Edible Dosing Guide: How Many Milligrams Should I Take?

It’s one of the most common questions we hear from New Yorkers: what’s the right dose of edibles? For an enjoyable experience, it’s best to start low and go slow. Get all the details here.

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How many milligrams of edibles should I take?

Whether you’re brand new to cannabis or simply don’t take edibles too often, it’s good to be cautious. We recommend starting with a small amount – generally between 2.5 and 5 mg THC – and waiting at least an hour to see how you feel. You can either buy edibles with low THC content per serving size, or you can divide your edibles into smaller parts, such as cutting a 10 mg gummy in half for a 5mg THC dose.

Edibles take longer to kick in than other types of cannabis products, so be patient and wait the full hour before consuming more to accurately gauge how it affects you. If you decide to consume more after the hour is up, increase your dosage gradually and take note of how it affects you.

After your initial session, you’ll have a sense of whether the amount you consumed was not enough, too much, or just right. Keep this number in mind for the future as your baseline dosage, and you can adjust the amount you choose to consume according to the type of experience you’d like to have.

Curious about your options? Read our guide to edibles in New York City.

A note on cannabis tolerance

Cannabis tolerance is not a static thing. The more you consume, the higher your tolerance is likely to become. If you consistently consume edibles, expect to need a larger dose.

If you’d like to reduce your tolerance so that lower amounts are effective once more, you may need to take a tolerance break, often called a “T break.” How folks approach tolerance breaks can vary, but experts tend to recommend abstaining from cannabis for at least three weeks to allow your body chemistry to adjust.

Understanding edibles and their THC content

In New York State, any edible cannabis product must advertise the total milligrams of THC contained within the package, as well as the milligrams per serving. So, for example, if you purchase a package of 10 gummies and the label reads 100mg THC (10mg per serving), you know that each gummy contains 10mg THC.

But what does this mean, and how does this affect your decision-making? The information below offers a general overview of what you can expect from different dosages of edibles.

THC (mg) – What to expect

< 2.5 mg:

Amounts this small are called microdoses. When microdosing edibles, expect little to no noticeable “heady” feeling. You may feel slightly relaxed, but the effects will be relatively muted. Microdoses are useful for getting some cannabis benefits without intense cerebral effects.

2.5 – 5 mg:

A relatively low dose, expect to feel slightly heady in addition to the effects listed above. We recommend that newcomers begin at this level.

5 – 10 mg:

More experienced consumers and those with naturally higher tolerances may prefer this range, which comes with increased physical and mental effects. This is also an ideal dose if you want to kick back and have some fun and find that lower doses don’t quite offer the preferred potency.

10 – 25 mg:

Frequent edible-takers may prefer higher levels of THC to achieve their desired effects. Proceed with caution if this isn’t your usual dose.

25 – 50 mg:

At this level, expect potent cerebral effects — and for time to slow like molasses. A day-long (or night-long) experience isn’t uncommon at these levels. We recommend avoiding such large amounts of THC unless you’ve worked your way up.

50+ mg:

This dose is best reserved for the most experienced among us. Only consume this much if you know you can handle it.

Remember, everybody is different, so your experience with edibles may vary from the descriptions in the chart above. Consider your tolerance, the environment you’ll be in, and your familiarity with the type of edible you have before choosing how much to consume. THC beverages, for example, may affect you differently than infused chocolates. The onset of effects, duration of effects, and overall potency may vary depending on the product you’ve chosen.

We recommend testing out a small amount of a new edible in a controlled environment (stay home) before increasing your dosage. After all, you can always have more if a smaller dose hasn’t achieved your desired effects.

Edible types and how they matter

Not all edible types will provide the same experience. Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular types of edibles and what to expect from each.

Gummies: Tasty, simple, familiar, and easy to cut, gummies are among the most popular edibles for a reason. Gummies come in different formulas for different effects. Products Florist Farms Bedtime Blueberry promotes relaxation, or those like Florist Farms Energize Sour Watermelon may give you a burst of energy and uplift your mood. Some, like 1906 Go Beans, combine popular foods like espresso beans with THC for a unique experience.

Dissolvables: Dissolvables, like candies, mints, and lozenges, can be enjoyed over time for a slow release of cannabinoids, leading to a slow ramp-up of effects and long-lasting duration. Dissolvables include products like the Love Oui’d Zen Mint or Senior Moments Relief Mints.

Beverages: Many cannabis beverages tend to take effect more quickly than their solid counterparts. Expect beverages to get to work within 20 to 30 minutes of consumption. You may also experience a slightly different feeling compared to other edibles, as the cannabinoids in beverages are usually processed a bit more quickly since they don’t need to be digested in the same way as solid foods.

Consider seltzers like Ayrloom Lemonade if you’re looking for something casual to sip on, or teas like Harney Brothers Nighttime Chamomile for a more laid-back experience. Or you could even try this Nanticoke HiiStix Beverage Enhancer, which can be mixed into your favorite drink.

The best way to understand how different types of edibles affect you is to give them each a try. See what’s available at our Union Square, Downtown Brooklyn, and Fifth Avenue locations.

Take flight with edibles from The Travel Agency

Now that you know all about edible dosages, you’re ready to try some out for yourself. Whether you prefer gummies or beverages, dissolvables or chocolates, The Travel Agency has options for you.

Not sure what to try? Just let one of our budtenders know about your goals and preferences, and they can point you in the direction of one of the best products New York cannabis has to offer. Explore our New York cannabis product reviews to get a sense of what you might like to try.