Edible Dosage Calculator – THC Dosage Calculator for Edibles

Our Edible Dosage Calculator helps you find the right THC dosage for your edibles. 

We’ve all heard stories of people chomping down a gummy, feeling no effect, then trying another — only to find themselves hours later on another planet with Gilbert Gottfried narrating their thoughts.

The struggle is real, folks, but it ends today.

Use our Free THC Edible Calculator

Edibles: Real Talk

Let’s be straight about something: edibles can get you way too high, but it’s not necessarily their fault.

You see, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a fat-soluble compound. Whereas water-soluble compounds like alcohol enter our bellies and immediately get distributed into our bloodstreams, fat-soluble compounds like THC take much longer when they’re going through our digestive tracts.

Another complication arises from the fact that edibles have much lower bioavailability than, say, smoking. That means a lower percentage of the THC actually makes it into your bloodstream.

As such, when you take a pot gummy, brownie, cookie, or other edible, it’s far less predictable how long it may take to metabolize and get you high. It often can take several hours, which is why there are so many cases of people double- or triple-dosing out of impatience.

Dosing Edibles

So we can see that taking edibles is a different beast from consuming other forms of cannabis.

Regardless of how experienced you are with edibles, it’s always a fantastic idea to start with a low dosage of THC. What’s a low dose? Well, consider that both California and Colorado define 10 mg of THC as a single serving.

Still, it’s probably a better idea to start with an even smaller serving, perhaps around 5 mg, to avoid going to Mars.

A Practical Dosing Chart for Edibles

The following gives a rough approximation of different doses of THC in edibles, what you can expect from them, and who they’re intended for:

• 1 to 2.5 mg of THC: This small dose can provide mild relief of symptoms like stress, anxiety, and pain. It can also hone creativity and focus. It’s best for those who are looking to microdose or who are trying edibles for the first time.
• 2.5 to 15 mg of THC: This amount of THC can start to induce stronger symptom relief, as well as feelings like euphoria. However, it can lead to altered perception and impaired coordination. It’s best for medical patients who have persistent trouble, those who enjoy a slight high while socializing, and those with sleeping problems.
• 15 to 30 mg of THC: This dose can lead to intense feelings of euphoria, though it can bring about unwanted effects like altered perception, motor impairment, and other issues. It’s best left to those with higher tolerances, like medical patients or people with persistent sleep issues.
• 30 to 50 mg of THC: Reaching this range of THC dosage can create powerful euphoria and all the side effects that go along with it, like anxiety, dry mouth, etc. It is likely to alter perception and impair motor function. It could be a good choice if you’ve found your GI tract has poor THC absorption or if you’ve got a very high THC tolerance.
• 50 to 100 mg of THC: This is an extremely high dose. It can lead to extreme side effects like nausea, pain, and increased heart rate, and it’s likely to impair motor function and alter perception. This dose is best for those with a high THC tolerance and patients being treated for cancer, inflammatory diseases, or other disorders.

How to Start with Edibles

The best way to get started is to take a small dose, wait 2 to 3 hours, and then take note of the effects you’re feeling. Keep in mind that your response could be very different from the next person’s.

If you don’t feel any effects after 2 to 3 hours, try eating a snack — this can help your body absorb the THC. If that doesn’t do anything, take another 5 mg dose and wait another couple of hours.

Definitely use the strategy of amping up your dosage gradually. Make sure you don’t have any serious responsibilities for the next 6 hours or so, like driving a car, caring for children, etc.

Summary

Start small and work your way up, allowing 2 to 3 hours for each dose to kick in! Always be responsible and follow our dosing chart (above) to understand the likely side effects of each dose.

Also, check out our CBD Dosing Chart & Calculator.