What pot caramels are
Pot caramels are caramel candies that carry cannabinoids. A caramel base is sugar, butter, cream, and corn syrup cooked to about 245 °F. Cannabinoids dissolve in fat, so the butter and cream hold them.
The cannabinoid comes from cannabis butter, a distillate, or an extract. Manufacturers decarboxylate the plant material first, a heat step that converts THCA into THC. Caramel cooking stays below the point where THC boils off, so most of the cannabinoid survives the batch.
THC Caramels: What They Are, How Long They Take to Kick In, and How Strong They Are
THC caramels and CBD caramels
- THC caramels: delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Cause intoxication. Most state-licensed markets cap a serving at 10 mg THC and a package at 100 mg.
- CBD caramels: cannabidiol. Do not cause intoxication. Hemp-derived CBD is legal at the federal level when the product holds 0.3% THC or less by dry weight under the 2018 Farm Bill.
- Mixed caramels: both cannabinoids in one piece. CBD can reduce some THC effects, but each dose still counts.
Onset and duration
Edibles move through the stomach and liver before THC reaches the blood. Onset runs 30 to 120 minutes. Blood levels peak at 2 to 4 hours. Effects last 6 to 8 hours, and longer at high doses. This delay is the main cause of edible overdoses: people take a second piece before the first one hits.
Dose
Start at 2.5 mg THC or less. Wait 2 hours before taking more. A 10 mg serving is the standard unit in states with legal THC, and it is too much for many first-time users. CBD doses in caramels range from 5 mg to 50 mg per piece. Clinical CBD dosing uses 200 mg to 1,500 mg per day for some conditions, so a single caramel rarely reaches a study-level dose.
Label accuracy
A 2015 study of 75 edible cannabis products found most labels did not match lab results. THC content ranged from a small fraction of the stated amount to well above it. Buy products with a batch lab report, a harvest or production date, and a stated mg count per piece. State-licensed products carry a test result. Hemp CBD sold online may not.
Storage and safety
- Keep caramels in a cool, dry place. Heat softens them and can spread the dose unevenly in a homemade batch.
- Store in a locked container, out of reach of children and pets. Edibles look like candy.
- Caramel contains butter and cream. Dogs and cats cannot digest these well, and the cannabinoid adds risk.
- CBD blocks some liver enzymes in the CYP450 family. Check with a pharmacist if you take blood thinners, seizure drugs, or immunosuppressants.
- Do not drive after THC caramels. Impairment can outlast the felt effect.
Homemade batches
Home cooks cannot measure potency without a lab test. Stir the infused butter into the whole batch, not into a single piece, to keep doses even. Record the grams of flower or extract used. Federal law does not permit home cannabis testing kits to state THC content with lab-grade accuracy.