Marijuana Edibles: How to Dose and Ingest Properly

One of the many ways to consume marijuana is via edibles. This is a popular choice due to the convenience and discretion that edibles provide. Before you consume marijuana edibles or edibles with marijuana-derived substances like CBD and THC, it is wise to make sure you understand how to dose and ingest these items. 

Benefits of Edibles

Every method of consuming marijuana is associated with its own advantages. In the case of edibles, many people appreciate the discretion, while others like the ability to enjoy a favorite snack or dessert and also getting the effects of marijuana. It is also straightforward to consume edibles since everyone knows how to eat and drink. In contrast, learning to smoke a joint can take a little bit of practice. 

Disadvantages

If you are considering using edibles instead of another form of ingesting marijuana, keep in mind that your digestive system absorbs the cannabis, and this can take time. This means that compared to other methods, it takes longer for edibles’ effects to be felt, but they tend to last longer. Additionally, dosing with edibles can sometimes be difficult, especially in the case of homemade edibles. 

Understanding What a Dose Means for Edibles

Before you can even begin to understand how to dose marijuana edibles, you must understand the information you are looking at. Concentrates and cannabis flowers are dosed in percentage, but edibles are dosed in milligrams of cannabinoids. 

In the case of edibles that you buy, you will likely see a listing of THC and/or CBD in milligrams. This typically includes two amounts, one per serving and one for the entire package. If there is information about the milligrams per serving, the package will also tell you how many servings are in the container and/or the size of a serving. 

Choosing Your Dose

When it comes to selecting the ideal dose for marijuana edibles, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Your ideal dose will depend on your body chemistry, your weight, and your desired effects. 

Start Small

If you are new to edibles, you should always start with a small dose and work your way up slowly over time. Beginners should typically start with a dose of 1 to 5 milligrams of THC. Intermediate users can increase this to about 20 milligrams if they want, while only experienced consumers should consume doses of more than 20 milligrams. 

Example Doses

To provide better guidance on your ideal dose of marijuana edibles to start with, consider the following ranges and ideal users:

• 1 to 2.5 milligrams is best for microdosing and first-time users
• 2.5 to 15 milligrams is best for those with chronic symptoms, experienced users who need help sleeping, and those with tolerances
• 15 to 30 milligrams is best for those with a high tolerance or resistance to THC’s effects
• 30 to 50 milligrams is best for chronic pain sufferers, those with extremely high THC tolerances, or restless sleepers at night
• 50 to 100 milligrams should only be consumed by those with very heavy tolerances and experience. You should only use this high of a dose if you have severe inflammatory conditions or cancer that resists lower doses. 

Wait to Increase the Dose Until the Next Day

As you choose your dose for marijuana edibles, remember that it takes a while to start feeling the effects of this form of cannabis. It could take several hours for the effects to kick in, so you should wait to increase your dose until the following day. At the very least, wait at least three or four hours before increasing the dose, so there is time for the effects of your initial dose to come. However, it is much better to just wait until the following day. 

A common mistake among beginners is to notice they do not feel any effects right away and then take another dose. Then, in a few hours, both doses kick in, and the user is overwhelmed by the high. You can avoid this problem by waiting until the next day to try a higher dose. 

Understand Timing

Remember that before you can feel the effects of marijuana edibles, they need to go through your digestive system. This means that they will almost always take at least 45 minutes for you to start noticing results. It may even take up to three hours for you to feel the effects. 

From there, the effects of edibles are long-lasting compared to other consumption methods, usually lasting four to six hours. As such, you want to make sure you have time in your day to consume edibles and wait for the effects. Otherwise, you may find yourself still experiencing the high when you have important things to do. 

How to Ingest Edibles

Ingesting edibles could not be easier. Choose your edible, eat it, and wait 40 minutes to three hours for the effects to come. 

Edibles Must Contain Decarboxylated Cannabis

If you are thinking of making your own edibles, you will need to make sure that you decarboxylate the cannabis. This is the process where the naturally occurring THCA in cannabis plants gets heated slightly, turning it into the THC that causes psychoactive effects. Our bodies cannot turn THCA into THC, so this process has to occur before we consume marijuana. 

In the case of smoking flowers or buds, the flame that you use to light the joint or bong takes care of decarboxylation. With edibles, the cannabis must be heated separately before you follow the recipe. Even if you consume the edibles in something cold, like a smoothie, the marijuana must be decarboxylated. This process is relatively simple; you just place cannabis in the oven for a little, but it needs to reach a certain temperature. 

An alternative to decarboxylating the dry flower is to make edibles using another product, like cannabinoid crystals, distillate, concentrate, or hashish. These will have already been decarboxylated, letting you skip that step. 

Conclusion

Marijuana edibles are incredibly easy to use and widely available, or you can make your own. When choosing a dose, start small and work your way up over time, and do not increase the dose until the following day.