Isolated THC can be taken orally as an extract in oil, capsule, or edible form. Alternatively, THC can be inhaled through smoking or vaporizing dried cannabis or cannabis concentrates. However, the types of THC available will vary depending on the legal status of THC in your region.

The recommended dosage of THC ranges from 2.5 mg to 30 mg daily. In general, it’s recommended to start low, go slow, and stay low to reduce the risk of side effects and minimize tolerance (a reduced response to the drug after repeated use).^[1] This might look like starting at a dose of 2.5–5 mg and increasing slowly (every few days or as tolerated) until the desired therapeutic effect is achieved but side effects are kept to a minimum. If using a prescription medication containing a synthetic version of THC, the dosing may not necessarily be equivalent to natural THC.

THC taken orally will have a slower onset (1–3 hours) than inhaled THC, which has a rapid onset (5–10 minutes).^[2]

You can estimate the dose of THC in dried cannabis based on the percent of THC in the product. Simply multiply the total dried weight in milligrams (1 gram = 1,000 milligrams) by the percentage of THC in the product. For example, if you have 0.25 g (250 mg) of dried cannabis with 10% THC, it will contain 25 mg of THC (250 mg x 0.10).