Start at 1 to 2.5 mg and wait 2 hours
A beginner dose of THC in a gummy is 1 to 2.5 milligrams (mg). Eat the gummy with food. Wait 2 hours before you take more. Many US states cap one serving at 10 mg, so a 1 mg dose means cutting a 10 mg gummy into 10 pieces.
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Why the wait is 2 hours
Smoked THC reaches the brain in seconds. A gummy goes through the stomach and the liver. Onset runs 30 to 120 minutes. Blood THC peaks 2 to 4 hours after you eat it. Effects run 4 to 6 hours, longer than smoke. The liver converts THC to 11-hydroxy-THC, a compound that crosses into the brain with more strength than THC itself.
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Read the package before you cut
- Total mg THC in the package.
- mg per gummy.
- mg per serving.
- Servings per package.
A bag can hold 100 mg THC as 10 gummies at 10 mg each. Two gummies equal 20 mg. That is 8 to 20 times a beginner dose.
how long thc gummies stay in system
Timeline for a 2.5 mg dose
- 0 to 30 minutes: no effect for most people.
- 30 to 120 minutes: onset.
- 2 to 4 hours: peak.
- 4 to 6 hours: decline.
- Up to 12 hours: trace amounts in some people.
Redose rule
Do not redose before 2 hours. If the effect is mild at 2 hours, add 1 to 2.5 mg. Keep the day total under 10 mg until you know your response. A second dose stacks on the first one, because the first dose is still at peak.
What changes the dose
- Liver enzymes CYP2C9 and CYP3A4. Genetics shift how fast THC clears.
- Body weight and body fat.
- Food in the stomach.
- Alcohol and some prescription drugs.
- Tolerance. Daily users need more THC for the same effect.
Adverse effects at high doses
Above 10 mg, reports rise for anxiety, panic, fast heart rate, nausea, and vomiting. Emergency visits tied to edible cannabis carry stronger psychiatric symptoms than visits tied to inhaled cannabis. No death from THC alone has been confirmed in the medical literature.
Serving caps in the US and Canada
Colorado and California limit retail edibles to 10 mg THC per serving and 100 mg per package. Canada limits a package of edible cannabis to 10 mg THC total. Check your state rules before you buy.
Labeling gaps
The FDA has no federal standard for THC serving size. Lab tests of delta-8 and CBD gummies found THC content that differed from the label. Buy from licensed stores where the state tests each batch.