Ask Ed: Questions and Answers - Marijuana Capsules

Question: Hi Ed,

I’m in love with the pills I buy from the dispensary, which retail $20 a piece. I take 4 a day… you can imagine the tab. How can I reach that pleasant high in a cheaper way?

- I., Internet

Ed's Rosenthal: Dear I.,

Some people really enjoy the high that results from eating marijuana, but cannabinated foods are not always predictable. Maripills can be a convenient alternative. Medical marijuana patients find capsules more effective than smoking for pain management.

Marijuana capsules begin to take effect 30-90 minutes after being eaten.

The first step in making marijuana capsules is grinding the plant material to a powder. This is mixed with cooking oil and heated mildly to potentiate the THC. Once the material is processed, it is packed into gelatin capsules using a small, inexpensive capsule filling device.

Gelatin capsules and capsule-filling machines are available at many health food stores. It should be noted that gelatin capsules are not vegetarian–they are made from cows. Vegetarian capsules are available, but some types are inadvisable for this process, because they dissolve when exposed to oil. Ask a salesperson if the vegetarian capsules they offer can tolerate an oil-based filling before purchasing them for maripill use.

That being said, ask your dispensary what is in the pill, is it kif? THC oil? To recreate this effect you will need to fill the capsule with the appropriate form of medicine.

For more information on making maripills, capsules, and extracts, check out Ask Ed: Marijuana Gold, Trash to Stash.

Send your grow questions to Ed Rosenthal at asked420@gmail.com.