THC Dosage: Find the Right MG Dose for You

Your ideal THC dose is like a passport to marijuana. Once you have found the right THC percentage or milligram range that you like, you can explore the vast world of cannabis. Finding your dose is just as important as planning for a big vacation.

Find out how to determine the right dosage for you based on your product type. Also, learn how to adjust incrementally the dose and what other factors could affect the effects of cannabis.

Considerations for different product types

How much cannabis you want to use to get high will depend on the product. You can find different types of products at your local marijuana dispensary. The right dosage depends on their types. Here are various types of marijuana products.

Flower Dosage

The effects of smoking cannabis flower are quick to start. Inhaling cannabis smoke can cause you to feel high in a matter of minutes. You’ll be able to tell if you smoked too much or not. The high will peak around 30 minutes after inhalation, before decreasing for about an hour.

There are many cannabis strains that can vary in their potency and cannabinoid contents. These can all affect the high. The certificates of analysis are provided with all lab-tested cannabis products purchased from licensed legal marijuana dispensaries. This makes the process easy and accurate. To determine the amount of effect you can expect from one joint or bong, look for the THC percentage.

• 10% THC or Less: flowers in this range are considered mild
• 10 to 20% THC: strong enough for beginners, but often right for casual users
• 20% THC or more: the strongest marijuana you will find

The bottom line: Take a look at the THC percentage before taking a puff. Wait 15 minutes before taking more to really get an idea of how it affects you.

Vapes

Many vape cartridges and pens come prefilled with cannabis oil. This is a form of cannabis concentrate. The vapes heat cannabis oil until it reaches its vaporization point. This produces a strong vapor that can be inhaled by cannabis users. Vaping cannabis is similar to smoking cannabis. The effect lasts for a few minutes and then peaks after about 30 minutes.

Vaping can give you a strong high without much effort. It’s important to be cautious when vaping for the first time.

The bottom line: Take a look at the THC percentage of your vape before you consume. Wait 15 minutes before taking another pull.

Concentrates

Cannabis concentrates are extremely potent and contain an average of 60%-99% THC. Cannabis concentrates can be ingested in greater quantities by using a dab-rig if they are not sold as pre-filled vapes. The dabbing of concentrates is a more advanced method of cannabis consumption and is not recommended to beginners.

The bottom line: Only experienced and highly-tolerant users should try out cannabis concentrates. When you first start dabbing, use a small amount of concentrate that is no larger than a grain of rice.

Edibles Dosing

THC is processed differently if it’s inhaled or ingested. The liver converts THC to 11-hydroxy-THC after digestion. This compound is more potent and lasts longer than THC. It also has more sedating properties. It can take between 30 minutes and two hours for the effects of edibles to kick in. Depending on the dosage and metabolism, the effects may last several hours.

We’ve only been discussing THC percentages. However, cannabis edibles are measured in milligrams. A tin of marijuana chews at your local cannabis dispensary may contain 100mg THC per packet and 5 mg THC each gummy. Here’s a quick explanation for beginners who are trying to understand these numbers:

• 1 – 2 mg THC: is a microdose that’s the best place to start for beginners
• 2-5 mg THC: could either be considered a low or high dose, depending on tolerance
• 5-10 mg THC: is the most popular range for casual users
• 10-50 mg THC: Strong and Recommended for Experienced Users
• 50mg THC or more: is considered extremely strong and is typically reserved for patients with severe conditions and everyday consumers

The bottom line: If you’re new to edibles, start with 2 mg of THC. Gradually increase the dose by 1mg each time. You can wait 24 hours between each experiment to find the right dose.

Tinctures

Using alcohol or oil to dissolve cannabis, you can make cannabis tinctures. Tinctures can either be taken sublingually (under your tongue) or mixed with a beverage or food. Sublingual consumption of a tincture will result in a quick kick-in and lasting effects that last for up to two hours.

Tinctures should be absorbed through the blood vessels of the mouth. To ensure absorption, drop some tincture under your tongue. If you swallow the tincture too soon, it will behave more like an edible. It will take longer for it to kick in, and it will last longer.

The bottom line: Use tinctures with the same care as with edibles. You can start with 2 mg of THC and increase it by 1 mg every 24 hrs until you reach the right dose.

Factors that could affect your experience

Your individual endocannabinoid systems (ECS). Endocannabinoids are a group of cannabinoid receptors and lipids. They play a significant role in maintaining our internal regulatory balance, or homeostasis. The endocannabinoid systems of all mammalian vertebrates interact with cannabinoids that we make (endocannabinoids), and cannabinoids in cannabis (phytocannabinoids). The number of cannabinoid receptors and the operation of the ECS will affect how sensitive a person is to THC and other cannabinoids. Some cannabis users are able to use 1 mg of THC, while others need much higher doses.

The speed at which you develop tolerance. Your ideal dose of THC can change as you gain tolerance. The ECS is a highly tuned instrument. It responds to overstimulation with diminishing cannabinoid receptors. This means that higher doses of THC will be needed over time. Taking tolerance breaks is a way to control your tolerance and being careful about how much you eat.

The best dose is the lowest effective dose

Clinical research supports the common advice to “Start low, go slow”. In a 2012 Journal of Pain study, it was shown that patients suffering from advanced cancer had more effective pain relief and less side effects when they used lower amounts of cannabis spray. A second study in the Journal of Pain showed that low dosages of vaporized cannabis were as effective in relieving pain than higher doses. The smaller doses also had a less significant effect on daily cognitive function.

Although there is no known fatal dose of cannabis, excessive consumption can cause anxiety and paranoia. You can avoid any unintended effects by starting with the lowest possible dose of THC and gradually increasing until you reach the right level.

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