Your dosage guide for smoking cannabis
Article written by
April AcernoContent Writer
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis Jassey
Whether you’re a regular cannabis smoker or new to using cannabis products, you should always consider your dosage, or how much you’re smoking in one session.
Correct dosing is important with cannabis — aka marijuana or weed. Both too low and too high a dose can steer you away from your desired outcome. It’s always best to start by smoking a low dose and slowly increasing it until you find what works for you.
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How to measure your dose for smoking
When smoking cannabis flower, you might need to do a bit of math to understand your dose.
At a minimum, you’ll need to understand the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the product and the amount of product you’re smoking in your chosen form, such as a joint.
For example, to calculate how many milligrams (mg) of THC are in a joint:
- Know how much cannabis you have: When purchasing cannabis flower from a dispensary, pay attention to how much you’re buying. Generally, cannabis is measured in grams (g) or ounces (oz). A common amount to purchase is an “eighth,” which refers to 3.5 g (one-eighth of an ounce).
- Calculate the amount of THC: Search for the THC percentage on the product’s label. For example, you may have cannabis that contains 20% THC. This means that 20% of the weight of the cannabis flower is THC. So, 1 g of flower containing 20% THC should contain 0.2 g (200 mg) of THC by weight.
- Measure the cannabis weight in your joint: Joints usually contain between 0.25 and 1 g of flower. Using flower with 20% THC, a 0.25-g joint would contain approximately 50 mg of THC, while a 0.5-g joint would contain 100 mg of THC.
It’s important to note that this THC calculation assumes the THC content is evenly distributed throughout the cannabis. This is hardly ever the case, so you should only use these calculations to get a rough estimate.
When smoking, you might also only consume part of a joint or other product. This would affect how you measure your dose — if you only smoke half of a joint, for example, divide the joint’s total dosage by two to estimate the amount you consumed.
If you’re new to cannabis, you may want to skip buying flower in bulk and purchase pre-rolls, which come in premeasured quantities, usually .5 to 1 gram.
If you grow cannabis plants, you might want to invest in a dry weight scale. And if you want to be as precise as possible when getting ready to smoke a bowl, you could purchase a measuring spoon.
Understanding cannabis dosage while smoking
Dosing cannabis can be a bit tricky when it comes to smoking because your experience with a single dose is affected by much more than just how many times you inhale and exhale from a joint or pipe.
Your experience with a dose might vary according to:
- THC concentration: Joints filled with certain cannabis strains that contain less of the cannabinoid THC will give you milder effects compared with a joint of the same size with a higher THC percentage.
- Terpene profile:Terpenes are chemicals in cannabis that give it its distinct smell. Different cannabis strains (cultivars) have different terpene profiles. Some can make you feel extremely sedated, while others can energize you.
- Smoking method: While pre-rolled or hand-rolled joints might be the most common way to smoke cannabis, you might prefer to use a bong or pipe, which allows you to inhale larger quantities of smoke as opposed to repeated inhales. A single use of a bong may cause a more noticeable effect than a quick puff of a pre-roll.
- Individual tolerance: Someone who uses cannabis daily will likely require higher doses than someone who rarely smokes. Besides that, some individuals are just naturally more or less sensitive to the psychoactive effects of THC.
- Your unique biochemistry: Small differences in our bodies can have a surprising effect on how we feel after smoking marijuana.
How to determine the best dose for smoking cannabis
When searching for the correct dose for smoking, ask yourself:
- What are my goals for smoking cannabis?
- Am I going to be sharing a joint with some friends or smoking alone?
- Am I smoking marijuana for pain relief or other therapeutic effects?
No matter your intentions for smoking cannabis, there is no need to rush yourself. Listen to your body and allow yourself to feel the effects after each puff.
If you don’t feel any intoxicating effects about 15 minutes after smoking a single dose, gradually increasing the amount may be a good idea, according to Mark Kasabuski, a Doctor of Pharmacy with over 15 years of experience working in pharmacies and medical cannabis dispensaries.
Dr. Kasabuski notes that smoking is a faster delivery system than many other consumption methods and tells us, “The name of the game is to start low and go slow with your dosing.”
He adds that smokers might want to alter their dosages based on how they consume the plant. “Typically, a bong might release a bit more of a dose [than a joint], depending on how much flower you’re burning at a time or how the joint is rolled.”
Ultimately, beginners may want to take one short puff as a starting dose. How long and how deeply you inhale can greatly influence the strength of the effects from that single puff.
How strains affect dosage
Marijuana strains — aka cultivars or chemovars — are different varieties of the cannabis plant.
Knowing the strain you’re smoking can give you a general idea of what to expect from your dose, but you’ll still want to read the label on your specific product.
For example, a high-THC strain like Dosido, which contains around 30% THC, is going to feel much stronger than a strain with 5% THC.
Still, the average THC amount associated with a strain may not always be what your product has. In other words, even though Girl Scout Cookies typically has 19% to 20% THC, different growing conditions and breeding practices can lead to differences in THC concentrations in the same cultivar.
When figuring out your dose, you should always check your cannabis product’s label for the most accurate THC percentage.
Ultimately, to determine the right dose and achieve the desired effects, search for a strain with a terpene and cannabinoid profile that suits your specific needs.
For example, suppose you use cannabis to manage chronic pain. In that case, you might want to try a strain with an even balance of THC and cannabidiol (CBD) that’s high in pain-relieving terpenes like limonene or linalool.
Tips for safe dosing
While there may not be any notable immediate health risks of smoking too much cannabis, getting too intoxicated can lead to adverse effects, like the weed shakes.
Here are some tips:
- Start low and go slow: You can minimize the possibility of smoking too much cannabis by starting with low doses and gradually increasing the amount you smoke.
- Consider your tolerance: If you’ve taken an extended break from smoking cannabis, you may want to smoke less than your previous typical dose. Your tolerance level will likely be different from when you last smoked.
- Stay hydrated: If you feel any adverse effects from smoking, try to drink water or other hydrating beverages.
- Know you can reach out for help: If you’ve smoked too large a dose, it’s important to remember you’ll get through the experience. However, if you need assistance, seek support from a loved one or medical professional.
The bottom line: Feel empowered to measure your dose while smoking
Properly dosing cannabis for smoking depends on your needs and preferences. The correct dose depends on your unique body, the product you’ve chosen, and your method of smoking it.
Start with less cannabis than you think you might need, and take your time with increasing your dosage, knowing that achieving the perfect dose might take some trial and error.
To receive personalized advice for finding the correct dose of cannabis, plus help in choosing the appropriate consumption method for you, consider signing up for Leafwell’s personalized cannabis guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to some of your cannabis smoking FAQs.
How many mg of THC are in one joint?
The average joint contains roughly 75 to 150 mg of THC, assuming a joint size of 0.5 g and a THC concentration between 15% and 30%. However, this is only a general estimate. The total amount of THC will depend on the weight of the joint and the THC content of the strain.
How much THC is in a hit of a joint?
Generally, a short hit of a joint might offer 7.5 to 15 mg of THC if the joint contains a typical 0.5 grams of cannabis and 15% to 30% THC. This assumes a joint has around 10 hits or “puffs.”
The actual amount of THC in a hit will vary based on the type of cannabis being smoked. How long and how deeply you inhale will also influence the amount of THC you absorb from a hit.
What is a good THC level for a joint?
A joint usually has a THC level of 10% to 20%, but joints can also contain higher potency strains with THC levels of 30% or more. A good THC level for a joint will depend on your preferences. It’s essential to know the amount of THC in the product you’re smoking because overconsuming THC can lead to negative side effects.
Resources
- Analgesic potential of terpenes derived from Cannabis sativa. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34663685/
- How important are sex differences in cannabinoid action? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2931555/
- Measuring cannabis quantities in online surveys: A rapid review and proposals for ways forward. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mpr.1971
