.

DO read the labels in full, and don’t trust anything that isn’t properly labeled.

DO know your THC limit. Depending on your tolerance, a single serving dose should be somewhere between 10 and 25 milligrams of THC. Remember: smoking tolerance doesn’t equal edible tolerance.

DO set up a safe space for yourself. Prepare your environment for couch lock and enjoy.