Edible forms of cannabis, including gummies, mints, brownies, cookies, tinctures, drinks, and other food products, are discreet and can produce long-lasting, safe effects. They’re great when consumed responsibly, and when you know how much you’re consuming.
But edibles can lead you down an unpredictable path if you’re not careful, so it’s important to know what kind of experience you want to have. Choosing the right dose for you and learning how much you can consume is a process and everyone’s body has the ability to respond to cannabis in a unique way. Eating too much cannabis isn’t going to hurt your body, but unwanted or unpleasant effects from edibles can be avoided if you know what dose of edible works best for you.
Many variables are at play when foods with weed, and there’s no exact science or formula and it can be difficult to dose because its potency depends on a few factors:
- Potency of cannabis used – Products bought at a licensed dispensary will have their dosage clearly labeled, but the dosage of homemade edibles is much harder to determine. Read on to learn about other factors that play into how edibles can affect you.
- How long you heat it when infusing
- Temperature while infusing
These variables are hard to measure and don’t necessarily have easy correlations: Cannabis with 23% THC isn’t necessarily 5% stronger than cannabis with 17% THC; heating cannabutter for two hours instead of one doesn’t necessarily make it twice as strong; and heating it at 180ºF instead of 170ºF won’t necessarily make it stronger.
At the end of the day, its hard to know exactly how potent your homemade edibles are without trying a small amount. To test their potency, try spreading ¼ or ½ teaspoon on a snack and see how that dose affects you after an hour. Then decrease or increase the dose accordingly.
You can then use this personalized dose as a baseline for recipes. If making a large batch of edibles, multiply your personalized dose by the number of treats—for a pan of brownies, multiply your personalized dose by 9, 16, or however many brownies you’ll be making, so each one equals one dose.
Finding your ideal edible dose
How many milligrams of edibles should you take? It’s important to note that each individual has an ideal dose best suited for them and their body. The strength of an edible depends on many factors, including:
- Type of edible
- Dosage
- Tolerance
- Body weight
- Metabolism
Two individuals may respond very differently to the same type of edible with the same dose—one may get very stoned, and one may not get stoned at all, depending on the above factors. Always start with a small dose of edibles and gradually increase until you find your ideal dose.
How many milligrams of THC should you eat to get high?
The ideal edibles dose depends on a lot of things, including tolerance, individual body chemistry, body weight, and the experience you’re looking for. Here are some basic guidelines to help you find the right dose, measured in milligrams (mg).
1 – 2.5 mg THC edibles (microdose)
- Effects: Mild relief of symptoms like pain, stress, and anxiety; increased focus and creativity. Most users do not feel any intoxication at this dose.
- Who it’s for: First-time consumers or regular consumers looking to microdose.
3 – 5 mg THC edibles (low)
- Effects: Stronger relief of pain and anxiety symptoms; euphoria; may impair coordination and alter perception. Five milligrams is a dose that can intoxicate some users.
- Who it’s for: Standard recreational use; consumers seeking relief from persistent symptoms not addressed by smaller doses; people looking for a good night’s sleep.
10 – 15 mg THC edibles (moderate)
- Effects: Effective relief for pain, nausea and anxiety symptoms; impaired coordination and altered perception;
- Who it’s for: High-tolerance THC consumers (both recreational consumers and medical patients); unaccustomed consumers may experience adverse effects. This is the maximum single dose for an edible in pieces, such as smaller cookies, gummies, mints, and chocolate bar pieces.
20 – 30 mg THC edibles (high)
- Effects: Very strong euphoria; very likely to impair coordination and alter perception.
- Who it’s for: Consumers with significant THC tolerances; patients with decreased GI absorption.
50 – 100 mg THC edibles (very high)
- Effects: Seriously impaired coordination and perception; increased possibility of adverse side effects, including nausea, anxiety, and increased heart rate.
- Who it’s for: Experienced, high-tolerance THC consumers; patients living with cancer, inflammatory disorders, or conditions that necessitate high doses.
100 – 500 mg THC edibles (extremely high)
Effects: Intensely impaired coordination and perception; likelihood of unpleasant side effects including nausea, anxiety, and increased heart rate.
Who it’s for: Experienced, high-tolerance THC consumers; patients living with cancer, inflammatory disorders, or conditions that necessitate high doses.
How much of an edible should you take the first time?
If you’ve never taken edibles before, we recommend following the age-old adage: ‘low and slow.’ This means taking 2.5 mg to start with. Five mg is often considered one dose, so 2.5 mg is a half-dose, also called a microdose, which most users report not imparting intense intoxication or adverse effects.
Here are some tips for taking edibles for the first time:
- Edibles in dispensaries often come in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg doses, so we recommend buying gummies, mints, or another type of edible that can be cut up easily to make smaller doses.
- When buying edibles, check that the dosage is clearly labeled for each edible, so you know how they are dosed.
- Start low and go slow: Remember, you can always take more, but you can’t take less. Wait at least one hour after taking edibles, and if you don’t feel anything or want stronger effects after one hour, take another 2.5 mg.
How long do cannabis edibles take to kick in?
Edibles usually take 20-60 minutes to kick in but can take longer based on many factors, like metabolism, GI issues, time of day, how much you have eaten, and more. We recommend you “start low and go slow.” Take a low dose of edibles and wait at least 45-90 minutes. If you want more effects after that time period, then take more edibles.
The most common mistakes in cannabis dosing occur when a person takes too high a dose for their tolerance, or doesn’t feel any effect from an edible after one hour and decides to take another dose. Two hours later, both doses come through, and the individual experiences the unpleasant effects of cannabis overconsumption.
Remember, if you take more edibles before waiting for the initial dose’s effects to kick in, both doses will kick in later, and you could potentially feel too high.
