Every product on your shelf hits differently, and the difference is not just potency. It is pharmacokinetics. When THC is inhaled, bioavailability sits in the 20 to 35% range and peaks in the bloodstream within 5 to 10 minutes. When THC is eaten, bioavailability drops to roughly 4 to 20%, but the liver converts delta-9 THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, a metabolite that crosses the blood-brain barrier more efficiently and produces a longer, often more intense experience.

Onset for inhaled flower or vapor is near immediate. Onset for edibles runs 30 minutes to 2 hours to peak, depending on what the customer ate that day, their metabolism, and the formulation. Nano-emulsified beverages can kick in faster, sometimes inside 15 minutes, but the regulatory treatment under 935 CMR 500.150 is the same.

Duration matters too. Inhaled effects typically last 2 to 4 hours. Oral effects last 4 to 8 hours, and residual effects can stretch into the next day for inexperienced consumers. This is why edible customers keep redosing and ending up in the ER. They do not feel it at 30 minutes, so they take more.