Knowing the correct THC dosage is the key to a great experience with cannabis edibles, but keep it hush-hush – only share this with trusted friends!
“Oh dear, I ate far too many special brownies!” We’ve all been there, or we know someone who has. On the other hand, you might have had some cannabis edibles and felt absolutely nothing. Honestly, it’s hard to say which scenario is worse.
This is why calculating the correct THC dosage is essential. It ensures you can enjoy your cannabis edibles to the fullest without ending up crashing in bed – not that we’ve ever been there, of course.
When it comes to growing cannabis seeds and making edibles at home, consuming the right THC dosage is the safest and most straightforward way to achieve the best possible effect. The main goal should be to relax, feel good, and have a pleasant time without overdoing it.
“Cannabis brownies are amazing and very simple to make, too. Just get some brownie mix and incorporate the cannabis right in there. Mix it in with the butter. Whoever came up with this idea first is truly a genius.”
However, there are a few things you’ll need to know first.
When you’re planning to cook some tasty cannabis edibles, one frequent question that you may be asking yourself is “how much weed should I put into the recipe?”
Before finding the perfect THC dosage for your cannabis edibles, you’ll have to take into consideration various factors that may influence your experience.
THC Tolerance
It’s only reasonable to say that a regular weed smoker has a higher THC tolerance and will probably need a larger dosage for their cannabis edibles than a first-timer. We don’t want to sound sexist either, but in comparison to men, women will likely need lower doses to achieve the same level of high. However, this can also vary depending on other factors, such as body size and mentality. Nonetheless, paying attention to THC tolerance is a rule we recommend adhering to for first-time users.
The body develops a tolerance to cannabis over time. There are numerous different molecules in the plant that the body can become accustomed to, including THC—the primary psychoactive constituent within the plant. To produce this effect, THC binds to the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system. This mechanism produces an acute flood of dopamine that leads to euphoria and other effects associated with cannabis.
However, as the body is exposed to an increased quantity of THC over time, it begins to downregulate the number of CB1 receptors in the central nervous system. Put simply, this means that THC has fewer places to bind to in order to produce its effects. This means that the same amount of weed that once got you really high will barely have any effect at all.
Body Contexture
Again, we don’t mean any offence, but a significant aspect to consider when calculating the right THC dosage for your edibles is the general size of the consumer. A smaller, thinner individual will logically need lower doses than a taller or heavier person.
The same applies to men and women; men tend to have a larger and heavier build than women, so they will need to consume a bit more to achieve the same effect.
State of Mind
It may sound surprising, but having the right state of mind when consuming your cannabis edibles can have the biggest impact on the type of ‘high’ you experience. Ideally, you should feel relaxed, confident, and generally happy when taking your special edibles or infusions.
Feelings of stress, anxiety, insecurity, and other negative emotions are not a good match with edibles. Such feelings may intensify when you’re high, potentially worsening your experience rather than allowing you to feel relaxed.
Weed Quality
This one practically explains itself. The better the weed, the higher you’ll get and the smaller the amounts needed, and vice versa. As we’ll explain later, the first thing you’ll need to check to calculate the right amount of THC for your cannabis edibles is the THC percentage present in your weed strain.
A well-grown and strong strain typically contains around 20% THC. However, not everyone knows how to cultivate cannabis perfectly, which can lead to lower weed quality and, consequently, lower THC levels. This means you’ll need larger doses of edibles to get high. The perfect strain for cooking edibles is the potent Gorilla Cookies Auto, which boasts THC levels up to 28.5%.
Environment and Surroundings
Just as the correct state of mind can significantly influence the effects of edibles, it is also important to pay attention to your environment. When consuming your cannabis edibles or infusions, try to find a place where you feel comfortable, relaxed, and free from distractions.
Cannabis is known for awakening all of our senses, so a hectic and hyped place is probably not the best setting for taking your edibles. We recommend choosing somewhere familiar and comfortable, such as your home. Alternatively, if the weather is pleasant, why not head outdoors to a green field and chill with your friends for the day?
How to Calculate the Perfect THC Dosage?
After considering the factors mentioned above, it’s time to delve into the maths to calculate the perfect THC dosage for your edibles. The first thing you should check is the percentage of THC present in the strain you’ll use. Most weed strains contain between 15-20% THC when grown properly, while weaker or poorly grown cannabis might have around 10% THC.
To simplify, we’ll use a 10% THC content as an example:
1 gram of cannabis weighs 1,000mg, with a total content of 100mg THC. Now you’ll need to calculate the THC dose per serving. To do this, divide the total amount of THC in your recipe by the number of servings.
For example, let’s suppose you make cannabutter with a cup of butter and 5 grams of average quality weed. Multiply 5 by 100 (5 x 100), and you’ll know that you have 500mg of THC in the butter.
If you used half the cup of butter (250mg of THC) to make 25 cookies, divide that by the number of servings, and you’ll know each serving’s dosage contains about 10mg of THC.
Doses and Effects
A beginner or smaller-sized person’s THC dose should be around 1 to 10mg. An intermediate user could intake a dose between 10 and 20mg. Finally, an experienced person’s THC dosage ranges between 20-50mg or more, depending on the desired effect.
Here’s an overview of the different types of effects associated with various doses:
1-2.5mg THC
This small dose is recommended for first-time users and microdosers. It will produce mild relief of pain, stress, and anxiety, as well as improvements in focus and creativity.
2.5-15mg THC
When taking doses between 2.5-15mg of THC, you will experience stronger pain relief, euphoric feelings, and possibly altered perceptions and impaired coordination. This dose is recommended for patients with persistent issues, people dealing with sleeping problems, or sociable individuals.
15-30mg THC
People who consume THC doses between 15-30mg are usually medical patients who have developed a higher THC tolerance or regular cannabis consumers. At this level, perceptions and body coordination will be significantly affected, and strong euphoric sensations will arise.
30mg and Higher THC
Doses from 30mg and higher are only recommended for extremely experienced THC users or medical patients who require such high doses. At this stage, feelings of euphoria will be extreme, coordination and perception will be even more altered, and you might experience some side effects such as rapid heart rates.
Do’s and Don’ts of Eating Cannabis Edibles
Now that you have successfully calculated the THC dosage for your edibles, let’s go over the do’s and don’ts of consuming cannabis edibles.
Do’s
- Eat Small Amounts at a Time: Start with a small dose and wait at least an hour before considering another dose.
- Have a Proper Meal First: Ensure you’ve eaten a substantial meal before consuming the edible.
- Remember Edibles are Stronger: Keep in mind that edibles have a more potent effect than smoking a joint.
- Stay Calm: If you start feeling a bit anxious, stay calm. No one has ever been harmed by consuming weed edibles.
Don’ts
- Don’t Eat Too Much Too Fast: Avoid consuming large amounts quickly. Take breaks between doses to allow the effects to set in before taking more.
- Don’t Forget to Drink Water: Staying hydrated is important to avoid feeling dehydrated.
- Don’t Get Too Hyped: It’s not a competition about who can get higher. Consuming too many edibles will likely just make you sleepy.
- Don’t Consume on an Empty Stomach: Eating something beforehand will prevent the effects from being too intense.
- Don’t Mix with Other Drugs: Avoid combining edibles with other substances.
- Don’t Give Edibles Without Informing: Always inform someone if you are giving them edibles. We’ve heard some amusing stories, but for the surprised person, it often wasn’t enjoyable.
How to Make Your Own Edibles?
The process of making edibles is actually pretty straightforward. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment, and you definitely don’t need to be Gordon Ramsay to whip up a batch of delicious cookies or brownies. However, for the best results, a certain level of patience is required.
First things first, if you want to make your own edibles at home, you will need to infuse a fat with your weed. You can use any fat you like, but these days we almost always recommend using extra virgin coconut oil. Butter is the other most popular option, but we prefer coconut oil as it is healthier, more versatile, has a longer shelf life, can replace butter in almost every recipe, and is vegan-friendly.
At MyEdiblesUK, we have briefly discussed how to work out the dosage above and shown some basic calculations, but there were a few factors we left out. The figures shown above are what you would get in an absolutely perfect world, but we didn’t factor in the decarb rate and extraction rate. Don’t worry, these calculations are super simple. For the decarb rate, you simply multiply by 0.9, and for the extraction rate, you multiply again by 0.6.
- For 1 gram of cannabis at 10% THC with a total content of 100mg THC, we get 100 x 0.9 = 90 mg THC, then 90 x 0.6 = 54 mg THC.
Let’s expand those numbers a little further. Say we have 10 grams of bud at 15% THC that we want to cook with.
- 1 gram would equal 150 mg of THC. 10 g x 150 mg = 1500 mg of THC total.
- 1500 mg x 0.9 = 1350 mg.
- 1350 mg x 0.6 = 810 mg.
So, while you started with 1500 mg of THC, once the cooking process is finished, you will end up with a figure closer to 810mg.
A normal edible dose is about 10 mg, meaning you have enough here to make 81 edibles. So, if the recipe you are using makes 20 cookies, use one-quarter of the medicated oil, and you should have perfectly dosed edibles—easy.
Making the Best Medicated Coconut Oil
To make the best medicated coconut oil, we recommend using the slow-cook recipe. As the name suggests, there are quicker methods, but this recipe ensures the highest extraction rate.
It’s super simple.
- Add 1.5 to 2 litres of water to a slow cooker if you have one. If not, use a large pot.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil and add the oil. Remember, you can always dilute the finished product but cannot make it more concentrated. Use less oil initially, as you can always add more later. We usually start with 500 ml for this recipe.
- Turn the heat down to where the water is just slightly bubbling and add your cannabis. Remember to decarb it first and grind it up. Let it slowly bubble away for about an hour, then turn off the heat and let it cool for another hour. If you are using a slow cooker, you can leave it on the lowest setting.
- Return it to the heat for another hour, and then off again for an hour. Repeat this process at least 4 times, or up to 10 times if possible.
- Strain the mixture to remove all of the plant matter. Cheesecloth works best, but a fine mesh strainer will also do the trick. Let it sit in the fridge or freezer for about an hour. The oil will separate and solidify on top of the water.
- Remove the solidified oil and discard the remaining water. You can reheat and melt it to make it easier to store in jars.
There you have it. Beautiful, delicious, medicated coconut oil ready to be used in any recipe you like!
Recommendations:
Although calculating the THC dosage for your cannabis edibles involves some maths, it isn’t an exact science. The perfect dosage may vary for each person, depending on several influencing factors. That’s why it’s important to consider these factors to ensure you have an enjoyable experience.
Once you know the right THC dosage for your weed edibles, it’s time to get cooking! Check out some recipes and enjoy the experience.
Just remember, don’t panic if you’ve had too much of your weed edibles. The truth is, no one has ever died from consuming too many cannabis-infused edibles.
If you find yourself feeling too high, stay calm. Let your friends or whoever is with you know so they can help you relax. Drink some water, eat some regular food, and if that doesn’t help, heading to bed will do the job. The best part is, this will likely turn into another funny story to share with your friends in the future.
Disclaimer: This article provides information for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before using any THC related product.