The Ultimate Delta-8 Dosage Guide — Answering All Of Your Questions About Dosing Delta-8 THC

Oh, how we wish we could draw a simple delta-8 dosage chart everyone could use to safely and effectively use this cannabinoid. Unfortunately, giving a precise delta-8 dosage is exceptionally difficult without knowing a patient’s backstory. Also, since every delta-8 product has a unique potency, quality, and absorption rate, it’s impossible to recommend one delta-8 dosage that works for every extract on today’s market.  

That being said, we recognize new customers want a “TL;DR” answer when they’re staring at a tempting bag of delta-8 gummies. So, if you forced us to sum up everything in this article in a few bullet points, it’d probably be the following:

  • Beginners: No more than 5 mg of delta-8 per session. 
  • Intermediate Users: 10 – 25 mg of delta-8 per session.
  • Advanced Users: 30 – 50 mg of delta-8 per session.

As you’ll learn below, dozens of factors can influence how much delta-8 works for you. When choosing a delta-8 dosage, you must evaluate your goals, body type, THC tolerance, and product specs. You’ll also have to keep a detailed delta-8 dosage journal to better understand what levels work best for you.

If nothing else, please remember the golden rule of dosing delta-8: Start small! If you’re unsure whether a delta-8 dose is “too much,” cut it down. Delta-8 can have nasty side effects if you go overboard, so we always advise starting with the tiniest amount you feel is appropriate for your situation. 

Delta-8 Dosage Guide — An Overview On Properly Dosing Delta-8 Products

Delta-8 is only good if you’ve got the proper dosage. In the following sections, we’ll detail how you could find your “golden ratio” for whatever delta-8 product you’re most interested in.

What Should Customers Pay Attention To When Dosing Delta-8? A Few Major Considerations

Before exploring a few delta-8 dosage case examples, we feel it’s imperative to go over general features that influence this cannabinoid’s effects. A solid understanding of what could alter delta-8’s effectiveness will help you better evaluate different delta-8-related scenarios. 

Product Quality

Sadly, not every hemp company takes pride in offering exceptional quality delta-8 products. Countless shoddy delta-8 brands only want to make a quick buck from curious customers. These unscrupulous hemp vendors aren’t just bad news for your health, they add fuel to the fire for delta-8’s detractors.

Firstly, you must understand that even a tiny dose of a bad delta-8 product will produce terrible results. Unscreened delta-8 vape carts, tinctures, or gummies could be loaded with heavy metals, pesticides, and solvents. You must get a delta-8 THC product with verifiable third-party lab results. 

For more details on why screening delta-8 THC products is so important, you should check out our previous post on “How Delta-8 Is Made.” 

Product Type

After establishing that your delta-8 THC is pure, you must consider what category it’s in. A delta-8 product’s “type” is as significant as its total cannabinoid concentration. 

In other words, whether you’re using a delta-8 edible vs. a tincture vs. a vapeable product is significant. Each of these products has different rates of absorption, which will alter the level of delta-8 most people feel is “too much.” Each delta-8 product type will also hit your system at a different time.

For instance, delta-8 gummies and capsules must go through the liver before making an impact. Typically, we absorb less delta-8 from these products, but you must remember they won’t have an effect until later! Even though you could get away with a little extra delta-8 in edibles and capsules, it’s scarily easy to overdo it.

By contrast, delta-8 tinctures, flowers, and vape juices hit users immediately and have 100 percent absorption rates. In these cases, you must keep your doses super low when just starting.  

Delta-8 Concentration  

The total delta-8 percentage and milligram count are crucial metrics when evaluating a proper dosage level. Just remember that you must get third-party lab results for your delta-8 products to have full assurance of the potency of your product. 

Please copy these milligram counts in your dedicated delta-8 dosage journal and use them to your advantage when tracking your doses. 

THC Experience 

Generally, the more a person uses cannabinoids like delta-8 or delta-9 THC, the more robust tolerance they’ll have. While everyone’s genes are different, most customers can handle higher doses of delta-8 if they have previous experience with psychoactive cannabinoids.

Conversely, those who haven’t built up a tolerance to THC will have a challenging time using even a low dose of delta-8 THC. Total beginners must remember this warning before tempting fate with a bong filled with high-delta-8 flowers. A bad “first trip” could turn customers off of THC forever. 

Age 

The older you are, the more careful you must be with delta-8 THC. Chances are always higher that senior customers have health conditions that delta-8 can exacerbate. 

Also, older patients tend to be on more medications than young adults. Please remember that delta-8 can adversely affect prescriptions, so never take this cannabinoid with other drugs unless you have a doctor’s approval. 

Weight

Another general rule associated with delta-8 THC is that heavier people need more of this cannabinoid to make an impact. Like CBD, delta-8 is fat-soluble, which means it will cling to fat cells in the body. 

Since skinny people don’t have as much fat, delta-8 tends to enter their endocannabinoid system rapidly. People with a higher BMI may need extra delta-8 THC to feel a noticeable effect. 

This fact doesn’t give heftier people a license to go wild with delta-8; however, it’s worth keeping in mind as you slowly increase your dosage. 

Features influencing delta-8 THC dosage effects

The Question That’s Probably On Your Mind: What’s The Best Delta-8 Dosage For Anxiety? 

According to recent data from the University of Michigan and the University of Buffalo, most people who try delta-8 THC are interested in its anti-anxiety effects. 51 percent of people who tried delta-8 said they were most interested in using it for psychological stress.

Delta-8 has a reputation for offering many of delta-9’s “mellowing” effects without inducing significant paranoia. However, since delta-8 is psychoactive, it tends to have a more positive impact on anxiety if customers take microdoses. 

Also, consumers must remember that delta-8 tends to have slightly sedative effects, which can interfere with daytime productivity. If people use delta-8 to combat daytime anxiety, it’s best to keep the dosage in the 5 mg range. It’s unlikely most users will still be super productive if they go above 10 mg of delta-8. 

Is The Delta-8 Dosage For Sleep Different Than The Delta-8 Dosage For Anxiety? 

As hinted in the last section, delta-8 often induces “sleepy” effects. Indeed, many people who take delta-8 compare this cannabinoid with indica strains like Northern Lights. Chances are your experience with delta-8 will lean on the “body-heavy” side of the “high” spectrum, which has made delta-8 a popular choice with insomnia patients. 

Patients tend to experience delta-8’s full sedative potential at slightly higher doses. Just remember that elevated amounts of delta-8 also increase the risk of paranoia and other side effects.

Before determining your best delta-8 THC dosage for sleep, please start with the recommended 5 mg of delta-8 and see how your body reacts. If you don’t notice adverse reactions with this dose, you could increase it by 5 mg the next night to see if it provides the sedative relief you’re looking for. 

Just keep in mind that as you increase your delta-8 consumption, there’s a higher probability you could experience a panic attack. 

Delta-8 Edible Dosage — How Much Should A Delta-8 Fan Munch On? 

Figuring out a delta-8 edibles dosage is incredibly tricky. While our bodies absorb less total delta-8 in edibles, it takes longer for these products to hit the endocannabinoid system. So, usually, customers could handle a slightly higher delta-8 edible dosage, but it’s extremely easy to overdo it. 

Indeed, it’s far more common to experience adverse effects associated with delta-8 edibles versus any other delta-8 product. Since people don’t feel that immediate “buzz” from their edibles, it’s more tempting to eat a “little bit” extra. In most cases, this “little bit” comes back to bite edibles users in the butt!

To be on the safe side, newcomers should cut their gummy so that it only has about 5 mg of delta-8 THC, eat it, and wait for about two hours. Typically, you’ll feel delta-8’s effects before two hours pass, but it’s always better to be on the safe side. If you don’t notice anything with the 5 mg dose after two hours, you could add one more 5 mg dose. 

Just be sure to stop at 10 mg of delta-8 for your first edibles experience. It will probably take a few weeks of testing to safely figure out how many milligrams of a delta-8 edible is right for you. Just remember: Patience will prevent panic attacks! 

What’s The Proper Delta-8 Gummies Dosage?

Gummies are by far the most popular product in the delta-8 edibles category. So, it makes sense that many people interested in “delta-8 edibles dosage” also search for “delta-8 gummy dosage.” 

Honestly, not much is different for “delta-8 gummy guidance” versus what we shared for properly dosing delta-8 edibles. 

The best delta-8 gummies mg dosage for beginners is 5 mg. Figure out how much delta-8 is in each of your gummies and cut it to get to 5 mg. Also, please wait at least two hours to see if delta-8 has a significant impact. You could add another 5 mg of delta-8 if you don’t feel any effects, but never exceed 10 mg on your first try.

By the way, if you want to learn more about what Redditors are saying about delta-8 gummies, be sure to read through this previous post

How Does Delta-8 Tincture Dosage Compare With Edibles?

Figuring out a clean delta-8 dosage chart is easier with tinctures versus edibles. In fact, delta-8 tinctures are the most straightforward product to get a clean & accurate dosage. Once you understand how precise these extracts are, it’s clear why there are so many delta-8 tincture calculators online! 

Why is this the case? Answer: Sublingual glands!

CBD oil fans should already know that we have sublingual glands under our tongue that can absorb substances into our bloodstream. If you put a delta-8 tincture on these mucous membranes, they will transport delta-8 into your ECS in a few minutes.

Customers can use this “biohack” to ensure they get 100 percent of their intended delta-8 dose. It also means you shouldn’t add to a delta-8 tincture dosage as you might with delta-8 edibles. We’d only recommend taking 5 mg of a delta-8 tincture or oil under your tongue on the first go. 

Remember that the 5 mg of a delta-8 tincture taken sublingually will feel like 5 mg. By contrast, the liver breaks down delta-8 edibles, which will reduce their potency. 

How Do You Dose Delta-8 Hemp Flowers?  

To be honest, delta-8 hemp flowers are the “messiest” product to dose. You could get a read on the delta-8 percentage in high-quality, lab-tested buds, but it’s difficult to know how much delta-8 you’re getting per hit. 

Not only is vaping or smoking an imprecise ingestion method, there are countless competing cannabinoids and terpenes in raw hemp flowers. Some strains may have extra CBD, which could reduce delta-8’s psychoactivity. There’s also evidence different combinations of terpenes may affect how a strain feels. 

It’s impossible to speak of dosing delta-8 flowers or delta-8 pre-rolls in milligram terms. Instead, you have to judge these products by how many puffs you take and how long you draw. Take one puff from your delta-8 hemp strain and see how it affects you. After about 20 minutes, you should know whether you could handle one more hit. 

Is There A Special Delta-8 Dosage For Dogs? 

Dosing delta-8 for dogs is simple: zero mg of delta-8! 

Although THC seems to have some therapeutic potential for adult humans, it’s toxic for pets. Even a tiny amount of delta-8 THC can harm dogs and cats. 

If you’re a pet owner with a penchant for delta-8 THC, you must keep your delta-8 products far away from “prying paws.” If your dog swallows delta-8, please visit your vet ASAP to avoid a severe adverse reaction. With prompt, professional care, dogs can survive an episode with delta-8. 

Still Unsure About Dosing Delta-8? Google A Delta-8 Dosage Calculator! 

Now that delta-8 is so popular, it’s getting easier to find professional delta-8 dosage calculators online. So, if you’re struggling to choose the optimal dose of delta-8 for your body type and intended effects, it may be worth searching for a highly-rated delta-8 dosage calculator. Most of these sites ask for basic info like your product’s potency, your weight, and your metabolism. 

High-quality delta-8 calculators can give you a good “general range” for safe experimentation. However, if you want to be extra safe, we’d recommend sticking with the lowest recommended dose. Unless you already have a significant THC tolerance, the low-end delta-8 dosage is usually enough to give you noticeable effects.