First time? Weed edibles can be intimidating, especially if you’re not sure how much to take to feel the way you want. You’re not alone, and we’re definitely here to help. If you have had a bad experience consuming cannabis edibles in the past and you still feel a little nervous about how many milligrams are right for you, take a deep breath, and remember the legal market is not like eating one of your friend’s homemade weed brownies.
The cannabis products you buy in licensed dispensaries have passed rigorous testing, so you can trust that you will get what is listed on the package – no surprises! It’s one of the great benefits of having a legal market. Here’s our comprehensive guide on best practices and recommended weed edibles dosage.
How long does an edible last: Wait 1-2 hours, feel it for 4-6 hours.
Weed edibles have come a long way since old school pot brownies. From gluten-free to Paleo-friendly, cannabis retailers offer something for everyone to get high – or not. What type of edibles you consume will determine how quickly you feel its effects.
If you let a gummy or hard candy dissolve in your mouth, cannabinoids like THC & CBD are absorbed sublingually. Sublingual administration is absorbed quickly into your bloodstream through the cells of the tissue in your mouth. Swallowing an edible means it must be processed through your liver and this increases your time to onset.
PROS: longer duration of effects can help with pain and sleep.
CONS: individuals metabolize cannabis differently, directly affecting tolerance levels. Getting to your right dose of weed edibles may require some trial and error.
METHOD: Ingested orally and metabolized by the liver.
DOSAGE: Product choices of weed edibles include CBD only; CBD +THC. THC only. For THC, start with a low dose. We recommend you start with 2.5 mg THC.
For CBD-only edibles, the standard dose is 8-10 mg taken 1-2x per day. The first dose before 10 am, then second dose usually between 2-4 pm.
ONSET: 1-2 hours.
DURATION: 4-10 hours, depending on the dose.
good to know
Weed edibles will have different onset times based on whether the cannabis is absorbed through your lungs, skin, or as an oil in your mouth or eaten and absorbed through your liver. An oil tincture can take from 15-45 minutes to onset and standard cannabis edibles take 1-2 hours to feel the effects.
do the pot
Try a low-dose of weed edibles. We like infused honey or cannabis tea an hour before bed. Wondering how long an edible high lasts? Weed edibles have a prolonged, body-high effect that help many people fall asleep and stay asleep all night.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF WEED EDIBLES?
Chocolates, gummies & cookies. This form of weed edibles is metabolized by the liver, which means slower onset and longer duration. It takes 1-2 hours to feel the effects (be patient!) and effects can last for 4-10 hours depending on the dose.
Beverages & teas. This form of edibles is a mix of oral consumption methods, with some absorption sublingually and some metabolized in the liver.
HOW DO I KNOW MY WEED EDIBLES DOSE?
First things first, always read the label to check dosing before purchasing edibles at a dispensary. Every state with legal cannabis has different requirements for what is on their labels. But no matter what state you are in, edibles are measured in milligrams.
Pay attention to the number of milligrams of THC content and other cannabinoids like CBD, which should be listed on the packaging. Because of strict state, or country, if you’re in Canada, regulations, the information on the labels is often really tiny, which can make it extra hard to understand. If it is, just ask the retail staff, the budtenders, at the dispensary for help.
For a good edible experience, start with a low dose. Our recommended dose of edibles is starting with 2mg of THC – because many believe consuming edibles is the trickiest of all methods. Often in adult-use legal states mandate a 10 mg max serving size. This can be further broken down into 2.5 mg or 5 mg doses.
We highly recommend cutting your edibles in half if the dosage feels too high for you. Plus, you save some money and have more for later! Read the label and confirm with your budtender before leaving the store exactly what a serving size is for the product you purchased. For CBD, the standard dose is 8-10 mg taken 1-2x per day – with your first dose before 10am, then second dose usually between 2-4pm.
HOW LONG DO EDIBLES TAKE TO KICK IN AND HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
Set a timer. Every time you take a dose of an edible, set your phone or watch for 1-2 hours. Weed edibles are notorious for creep, which means you may lose track of time. Set a timer for one hour if you’re fatigued and/or dehydrated and know yourself to have a faster metabolism.
If you accidentally took a large dose of your edible and want to feel less high, we always recommend having a CBD tincture on hand. Put a dropper full under your tongue and let it absorb for 30-6- seconds. After 15 minutes, you’ll start feeling more like yourself.
Cannabis is fat soluble. Consuming marijuana edibles with a high-fat oil or meal will maximize the effects and duration of THC. You will get more high after eating and you’ll remain high longer! And if you eat little food at the time you eat an edible but have a meal high in fat hours later, the THC will process with the newly introduced fat and you may still feel the effects.
A tip to optimize the body’s absorption of CBD – try taking your CBD oil with coconut oil or olive oil.
The ratio of CBD to THC in an edible has an impact on its effects. The more CBD there is in a product, the more mellow the high will be. CBD actually helps bring you back down to Earth if you’ve had a large amount of THC. So look for high ratios of CBD if you’re looking to avoid a more intoxicating experience and its side effects.
WHAT WEED EDIBLES CAN I TAKE WITHOUT SMOKING OR VAPING?
Technically cannabis oil tinctures are weed edibles because they are ingested but rather than being swallowed and digested through the liver, tinctures are administered sublingually – under the tongue.
