Dosing Edibles
The days of only being able to smoke medical marijuana are long gone! There are many ways to consume medical marijuana. They each have their strengths, weaknesses, and preferred uses.
In this article, we will focus on edible forms:
• Food products
• Capsules
• Lozenges
Use edibles when you need effective, long-lasting, and safe effects. However, these forms of cannabis are the most likely to produce unwanted effects and overconsumption symptoms. These effects can be very unpleasant, so you must understand how to dose edibles.
We’ll cover the basics of edible dosing in this article. Although we can generalize what effects are felt at different dose levels, it really depends on the person just what those effects are.
Dosage Varies Between Individuals
Because every individual has a unique internal physiologic environment, everyone experiences different results with various medications.
This is even more true of medical marijuana than other medications or herbsOne person’s response to the same dose of edible cannabis can vary significantly from the next.
But, Why?
The factors involved include:
• Previous history of cannabis use
• Gastrointestinal factors
• The function/sensitivity of your endocannabinoid system
The Ideal Edibles Dose
The ideal edibles dose depends on:
• Tolerance
• Individual body chemistry
• The experience you want
Here are some basic guidelines to help you find the right dose of marijuana edibles.
Let’s Break It Down
Providers measure edibles in milligrams (mg).
1 – 2.5 mg THC Edibles
• You should expect mild relief of symptoms like stress, pain, and anxiety, an increase in focus and creativity.
• Best for first-time consumers or regular consumers looking to microdose.
2.5 – 15 mg THC Edibles
• You should expect stronger relief of anxiety and pain symptoms, euphoria, impaired coordination, and a shift in perception.
• It is best for standard recreational use; persistent symptoms are not affected by smaller doses; people who need a good night’s sleep.
30 – 50 mg THC Edibles
• You should expect strong euphoric effects, significantly impaired coordination and perception.
• Best for high-tolerance THC consumers or consumers who need stronger doses because their GI systems don’t absorb cannabinoids well.
50 – 100 mg THC Edibles
• You should expect seriously impaired perception and coordination, possible unpleasant side effects, including pain, nausea, and increased heart rate.
• Best for experienced, high-tolerance THC consumers and patients living with cancer, inflammatory disorders, and other serious conditions.
The Edibles Dosage Ceiling
The risk of adverse side effects increases after you exceed 100 mg of cannabis edibles. An extremely high dosage like 150 mg, 200 mg, or even 500 mg will bring on nausea and paranoia, even for consumers who may have very high tolerances.
Don’t Stack Up Doses
This is one of the most common mistakes made by edibles users. If you don’t feel any effect from an edible after one hour, do not take another dose. If you do, then two hours later, both doses will come through simultaneously, and you will experience the unpleasant effects of cannabis overconsumption.
Not only can you end up feeling paranoid or in pain, but you can experience extreme confusion, anxiety, panic, fast heart rate, delusions or hallucinations, increased blood pressure, and severe nausea or vomiting if you overconsume edibles.
Adding CBD to THC to Decrease Unwatered Effects
When you combine CBD with THC, then the likely hood of experiencing intoxicating effects decreases. The more CBD, the fewer unwanted effects, and the medical effects’ quality will also change.
At a 4:1 ratio, adverse intoxicating effects become unlikely unless you take a very high dose. For example, if you feel impaired after taking 5 mg of THC, you will likely feel less or no impairment if you take 20 mg of CBD + 5 mg of THC.
Tips for Consuming Cannabis-infused Edibles
1. Eat a Snack
Has it been an hour since you ate the edible, and you aren’t feeling any effects? Try eating a snack like an apple or some peanut butter to engage your gut’s digestion and absorption.
2. Try a Lose Dose
New to medical marijuana? You may require 2-3 doses before you feel anything at all. Try the same low dose every 8-24 hours three times in a row. If it still has no effect, then you may consider increasing the dose.
3. Try a Different Method
Got gut problems? Every now and then, the rare individual cannot absorb significant amounts of THC through their gut. For these individuals, absorption through the oral blood vessels (i.e., under your tongue) or the lungs is your best option.
Tips for Relieving Overconsumption of Edibles
Unfortunately, there’s no antidote to marijuana toxicity. Basically, if it happens, you’ll have to sit it out and wait for your body to metabolize the cannabis. It can take a day or even two for this to happen. During that time, supportive care and time are your best friends.
1. Stay Calm
Stay in a calm, safe environment where someone can gently reassure you that everything will be OK.
2. Stay Hydrated
Drink water or other healthy beverages and stay hydrated.
3. Try CBD
You can try a large 50-200mg dose of CBD (without significant amounts of THC) to help relieve some of the effects. You can use lemon oil, mainly from the rind and in lower amounts in the juice, for this purpose. Zest a tablespoon of lemon peel, chew it up, and swallow.
4. Seek Medical Care
Emergency medical care is not usually needed unless you have pre-existing heart disease or another serious medical condition. If you have ongoing vomiting and diarrhea, you may need to get intravenous rehydration.
Resources
• Image attribution
• Leafly
• Harvard Health
• Medicinenet
• Medlineplus
• CDC
• Webmd
