Edible medical marijuana made its Illinois debut Saturday, ending a wait for patients who prefer eating to inhaling. To some, cannabis-infused foods seem milder than smoke or vapor, but the products carry their own risks.

It takes longer to feel the effects when marijuana is eaten, so it’s easy to eat too much with unpleasant — or even dangerous — results.

“As exciting as bringing edibles to market is, we want to make sure that every patient takes small portions, and wait at least an hour before taking more, until you understand and get comfortable with consuming medical cannabis in its edible forms,” said Ross Morreale, owner of Ataraxia, an Illinois company with marijuana chocolates hitting the market.

Under the state’s pilot program, edible products must be manufactured by licensed cultivation centers, the same businesses growing cannabis in locked indoor facilities. Ataraxia shipped marijuana chocolates to two dispensaries, which will start selling them Saturday, Morreale said. [Read more at the Peoria Journal Star]