Edibles dosage is notoriously difficult. The intensity of an edible experience is influenced by several elements, including the individual’s body chemistry.
Two people may react differently to the same quantity of weed edible: if two people consume a 5 mg weed gummy, one may become completely stoned while the other is hardly stoned.
Why does it take longer for edibles to take effect than smoking?
When cannabis is smoked or vaporised, the smoke or vapour enters the lungs and then the bloodstream, causing the user to feel the effects of the drug within minutes.
Before you can feel the effects of edibles, the weed must be digested and metabolised in your stomach and liver. This takes a little longer than smoking or vaping, but it produces a more potent result.
Because this process takes significantly longer, we recommend that individuals “start low and go slow” while ingesting edibles—take a little dose and wait at least 45-60 minutes, if not longer, for the effects to kick in. Take more edibles if you want more effects after that time frame.
Start with 2.5 mg of edibles or even less if you’re new to cannabis or have a low tolerance. After an hour, take another 2.5 mg or less for greater results.
If you eat more edibles before the effects of the first dose have worn off, both doses may kick in later, and you may become extremely high.
Factors that influence the time it takes edibles to work
The strength of an edible’s effects is determined by several factors.
Gummies, baked goods, beverages, and other edibles are digested in the stomach and liver, and the effects normally take 45-60 minutes to manifest.
Mint strips, lozenges, and lollipops are examples of foods that are absorbed sublingually, or under the tongue. THC is directly absorbed into the bloodstream, therefore effects will be felt within minutes.
Edibles with a high dosage, such as 10 mg or more, may act faster than those with a low amount.
Tolerance
How strong an edible is for you depends on how much cannabis you ingest on a regular basis. If you smoke pot every day (high tolerance), 5 mg of edibles may not seem like much; if you just smoke once in a while (low tolerance), 5 mg may seem excessive.
Metabolic rate and body weight
The length of time it takes for it to kick in, how long it lasts, and how strong it is depends on how fast or slowly your body processes or metabolises food and consumables.