Dosing edibles is notoriously tricky. Everyone’s body chemistry is different and many other factors contribute to the intensity of an edible experience. Two people may respond to the same dose of an edible differently: If two people eat a 5 mg weed gummy, one could get completely stoned and the other not affected at all.
Why do edibles take longer to kick in than smoking?
When cannabis is smoked or vaporized, that inhaled smoke or vapor goes into the lungs and then the bloodstream, and the consumer will feel the effects of weed within minutes.
When eating edibles, weed has to be digested and metabolized in your stomach and liver before you feel effects. This takes a bit longer than smoking or vaping, and leads to a more potent experience.
Because this process takes much longer, we recommend people “start low and go slow” when consuming edibles—take a low dose of edibles and wait until the effects kick in, at least 45-60 minutes, or even longer. If you want more effects after that time period, then take more edibles.
If you are new to cannabis or have a low tolerance, start with 2.5 mg of edibles or even less. If you want stronger effects after an hour, try another 2.5 mg or less.
If you take more edibles before waiting for the initial dose’s effects to kick in, both doses will kick in later and you could potentially feel too high.