Edibles THC: dosing chart, onset times & calculator
Edibles are the most precisely dosable — and most frequently misdosed — way to consume THC. Precise because every serving can carry an exact milligram count; misdosed because the delayed onset tricks people into stacking doses. This page is the hub: a dosing chart, honest timing expectations, and the math for homemade batches.
Edibles dosing chart (mg THC per serving)
Whatever band you choose, change one variable at a time. If 5 mg was too little, try 7.5–10 mg next session — not 5 mg now and 5 mg more an hour later.
- 1–2.5 mg — micro: subtle lift; ideal first dose or daytime functional use.
- 2.5–5 mg — gentle: clear, comfortable effect; the standard beginner serving.
- 5–15 mg — moderate: a full experience for occasional users; regular users' sweet spot.
- 15–30 mg — strong: for established tolerance only; expect heavy sedation.
- 30 mg and up — very strong: medical/high-tolerance territory; not recreational fun for most.
- 100 mg — the standard maximum package size, meant to be split into 10–20 servings, never eaten at once by most people.
How long do edibles take to kick in — and to wear off?
Classic edibles (gummies, chocolate, baked goods) take 30 minutes to 2 hours to onset, peak around hours 2–3, and last 4–8 hours. Drinks and sublingual tinctures act faster, roughly 15–45 minutes. A fatty meal beforehand slows onset but can deepen and lengthen the effect. The single most important rule of edibles: set a two-hour timer before even considering a second serving.
Calculating homemade edible potency
Homemade edibles are only as precise as your math. The chain: grams of flower × THC% × 1000 = theoretical mg; × ~0.8–0.88 for decarboxylation; × ~0.8 for infusion transfer into fat; ÷ number of servings. Worked example: 7 g of 18% flower → 1,260 mg theoretical → roughly 1,010–1,110 mg after decarb → about 810–890 mg in the oil → 40 cookies at ~20–22 mg each, or 160 cookies at ~5 mg. The dosing calculator runs this forwards, and the infusion calculator works backwards from a target dose.
Every recipe on this site carries a per-serving mg figure computed exactly this way — so you can pick a recipe by dose, not just by flavor.
Frequently asked questions
How many mg of edibles should a beginner take?
1–2.5 mg for a cautious first time, up to 5 mg for most beginners. Wait a full two hours before considering more, and only increase by 2.5–5 mg between sessions.
Why do edibles take so long to work?
Eaten THC must pass through digestion and the liver, which converts it to the stronger metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC. That takes 30 minutes to 2 hours — but it is also why edibles feel stronger and last longer than smoking.
What is a standard edible dose?
Most regulated markets define one serving as 5 or 10 mg THC, with packages capped at 100 mg total. 5 mg is the most common single-serving size.
How much do edibles cost?
In regulated markets, roughly $10–25 per 100 mg package depending on format and state taxes — about $0.10–0.25 per mg. Homemade edibles are far cheaper per mg, which is one reason people learn to infuse their own butter and oil.