Finding Your Sweet Spot (DOSAGE)
by Caroline Platzman
Finding your sweet spot when it comes to dosing with weed can be a process, but no worries—we are here to help you achieve the perfect high. Read on for our THC dosage guide.
How to dose THC: Start low and go slow
The truth is, dosing with weed isn’t so simple.
Because of the body’s intricate endocannabinoid system (ECS), everybody reacts differently to weed and its primary psychoactive cannabinoid THC. Therefore, the rule of thumb when it comes to dosing is to always start low and go slow. This means consuming the smallest possible dose, waiting to see how it affects you, and then increasing the dose as needed.
Since there is no federally recommended dose for THC, it’s always best to start with a microdose of 1-2.5 mg THC and work your way up slowly over time, as needed, using a method known as titration. Titrating your THC will help you gauge a better understanding of how it impacts you mentally and physically, and it will avoid getting uncomfortably high. For most, a dose of 1-2.5 mg THC is a low enough starting point as it is meant to provide symptom relief and mildly heightened senses. Smaller doses of weed are proven to be effective, sometimes even more so than higher doses.
For some of us, 1-2.5 mg of THC is the perfect dose to get the job done for the entire day. For others, it might not be enough. Once you get started with 1-2.5 mg THC, you can work your way up to higher doses over the next few days as needed. Keep in mind that as you continue to increase your dose, your tolerance to THC will increase over time.
A dose of 2.5-15 mg THC is meant to provide stronger symptom relief, feelings of euphoria, the ability to help induce sleep, and impair coordination, perception, and focus. For those with a higher tolerance to THC, dosing with 30 mg-50 mg THC is meant to provide strong euphoria and significantly impact coordination, perception, and focus.
Those living with serious conditions that are unresponsive to lower doses and a rather high tolerance to THC may choose to dose with up to 50-100 mg THC. 50-100 mg THC is not for the faint of heart, and is meant to provide intense euphoria and seriously impair coordination, perception, and focus.
Keep in mind there is such a thing as getting “too high”, or dosing with a little bit more THC than your body can handle. At higher doses, THC can sometimes initiate negative effects, including nausea, paranoia and anxiety. In fact, weed is biphasic, meaning for some who consume it, effects might be reversed at higher doses of THC. If you experience negative side effects from weed you’re probably consuming too much THC.
Dosing with different consumption methods
Keep in mind that in addition to the uniqueness of individual body chemistry, dosing with different cultivars and consumption methods will produce different experiences–the same amount of mg THC can produce wildly unique experiences depending on the way it’s consumed.
Those looking for fast-acting relief, but a relatively shorter high, might opt for inhalation methods like smoking and vaping. Others looking for a more intense, longer-lasting high in comparison may choose to dose with an edible. Interestingly, consumption methods like edibles process cannabinoids through the liver, which deliver a lower percentage of THC into the body, yet have stronger effects compared to methods that process cannabinoids through the lungs. This is why a lower dose edible can actually hit harder than a few puffs on a joint.
Dosing with THC requires mindfulness, and the ability to check in with yourself regularly to conduct an honest, introspective evaluation. Try keeping a journal to write down your experiences and maintain track of your progress. Ask yourself questions, tap in to how you are feeling, and write down any and all consumption methods, cultivars, and additional techniques you are trying.
Finding your sweet spot is worth the effort
Dosing can be a process, especially for a beginner. Proper dosing takes practice, often with trial and error, even for the seasoned smoker. But finding that minimum effective dose, or your “sweet spot,” is worth the extra effort since it will mean less overload to your endocannabinoid system and less tolerance building over time.