If you’ve never tried a cannabis-infused edible before, your ideal dosage will be quite different than someone who has been taking edibles for decades. While there is no such thing as a universal edible dosage that works for everyone, this article will help you gauge your own tolerance before you dose edibles for the first time.
Edible Dosage Chart by Milligrams and Strength
THC is the compound in cannabis that gets you high, and all edibles prominently display the THC content on the packaging.
THC content is measured in milligrams (mg), and your dose of THC will depend on how familiar you are with cannabis and its effects on your body.
Here's an easy guide for those looking to gauge where to start:
Usage Level | Dosage of THC |
Beginners | 1 to 5mg |
Frequent smokers | 5 to 20mg |
Familiar with edibles | 20 to 50mg |
High tolerance | 50+ mg |
How to Dose Edibles
1. Have a look at the dosage chart and determine your usage level
You may have noticed the wide range of THC dosages for “Frequent Smokers” and those “Familiar with Edibles”.
When in doubt, we recommend erring on the side of caution and going for a smaller dose. For example, let’s say you are a frequent smoker that has never tried edibles before. We recommend you start with a 5mg THC dose instead of 20mg, and if 5mg isn’t enough for you, then work your way up by increasing the THC dose by 5mg at a time.
2. Obtain your dose
Once you have determined your desired THC dosage, you need an edible that has that. However, edibles come in a vast range of THC doses. For example, the edibles on our menu can range from 5mg THC to 1000mg.
Sometimes it can be hard to find edibles with the exact dose you want. Other times, you might want a 5mg dose but all you have are 20mg gummies.
The wonderful thing about edibles is that you can cut them up, so you can cut that 20mg gummy into four equal 5mg pieces!
3. Eat the edible.
Simple enough, right?
4. WAIT!
This is the last step. And one of the most important, too. That’s because edibles can take a lot longer to kick in— anywhere from thirty minutes to over two hours.
A common rookie mistake is being too impatient with edibles and taking more too soon. Don’t worry if you don’t immediately feel something. That’s normal.
You need to give that edible time to get broken down and processed by your body, so if it is your first time taking edibles, we recommend waiting at least two hours before you take more.
If, after two hours, you do not feel any effects, try another 5 mg, and see how that feels.
Even if this seems too little, try experimenting gradually before diving in. How fast an edible kicks in depends on many things such as your metabolism and how much food you have in your stomach at the time.
Tip: A popular mantra when taking edibles for the first time is “Start low and go slow”. Words to live by if you ask us.
Weight?
Just like with alcohol, your physicality can also impact the effects of edibles. Someone who weighs 120 lbs. and hasn’t eaten all day will feel stronger effects that kick in faster than someone with a full stomach who weighs 190 lbs.
What Do Edibles Feel Like?
Mild Effect: 1-10mg
Depending on your experience with cannabis, this amount should present a relatively mild high. You will likely feel a relief of pain, stress, and anxiety, but you will not be so overcome by the THC's psychoactive elements to suffer couch lock.
Medium Effect: 10-30mg
That’s a big spread for a reason—once you’re going for anything more than a mild effect, the range of tolerance gets much broader. In this range, you can expect more substantial relief of any pain, along with feelings of euphoria, and likely impaired coordination and perception. Some unaccustomed users may start to experience adverse side effects like anxiety.
Strong Effect: 50mg and beyond
The edible dosage for those with a high tolerance can be much more than what is listed here- some edibles go as high as 1000mg THC! But for other people, 30mg is the top of the scale. High dose edibles will elicit powerful feelings of euphoria (and, potentially, apprehension and rapid heartbeat). Perception and coordination will be very altered from what you’re accustomed to when sober.
Conclusion
With edibles, there is not a perfect equation to finding your ideal dose. What works for one person won’t work for everybody because your metabolism and prior experience with weed will affect how edibles affect you. Even if you have simply taken a tolerance break, your relationship to edibles might be different from before.
But that is what makes exploring edibles so much fun— with a little trial and error, you could find a perfect dose for every occasion!