Thanks for the info! I don't grow these at all so I don't know much about the process or what can effect itbut asking for someone who doesn't use the interwebs.
On a side note - if you don't treat it with anything, harvest but then only use it for baking into dough, would that be safe to consume? I presume any fungus/mould is dangerous for smoking. I have read it isn't very harmful to humans except those with allergic reaction so I presume once baked it would be safe.
Furthermore does eating weed have any negative effects on the body long term, besides the cookie dough itself and its sugars? I've often tried to look this question up but there doesn't seem to be much research on the topic. I have only ever eaten it and never smoke it so I've been wondering this for quite a long time now.
Even though there are very few long term studies about the effects of cannabis on the body and brain, they mostly agree that the effect of cannabis is only really "impairing" (negative, if you will) whilst intoxicated, and among frequent users there are some cognitive effects that persist beyond that.
That said however, most seem to agree that when a (frequent) user stops using cannabis, they return to normal cognitive levels soon after, with no detectable negative effects in the long term.
The only really negative sides I've seen around cannabis use is in behavioural changes, the damage from smoking (which edibles obviously don't have), and the most damning, the effect on non-adult (developing) minds (which is where permanent change/damage can occur).
One documentary I watched (which was done in Jamaica, many years back) found that even when pregnant women consume cannabis via edibles (they're not allowed to smoke it apparently) it seems to have very little effect on the children after birth - this was more from an observational point of view though, so take it as such.
The bottom line is that cannabis most likely does less damage to your body than breathing in the toxic air we have in our cities - especially when only taking it in edible form and not smoking it.
Unfortunately I don't have any links to share, so take all this with a grain of salt - as a long term frequent user my memory might no be as sharp anymore
Edit: One thing I forgot to mention is the fact that cannabis can trigger latent psychological issues in certain people, but there isn't that much research on that yet either.