Most cannabis enthusiasts have taken edibles at least once, and most love them. Edibles are long-lasting, easy to take, and discreet, which is one of the reasons why they’re so popular, aside from being tasty. The cannabis market keeps finding new ways to incorporate weed into everyday food, so if you’ve been curious about edibles, you’re in the right place.
Edibles contain cannabinoids just like any other weed product, but they need to be dosed the right way. In this article, we’ll guide you through all the basics about edibles and give you a comprehensive guide on edibles dosing so you’ll know how much you’ll need for a pleasant experience.
What Makes Edibles Different
Understanding why consuming edibles is different from other common methods of using weed, like smoking and vaping, is crucial to enjoying them and having a pleasant experience.
Essentially, the high produced by edibles is not that different from the high produced by smoking or vaping. However, everything else is quite different. For starters, when you smoke or vape, you ingest the marijuana through your lungs. This way, it enters the bloodstream very quickly and within about 20 minutes you start feeling the high. This is how long it takes for the THC to attach to the cannabinoid receptors in your body and start working.
When you take edibles, on the other hand, you ingest them through your mouth and they travel into your digestive system, like any other food, where they need to be digested. As you can guess, this process takes a while. During this time, the THC content in edibles is essentially powerless, that is until it has entered the bloodstream. Then the fun begins.
This process goes on for at least 90 minutes to two full hours, meaning you’ll have to wait that long before the high hits you. But here’s the thing. Despite the slow onset of effects, the high you get from THC edibles lasts longer than the high you get from smoking or vaping.
How Long Does the High Last?
Generally, the effects of cannabis can last between 6-8 hours, and depending on the THC amount present or the dosage you take, it can even extend to 10 hours. In fact, one of the reasons edibles are popular with medical users is because the effects can last for so long, providing them with long-term pain relief.
Edibles are able to last so long because THC is a fat-soluble compound and it attaches to the fat cells where it remains. This also makes the high a little more intense than the one you get from smoking (a joint or a bong) or vaping, especially at larger doses.
Edibles Dosage Chart in Mg
Edibles sold at dispensaries have the THC and CBD content printed on the label. Labels usually state how many milligrams there are per serving, as well as in the entire package. For example, if you buy gummies, then the dosage per gummy will be stated.
When it comes to dosing, it’s universally recommended that you start with a low dose. You can always take more, but if you take too much from the beginning, you risk not enjoying it. After a while, you’ll find your perfect dose range and you’ll know how much to take depending on your needs that day.
Check out our guide below for more details.
- 1mg – 2.5mg is most suitable for inexperienced consumers, those with low THC tolerance, or experienced consumers who like microdosing. With this dosage, you can get mild pain relief, reduced symptoms of anxiety and better mood, and improved creativity;
- 2.5mg – 15mg is the golden standard for recreational users or for medical use if lower doses are not enough, as well as sleep problems. With this dose, you get stronger pain relief and overall better mood and less anxiety. You’ll also experience mild euphoria and impaired perception and coordination, depending on where in the dosage range you are;
- 15mg – 30mg is good for experienced users who have some level of tolerance for THC and for medical marijuana patients that have been using it for a while. It’s also good for treating insomnia as it makes it easier to stay asleep. At this dosage range, you’ll feel strong euphoria and you’ll have noticeably impaired perception and coordination;
- 30mg – 50mg is not recommended for inexperienced users. This dosage is suitable for people who have a very high tolerance of THC or for people who have poor absorption in their gastrointestinal tract. With this dosage range very strong euphoric feelings are highly likely, as well as notable impairment of your perception and coordination;
- 50mg – 100mg is the highest you can go and it’s only recommended for certain types of medical patients as it greatly increases the chances of serious side effects.
Be Extra Careful With Homemade Edibles
However tasty they are, homemade edibles can be too advanced for inexperienced users. Unlike the store-bought ones that have the milligrams of THC per serving printed on the label, homemade edibles aren’t that precise. Most people don’t have the professional tools and dosage guides to measure just how much THC goes into their weed butter, for example, so they work with what they have.
Additionally, there is a lot of room for variations because homemade edibles are usually made with whatever kind of weed you have in the house at that moment. This means that you won’t know upfront what you’ll get unless it’s something that you’ve tried before in exactly the same way.
Long story short, homemade edible products are a lot harder to dose, which is why you should start low and wait for at least an hour and a half before you take another brownie bite, especially if you’re a beginner or your THC tolerance is low. If it’s a tried and tested homemade recipe, then your friend may be able to tell you how potent it is, but stay cautious – you don’t want to have an unpleasant psychoactive experience.
What’s the THC Limit for Edibles?
Simply said, the THC limit is different for each and every individual. Generally speaking, high doses over 100mg are way over the red mark, even for cannabis users with high tolerance, but anything below it will have a different effect on different people.
It all depends on your individual tolerance and sensitivity to cannabis use. Tolerance is built up over time and the right dose will be different for everyone. If you’ve only smoked marijuana, for example, but never had cannabis edibles, then you’re much less likely to be prone to side effects compared to first-time users because your tolerance level will be higher.
If You Happen to Take Too Much…
You should always be well-informed about using weed responsibly and know your doses. However, sometimes you just take a bigger serving size; it happens.
If you’ve taken more than your body can handle, you may experience various side effects ranging from cottonmouth (dry mouth) and drowsiness to increased heart rate and very pronounced anxiety and paranoia. However, even though they’re very unpleasant and may seem scary at the moment, they’re not dangerous.
The most important thing you can do is give it time and during that time hydrate yourself well and find a comfortable spot. Some snacks may also help to ground you; plus, it’s a well-known fact that THC gives you the munchies, so you may be hungry anyway.
Conclusion
Marijuana edibles are popular cannabis products because they’re convenient to use and dose. Store-bought edibles usually have the THC content printed on the package for reference so you can calculate the amount of THC you need for the desired effect.
The effects of edibles have a slower onset compared to smoking or vaping, but the high also lasts longer. This may lead users to mistakenly believe that they need more, and end up ingesting more THC than they should. The key is to start with smaller doses and wait for at least 90 minutes for the effects.
Side effects happen with overconsumption or when an individual has a low tolerance for THC. They can be avoided with responsible use, and they can be alleviated with time, rest, and hydration.
