One of the most important things to do when starting out with cannabis is figuring out how much you can consume without feeling too high. Of course, this will vary depending on what route of administration you take, as different methods alter the onset time and intensity.
As a general rule of thumb, you should start low and work your way up until you find your preferred dose. For example, if you’re starting with smoking flower-based cannabis products, start with one puff first and slowly increase your intake as you figure out what feels best for you.
It’s also important to note that each person has their own tolerance level, so when it comes to cannabis, figuring out your ideal dosage level can be a little tricky. But don’t worry, we’re here to help!
In this post, we’ll go over how to figure out your tolerance and ideal dosage for cannabis products.

The first thing to consider when using cannabis is how much you can tolerate without feeling excessively intoxicated. Similar to other substances, the more you consume cannabis, the higher your tolerance will be. If you don’t consume cannabis for a while, your tolerance will drop pretty quickly.
If you’re new to cannabis, always start low! You almost certainly will have a low tolerance compared to others who consume regularly. As you consume more regularly, you will see your tolerance increase which will affect your ideal dosing.

Here are some other tips and tricks to figuring out your ideal dosage.

• Listen to Your Body. You’ll want to start with an amount that makes you feel good and doesn’t make you too drowsy. If it’s your first time using cannabis, avoid edibles, as they can take hours to kick in, the effects last longer, and the effects can be a lot more intense.
• Always start small and give yourself time to feel the effects before taking more. We can’t say this enough.
• When you’re trying weed for the first time, do it somewhere comfortable where you won’t be around a ton of people. A party or social gathering is not the best place to try weed for the first time.
• If you decide to try edibles, start with a lower dose, and wait for at least two hours before taking more. Until you know how long it will take your body to process an edible, err on the side of caution. Everyone’s metabolism is different and just because you may have a fast metabolism with food, doesn’t mean you’ll have a fast metabolism with edibles.
• Always start with some CBD and THC. CBD will help balance out the THC and create a more relaxing high.
• Different consumption methods have diverse effects, so starting low and going slow is important. You will usually feel the results almost immediately when smoking while edibles and tinctures can take much longer.

Knowing your dosage can help you have better control over your experience and avoid any unwanted side effects.

Finding the right dosage is also influenced by the cannabis products you choose. When you’re looking at the dispensary shelves, it can be a bit overwhelming to find the right product. While budtenders are a great resource and can help guide you, here are some basic things to consider:

THC Content

While terpenes and other cannabinoids play a big part in the high you experience, THC is the cannabinoid you’ll see listed on most labels. While it is true that sometimes a 15% THC flower will deliver a more intense high than a 25% THC flower, paying attention to the THC levels in the products you’re consuming will help you figure out your ideal dosage. This is true across all categories.

THC is measured slightly differently across products. Flower and vape will show THC as a % while edibles and tinctures will show THC in milligrams. It can be a little confusing at first but you’ll pick it up quickly.
A good starting dose is usually 2.5MG THC or less with additional CBD for edibles and tinctures. If you’re looking at flower or vape, pick up a product with lower THC and some CBD. “1:1’s” are a good option and the ratio refers to THC to CBD.

Method of Administration

The amount of cannabis you need to consume also depends on the method of administration. How you consume the product determines how you absorb the THC into your bloodstream and subsequently the time to onset and the effects. Here are the three most common ways your body can absorb THC.

1. Through the lunges – anything that is smoked or inhaled (flower, vape, dabs) will be absorbed through the lungs. This uptake is faster and the effects are shorter-lived.
2. Through the liver – edibles are processed through the liver leading to a longer onset and long-lasting and more intense effects.
3. Through the mouth – tinctures and other “sublinguals” are absorbed through the mouth if you hold it under your tongue versus swallowing it right away. If you swallow right away, the substance will be processed by your body like an edible. Sublingual absorption is a happy medium between smoking and eating uptake time.

There are other factors to deliberate when figuring out your dosage level

Your Endocannabinoid System

Your endocannabinoid system (ECS) is responsible for helping to keep your body in balance. The ECS has a hand in regulating things like pain, inflammation, mood, and energy levels.

When you consume cannabis, the cannabinoids from the plant interact with the receptors in your ECS. This helps to stimulate and support your ECS, leading to several potential benefits. Every person’s endocannabinoid system is different and responds to THC differently.

Furthermore, the ECS changes over time, so your ideal dosage level at one point in your life won’t be the same as it is at another. Therefore, it’s essential to pay attention to how you feel after consuming cannabis and adjust your dosage accordingly.

If the effects are too strong or uncomfortable, don’t be afraid of putting down the weed! If you smoked too much, you might feel really high, paranoid, or just uncomfortable. In this case, drink lots of water, find a comfortable place to relax for a while, eat some food, and just wait it out. Time is really the only thing that can make you feel better.

Everyone has a different reaction to cannabis, so it’s crucial to figure out your ideal dosage level. For some people, it might be easier to find this through trial and error, while others may prefer a more scientific approach.

Always remember that it’s important to start low and go slow when it comes to cannabis. You will know when it is time to increase or decrease your dosage because of how you feel. For example, if you’re finding that your dosage is too low and the effects aren’t as strong as before, consider increasing it. On the other hand, if you find yourself feeling tired or dazed after consuming cannabis regularly at a certain dose level, consider lowering your dosage to see how it affects the experience.

If you decide to start with flower-based products or are using edibles, take note of how your body reacts after consumption because that will help you figure out the correct dosage for future use. Then, after you know your ideal dosage level, you can try using the same method of administration to figure out how much cannabis product to use for future use.

At Glass House Farms, all of our strains are grown with the utmost care and precision. We want you to get the most out of your cannabis experience, so be sure to visit us and ask about our products!

Please feel to reach out for help finding the perfect strain and dose for you! We are here to help! Also, be sure to read our article How To Stop Being High.

Next, read Get Out Of The Weeds For Women’s Health Week.