Edible Dosing: Everything You Should Know

While smoking is by far the most popular way to enjoy cannabis, with the rise of so many edible options available for purchase, gummies, candies, concentrates, and baked goods are quickly catching up! Since you don’t have to bake your own special brownies anymore, it’s much easier to get your hands on edibles with more consistent amounts of THC, CBD, CBN, and other cannabinoids.

Even though store-bought edibles have more precise dosing than baking at home, it can still be tough to figure out the best way to eat your cannabis, as edible effects vary based on your body type, tolerance level, hydration, and even your previous meal. Discover some basic guidelines to help ensure you have a good experience with edible dosing when you read this blog from Green Gone Detox.

How Long Before You “Feel It”

Edible cannabis takes much longer to affect you than smoking cannabis. While smoking brings the cannabis directly through the lungs and from there into the bloodstream, edibles must be digested and metabolized by your liver before they take effect. Since digestion takes hours, feeling the effects can take anywhere from one to three hours. If you ate a dose that was too small, you may never feel anything at all! If you did take enough cannabis, once digested, the effects of edible dosing may last up to eight hours.

What is Your Ideal Dose?

The ideal dose for you may vary because there are so many factors you have to take into consideration. While one person may feel strong effects with just two milligrams, others may not feel anything even after taking 10 milligrams. As a newbie to edible dosing, our experts recommend starting out low and going slow. Try out a smaller dose at first and wait for at least an hour before deciding if you would like to take more. Edibles hit slower than smoking, so you’ll need to be patient.

As you discover how your body responds to edibles and dosage amounts, you can make more informed decisions about your ideal dose.

Low Dose or Microdose?

Since every edible sold in stores must have proper labeling, you know exactly what’s in every bite of your brownie or gummy. Most edibles range between five and ten milligrams per piece, but you can always cut them down to accommodate your edible dosing needs.

If you want to take an occasional low dose of cannabis, start with one or two milligrams whenever you feel the need. That could mean taking a low dose at night to help you relax and fall asleep or taking a small amount when you’re hanging out with friends. Microdosing cannabis is a little different, as you continuously take low doses of cannabis over the course of the day to maintain a stable high. The right route for you will depend on what you’re looking for from your edible dosing experience. Learn more about the benefits of microdosing from this blog!

Taking a Standard Dose

Since marijuana is a recreational drug, even when taken medicinally, there is no medical standardization of dosing. However, there are some industry and retail standards that help salespeople make recommendations for customers. Since edibles generally come in bite-sized pieces, a single piece of candy or brownie could be considered a standard dose. While most edibles come in a minimum of five milligrams, you could find edibles in amounts as large as 20 or 30 milligrams.

If you’re a novice, you’ll always want to start off on the low end and listen to your body when it reacts. Once you take the same dose multiple times and experience the consistency of the effects, you can determine the best edible dosing amounts to achieve your desired experience. When increasing your dosage amount, we recommend doing so in small increments – you don’t want to double your dose just because you don’t feel anything!

What’s a High Dose

If you consume an edible that’s over 15 milligrams, that’s considered a high dose. Since high doses of marijuana are associated with anxiety and paranoia, taking too much is definitely something you want to avoid. Additionally, all the other effects of cannabis could also be intensified, including potential impaired coordination, increased hunger, inability to focus, sleepiness, couch lock, dry mouth, increased heart rate, and more.

How to Handle Overconsumption

Uh Oh! You’ve taken too many edibles…what do you do? Overindulging in edibles has happened to everyone, especially since beginners make the mistake of taking more if they don’t feel any immediate effects. Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution to purging the cannabis once it starts to take effect, but there are some ways you can make the ride a little more palatable. If you think you’ve taken too many edibles, follow some of these tips to keep from experiencing paranoia or anxiety:

• Try to stay calm by reminding yourself that these sensations will pass
• Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
• Find a soothing, comfortable place to ride out your high
• Eat something with carbs to dampen the effects of THC

Is Edible Dosing for You?

Edibles are a great alternative for people who prefer not to smoke, whether for health reasons or personal preference. While the timeline and effects can vary a bit from smoking, you can still ensure a positive cannabis experience. Trust in us to be your guide and learn more about the best ways to enjoy cannabis from our blog!

If you’re hoping to detox from cannabis before exploring edible dosing, Green Gone Detox is here to help with that, too. Learn more about our detox products to discover the best ways to flush your body for a tolerance break or a potential drug test!