Edible etiquette: What you need to know if you serve THC products at your holiday party

It's been nearly six months since food and beverages containing THC were legalized in Minnesota. With the holidays now in full swing, some people are ditching Budweiser and boxed wine for a different kind of buzz at this year's celebrations.

"It's kind of like my party favor," said Jessie Witte of Minneapolis, who brought edibles to share with family and friends at her Thanksgiving get-togethers. "Other people may bring food, but I brought gummies and beverages."

Edibles can certainly spice up your gift exchange or your annual New Year's Day brunch, but there are a few things to keep in mind when bringing THC to the table.

Let them know

It's essential to make your guests aware that you're serving products that contain THC. Additionally, it's never a bad idea to point out the specific strain and tell people about its expected effects, especially if they have more than one kind of edible to choose from.

"If they're wanting something more relaxing, then they can take an indica," said Mira Evans, an employee at Nothing But Hemp in St. Paul. "If they want something more uplifting or middle of the road, they can take a hybrid."

Making a disclaimer about your THC offerings can also open the door to conversations about cannabis.

"Give people room to explore and talk about it if they want to," said Witte.

Beverages vs. edibles

Everyone has a different level of sensitivity when it comes to edibles, said Allison Vaillancourt, founder of BLNCD Naturals, a Minneapolis-based cannabis company that recently expanded to include THC gummies and sparkling water.

That's why it's important to know your audience and their relationship to THC when deciding which products to serve.

For a group of mostly first-time users or those with a lower tolerance, she recommends THC beverages. Beverages are absorbed quickly in the body, so they tend to provide a shorter, more consistent high than THC gummies or other edibles.

"Generally, the experience of the beverages is going to be more mellow, even with the same milligram content as an edible," Vaillancourt said.

For this reason, some find THC beverages to be a good alternative to alcohol in social settings.

"You're not going to have the hangover the next day, you're not going to have headaches or anything like that," Vaillancourt said. "You just feel really calm and relaxed, and with alcohol that's not always the situation."

Plus, the drinks are easy to share for those who don't want to ingest a full 5 milligrams of THC, the legal amount per serving.

With gummies, it's possible for beginners to avoid overconsumption, said Vaillancourt. She recommends starting "low and slow," with 2 1/2 milligrams (typically half of one gummy), then waiting a full two hours to see how you're feeling before consuming any more.

Take care with serving

When Witte got together with friends for a Thanksgiving party, she left gummies on the bar cart for other guests to grab as they pleased.

"With me and all of my adult friends, with no kids living in the house, I felt comfortable putting them out in a glass," Witte said. "Or you could have them on a charcuterie board."

At a family gathering, or in a group of people unfamiliar with edibles, it might be smart to keep them in their original packaging, so your guests know what they're ingesting.

Witte stores her THC drinks in the fridge next to beer, wine and non-alcohol offerings. She said that as long as the group knows you've brought an assortment of drinks, including those containing THC, there's usually not much confusion.

But if you're worried about mixups, Evans recommends trying THC tinctures. Water-soluble tinctures can be added to non-alcoholic beverages to create cannabis-infused drinks — "canna-cocktails," as Evans calls them. In a party setting, having guests add THC to their own beverages could be a good way to make sure that no one accidentally takes something they don't want.

Keep everyone in mind

Be sure to provide drinks and snacks without alcohol or additives. Offer, but never push, THC products and make sure minors have no access to them. And read the room — and your guests.

The holidays can be a stressful time, particularly for those in recovery from addiction.

"When we take somebody who's in recovery and has been placed in a stressful situation, and there's mood-altering chemicals readily available, that can be a recipe for return to use," said Lydia Burr, director of clinical services at Hazelden Betty Ford's St. Paul site. "And people who don't have a substance abuse disorder may not see it that way. So there just needs to be honest and genuine conversation and boundary setting."

Most Minnesotans aren't accustomed to making cannabis part of their celebrations — not legally, anyway. So it may take some time to get used to responding to: "Beer? Wine? Or THC?"