How to Dose Marijuana for Smoking
Article written by
Jordan WoldSEO Content Writer
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis JasseyMedical Director - Pediatric Medicine
Whether you’re a regular marijuana smoker or new to using cannabis products altogether, you should always consider your dosage or how much marijuana you are smoking.
Correctly dosing cannabis is vital because choosing the right product and consumption method can help determine if marijuana is right for you.
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Understanding Dosage
A “dose” of cannabis is the amount of marijuana you consume in a single session.
But limiting your understanding of a cannabis dose to the amount you inhale and exhale is overly simplistic.
For example, smoking a half-gram joint of the strain Cannatonic will likely result in incredibly mild effects compared to the same amount of a Strawberry Diesel joint due to different THC percentages.
Other factors that can influence the effects of a dose could be consumption methods.
While pre-rolled or hand-rolled joints might be the most common way to smoke cannabis, you might also smoke cannabis by using a bong or a pipe, where larger quantities of smoke are often inhaled at once as opposed to repeated inhalation.
In addition to strains varying in THC levels, they also have differing terpene profiles, which could affect your experience. Individual tolerance is also worth considering for dosing, as a daily smoker will likely require higher doses than someone who rarely smokes.
How to Determine Your Ideal Dose
Determining your perfect dose will be based on your goal for smoking cannabis. Are you going to be sharing a joint with some friends? Are you smoking marijuana for pain relief or other therapeutic effects?
No matter your intentions for smoking marijuana, there is no need to rush yourself or down an entire joint in a few minutes. Listen to your body and allow yourself to feel the effects of each puff.
If you do not feel any intoxicating effects about 15 minutes after smoking a single dose, gradually increasing your dose may be a good idea. Mark Kasabuski, a doctor of pharmacy with over 15 years of experience working in pharmacies and medical cannabis dispensaries, agrees.
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 are consuming 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.”
How Strains Effect Dosage
Marijuana strains (i.e., cultivars or chemovars) are different varieties of the cannabis plant.
While cannabis has traditionally been split into categories like indica, sativa, and hybrid, the consensus now is that it is more accurate to look at terpene and cannabinoid profiles to determine a strain’s effects.
So, to determine the right dose, and achieve the desired effects, search for a chemovar 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 chemovar with an even balance of THC and CBD high in terpenes known for their analgesic (pain-relieving) properties, such as limonene or linalool.
Knowledge comes from experience, however. If you have never smoked cannabis before, you don’t need to do too much homework. You can even start by taking small doses of a pre-roll recommended by your local budtender.
How to Measure Your Dose for Smoking
When purchasing flower or dry herb from a dispensary, pay attention to how much cannabis you are buying. Generally, cannabis is measured in terms of grams or ounces.
An “eighth” refers to 3.5 grams or one-eighth of an ounce. A quarter is twice an eighth or 7 grams, and so on, up to 28 grams, which is 1 ounce.
You may also notice a percentage of THC given. For example, you may have a variety of cannabis that contains 20% THC. This means that 20% of the weight of cannabis flower is THC. So, 1 gram of flower containing 20% THC should contain 0.2 grams (200 milligrams) of THC by weight.
Assuming that the THC content is evenly distributed throughout the bud and you use 1 gram of flower to roll four joints, you can assume that each joint contains approximately 50 mg of THC. However, this is a rough estimate, and THC is hardly ever distributed evenly throughout cannabis flowers.
If you are new to cannabis, you might want to buy a low quantity of flower, like an eighth. Alternatively, skip the flower in bulk and purchase pre-rolls, which come in .5 to 1-gram quantities.
While inexperienced or casual cannabis users will likely be satisfied by dispensary measurements, there are ways to be more exact when measuring dosing.
If you grow your cannabis plants, for example, 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 buy a measuring spoon.
Tips for Safe Dosing
While there may not be any notable immediate health risks of smoking too much cannabis, the mental experience of “getting too high” is real and can lead to adverse effects, like the weed shakes.
You can minimize the possibility of smoking too much cannabis by starting with low doses and gradually increasing the amount you smoke.
Still, every experience of smoking cannabis will be unique, and smoking too much weed on accident can happen to anyone.
For example, if you have taken an extended break from smoking cannabis, you may want to smoke less than your previous typical dose. That is because, according to Mark Kasabuski, “Your tolerance level is going to be different from when you were last using.”
Still, if you have smoked too much and are feeling some adverse effects, some solutions include staying hydrated or even trying to sleep.
If you’re in the midst of a marijuana-induced panic attack and nothing seems to calm you down, the most important thing to remember is that you will get through this experience. But always seek medical attention if deemed necessary.
The Bottom Line
You might find that achieving the perfect dose for your next joint is a trial-and-error process.
Properly dosing cannabis for smoking is both a science and an art and utterly subjective to your unique constitution. Start with less cannabis than you might need, and take your time.
To receive personalized advice for finding the correct dose of marijuana, plus help in choosing the appropriate consumption method for you, consider signing up for Leafwell’s personalized cannabis guidance.
And, if you think you may qualify for a medical marijuana card in your state, consider speaking with a Leafwell doctor about certification today.
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