No one’s going to argue with you if you praise the greatness of edibles. They’re portable, stashable, and above all, tasty. However, edibles do have a steeper learning curve than other types of cannabis products. As a result, it can take some time to learn the nuances of various forms of edibles, including edible dosage.
That’s why we put together this post. Below, we’ll help cannabis connoisseurs new and old understand some of the most important details about achieving maximum effects and enjoyment from their edibles.
How Do Edibles Work?
Before diving headfirst into edible dosage, it’s important to understand how oral cannabis works. This will play a role in determining how frequently you can take an edible and that’s just as important as learning how much to take.
When you eat an edible, your body absorbs it differently than when you inhale cannabis vapor or smoke. Instead of passing into your lungs, edible THC heads to your liver via your digestive tract. Once there, your body converts it into a new compound.
This new compound, called 11-hydroxy-THC, has noteworthy differences from standard THC. The biggest difference is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier. That makes 11-hydroxy-THC significantly more powerful than standard THC.
However, edibles can take up to an hour before their onset. In contrast, inhaled THC passes into your bloodstream almost instantly. Recognizing this time difference in feeling a product’s effects can create a unique problem for newer edible users.
Often, an edible newbie will take some oral THC and wait for 30-45 minutes. They still don’t feel the effects of THC, so they take another dose. At this point, they’ve effectively taken double the dose they’d intended. In the next 2 hours, they may experience unpleasant effects like anxiety or dry mouth.
There’s an easy way to avoid this, though. Just wait an hour between edibles!
Edible Dosage: Finding the Right Amount
Below, we’ll break down edible dosage into four different categories. We’ll also detail dosage amounts and who should likely use each category.
Low Doses: 1 – 15mg
If you’re a newer cannabis user, this is the place to start. Lower doses may be effective at relieving mild pain and inflammation. In addition, this is also a good dose range for newbies to relieve stress and anxiety. Finally, doses between 1 and 15mg may increase focus and creativity.
Mid-Range Doses: 15 – 30mg
With this edible dose range, feelings of euphoria may begin to kick in. It’s also where newer edible users or those with low tolerances may experience some anxiety. In contrast, for experienced users with higher tolerance, this actually may relieve anxiety. The 15 – 30mg edible dosage range may also be a great choice for people who need to improve sleep.
High Doses: 30 – 50mg
This level is where more experienced users go when their tolerance to edibles begins to increase. Those who have already used lower doses of edibles to relieve pain, inflammation, or for other uses may reach this level eventually.
Experts Only: 50mg and Up
This edible dosage is typically reserved for the most experienced cannabis users. For medical patients, it may be helpful in relieving serious inflammatory problems, as well as mitigating pain from a variety of sources including cancer or chemotherapy.
Find the Perfect Edible Dosage and Products With Help From Your Budtenders
While we have covered some significant ground in this post, it’s not a complete guide to edible dosing. Each person’s individual needs and metabolism are different. As a result, it may take a bit of experimenting to find your perfect edible dosage.
In addition, don’t forget an important resource: your local budtenders! Budtenders at dispensaries can help you make sense of the vast cannabis inventory these stores usually carry. They can even help you choose which dosage level is right for you.
