This post was originally published in 2015 and since then, I’ve written an updated guide and created a THC/CBD calculator to help you get an idea of how much THC/CBD is in your infusions. Click here to read the updated guide.
When I first published my eBook, which has become the Wake + Bake Cookbook, a lot of the questions I in my inbox sounded like this:
I’ve got 10 grams of trim, an eighth of fire, and some stems and leaves from my friend’s indoor grow, if I make a cup of Cannabis coconut oil, what would be the right dosage for me to take?
I used to write these questions off. I’d tell them to try it themselves; to “start low and go slow.” On crankier days, my response emails had somewhat of a “how the fuck should I know” vibe.
I’m sorry to share this sad sad news, but…there’s just no way for me to know what the potency of your Cannabis is, what your tolerance is, what you’re taking it for, how medicated you want to be, etc…I just don’t have a superpower that allows me to calculate the THC level of your Cannabis coconut oil and see how the cannabinoid profile is going to personally affect you.
Becoming a THC Detective
This dismissive attitude wasn’t helping anyone. I started thinking that if folks wanted to get a better idea of how much THC was in a teaspoon of their oil, I could start there.
I started thinking about it, and I believe I’ve figured out a relatively simple way for folks to calculate THC in their oil dosage. I shared it in the second edition of Wake + Bake: a cookbook, and I really wanted to get it out into the world because it’s fun for your brain.
This method will help you get a better idea of how much THC is in your Cannabis infused coconut oil, but it doesn’t scratch the surface of telling you what the overall cannabinoid profile looks like or how the oil will affect you. We tend to focus on THC, but other cannabinoids definitely contribute to how effective/potent your oil is and how it affects you. There are other factors that contribute to how potent your oil is (to you), but we’ll have to talk about all of that in another post. This one is already going to be a doozy.
I’d just like to issue a quick disclaimer before we begin:
This post is a rabbit hole. There’s a lot of guesstimating and conjecture involved. I’m not a medical professional and am not sharing this information as medical advice. I am not a marijuanamathmatician. Please consult your doctor for more information and to talk about the dosage and strains that would help treat your medical condition(s) if it is legal in your state. This post is for entertainment and information sharing purposes only. Cannabis oil can be much more potent than your calculations lead you to believe depending on your tolerance, body composition and even what you ate that day. Start low and go slow whenever consuming edibles. Never operate heavy machinery or make important life-altering decisions under the influence of Cannabis. Keep out of reach of children, pets, and unstable adults.
How Many Grams of Cannabis Per Cup?
Luke wrote last week and our conversation inspired me to share the formula for finding the approximate amount of THC in a given “dose” of Cannabis oil. He asked:
I was wondering…in the instructions it says use a cup or about 7 grams of herb to one cup of oil. I have 14 grams of medical grade shake. I was hoping to make 2 batches out of it following this recipe. I notice that 7 grams of my shake might not be a whole cup. That’s just from looking at it in the bag. Do you think 7 grams exactly will be enough for a cup of oil assuming that there might not be a whole cup of herb, or should I reduce the amount of oil to keep it potent? I’m hoping to be able to take teaspoon size doses each day. I’m also a veteran smoker so I have a decent tolerance and also usually eat about a joint’s worth of avb everyday, which makes me feel quite nice in the mornings. 😉
I suggested that Luke reduce the amount of oil to keep it potent. I think it’s a lot easier to add more regular oil to make it less potent than to add more infused oil to a recipe to increase the potency, especially when you’re trying to bake with Cannabis.
I’ve noticed that If I really pack a cup with trim/shake, I can fit up to 18 grams of Cannabis in each cup. Luke had 14 grams and said that the amount of his herb nearly filled a cup. In just a minute, we’ll come back to Luke’s story, but right now…to answer the question you’re all dying to know…
How Many Milligrams of THC in One Teaspoon of Oil?
When you buy an edible in a store, it will probably say something like “50 mg” or “100mg”. But what does that number mean and where does it come from? Can you figure it out for your home-baked edibles? Yes! Let’s do some motha-fn-math.
1 gram Cannabis = 1000mg dry weight
On average, many marijuana strains contain about 10% THC (that percentage is generally higher if you’re using buds as opposed to trim or shake).
That would mean that out of 1000mg of dry weight, 100mg of that would be THC.
Sounds easy, right? For every gram of Cannabis you infuse into your oil, you’d get a 100mg edible. Right? Well cowboy, hold your horses. Some strains of marijuana are much higher than 10% THC, and could increase the THC content of your edible exponentially.
This Skywalker OG = 20% THC
This Maui = 12% THC
So…if we bake a big cookie using 1 gram of Skywalker OG, it would be approximately 200mg.
If we bake that same cookie using 1 gram of Maui, that cookie would be approximately 120mg.
And if we bake that cookie using 1 gram of mystery nugget, that cookie could be anywhere from 100-210mg.
Simple! Right? Well…
To make matters more complicated, the purple erkle that we grow…
Can have a completely different THC percentage than the one that you grow. It may even be a different THC percentage than the one right down the row…
If you grow our own or know the strain of your herb, you can look up the THC percentage online.
If you get your Cannabis from a dispensary, you’ll know exactly how potent your strain is and can dose your baked goods accordingly by doing a teeny tiny bit of math.
If you just don’t know wtf is in your bag, you’ll have to test it yourself before using in recipes. What a pity.
Real World Dosing (Luke’s Story)
In the real world, most of us figure out the correct dosage by being our own guinea pigs. We consume Cannabis oil in small amounts until the desired effect is reached and then stop there, and then we know the ideal dose for that batch. It’s a good idea to test before making marijuana recipes with your oil at least once. Spread it on toast, put it in coffee, or take it 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
In order to see what this looks like, let’s check back in with Luke. He decided to use 14 grams to 1 cup of oil. He didn’t know the THC percentage, but said that it was many different top shelf strains that were looking mighty crystal-y. Let’s guess at around 15% THC to be on the safe side.
14000 mg of Cannabis x 0.15 = 2100 mg THC per cup of oil
2100 mg per cup of oil / 48 teaspoons = 43.75 mg per teaspoon
Luke decided to make his Cannabis oil in a mason jar. And this is his story (brace yourself…it’s a wild ride). You can skim to the bold parts to read about his experiences figuring out the perfect dose:
Hey Corinne,I’ve got a little story for you this morning…Allow me to paint a picture here.I made the oil last night and stuck to your instructions perfectly. It took me longer than I thought it would because for some reason, I couldn’t seem to get the heat right. Like I said, I put everything in a mason jar inside of a crock pot full of water. Now, my wife is able to do glorious, wonderful things with that crock pot…I can’t even get a pot of water to heat up on high. Whatever…I didn’t have a way to test the temp, but the water never boiled, just got hot enough to steam like crazy. I did like you said and burped the jar since I had the lid on. Definitely had a slight bit of pressure on it each time, but not too much. Needless to say, I ended up letting it sit in there for almost 4 hours because it just didn’t seem like the herb was infusing with the oil, but it also could just be that I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.So once I decided it had been long enough, I let it cool and did the straining process, squeezed the cheese cloth, all that good stuff. Then something terrible happened. I was done, kitchen cleaned, oil was cooled and in the final storage container, and I was ready for bed. I went to put the top on the container, when out of nowhere, some evil black magic witchery took over my hands and I basically just smacked the bowl off the stove knocking it over…I just kinda stood there with a broken heart, not really knowing what to do or how to react…it almost felt like the end…I scraped up and salvaged what I could and the rest is in that little crack between the stove and the counter. It can stay there for all I care. I think I probably have a half cup left.Now for the good news. 1 teaspoon ended up being borderline too much for me this morning. Much better and stronger than when I would eat avb. I went all in and used all 14 grams of shake to 1 cup of coconut oil. The 14 grams of herb was slightly less than a cup. I actually started with a 1/2 teaspoon to be safe at 6:30 this morning. After an hour, I could definitely feel it, but it was super mellow. So I ended up going for another 1/2 teaspoon on my way out of the house, which was more like a glob on the end of my finger so, give or take. By the time I got to work and got settled in, things were definitely getting intense. I’d say for me with this ratio of herb to oil, a little less than teaspoon would probably suffice for a good “most of the day” dosage.I would also like to add that I absolutely despise coconut….but I still went with organic unrefined oil and used the tablespoon of sunflower lecithin and I love the taste. Reminds me of some kind of breakfast/granola bar or something. I think I’m gonna have to figure out a different way to decarb though. Some way where I can do it outside (my wife was a tad bit pissed at the smell…). Maybe in like a toaster oven out in the garage? Perhaps a slightly lower temp since the goods will be closer to the heat source? Idk.So, there you have it. Success, with a little heartache, but nevertheless, a great end result from a great and easy to follow article by you. Thank you very much.I have a question…since I suffer from pretty bad lower back pain 24/7 and don’t want to take any kind of pills, I was hoping that consuming my goods this way would be a good remedy for the pain. Unfortunately, edibles usually don’t give me as much relief as I would think they would. Maybe I just need a stronger dose? (Now for the actual question): I can use this as a topical ointment for pain, right? If so, would I leave it on or wash it off after a while? Also, will it affect me like eating it does, or just work for the pain externally? One other thing, it seems like the oil should have become darker. Since I may have been at lower temp than what it should have been, should it have cooked longer? Is there a chance that I didn’t get everything extracted that should have been? I saved the cheesecloth and herb in the same mason jar in the fridge in case there was a chance that I could/should do it again. Anywho…Thanks again for the recipe and for answering all of my questions. I hope some of the less unfortunate information in my short story is helpful to you.Thanks!Luke
But the story doesn’t end there…after having the oil on hand for a few days, you usually adjust the dose to support your lifestyle. A couple of days later, I got another email from Luke:
Hey Corinne,I know that you mentioned possibly using my results of the proper dosage for your dosage article so I thought I should change something that I originally stated in my last email. After taking the first dose, I originally thought that 1 teaspoon was the perfect dosage for me with the 14 grams to 1 cup of oil ratio. Now that I’ve been consuming the oil every day, I’ve definitely determined that a 1/2 teaspoon is just right, at least on a work day. That teaspoon dose that I took the first time really got me zooted and I found that a 1/2 teaspoon is still pretty powerful and lasts all day….like…ALL day. I would also like to change something else that I had mentioned before. I originally felt like eating the oil didn’t do what I thought it would for my back pain, but honestly, once a couple of hours go by, I’ll usually notice that my back isn’t quite as bad as it is when I haven’t eaten any, which is awesome and definitely better relief than when I just smoke or vape. This is some pretty potent stuff and I’m really happy with your recipe and will be sticking to it for sure. I just gotta make sure that next time, my top priority is NOT spilling the majority of it. Lol, still pretty upset about that. Oh well…you win some you lose some…right?Have a great day and thanks again!Luke
In Conclusion
Holy shit you guys…that was the most long-winded post ever to appear on Wake + Bake. So what did we learn?
We learned that the best way to test your dosage is by trying it in small amounts over a long period of time until you feel fantastic. We also learned that guestamath with pot is fun!
So why did this post turn out this long if that’s all we really learned? I’m just sitting around waiting to have this kickass little lady baby and I’ve got all of the time in the world at the moment. I mean, I obviously don’t have enough time to proofread or check my math or anything (sorry for that first super effed up calculation, Luke), but apparently I had the time to ramble on about dosage.
I’ll be on maternity leave for quite awhile and may not be able to get to all of your questions. So if you see a question in the comments section that you know the answer to, jump in! Let’s all help each other out. 🙂
I hope to get a few more things up on the blog before I get into the thick of being a new mama, but if I don’t, you can always nab a copy of Wake + Bake: a cookbook in the meantime…
I want to thank Sir Luke again for being such a good sport and taking the time out of his week to be a dosage guinea pig and report back on his experiences.
Hey Corinne,
I know this post is quite old, but I had a quick question. Would the math you used to figure out the mg of THC per cup of oil work for tinctures as well?
Thanks!
-Marryjaine
It should be the same… but I’ll know more about how accurate it is once I get a home THC testing kit 😉
I’ll keep you posted!
Purchased concentrated canni oil … each syringe is 350mg ….
How many syringes would be suitable per cup of standard butter?
I tried cannabis oil in tea for 1st time last night for fibromyalgia and slipped vertabrae. The friend that makes it bakes into cookies and finds it quite potent. I don’t eat sugar/gluten so tried in tea. I took 1/2tsp as a guess and felt no effect on pain, mood, relaxation.
My question is should I try more or is there a build up effect.
Also is herbal tea an effective method to invest?
TIA
Increase your dose by 1/2 tsp until you find the effects you want. Be sure to wait at least 1 hour (75 min is how long I wait) before trying more.
Tea is a great way to ingest cannabis, as long as there is a fat (coconut oil or butter).
Hey my girlfriend is pregnant atm and is a regular smoker so was advised to not stop smoking. she is 2 months from her due date. Do you yourself consume edibles while pregnant? in what doses? Could she handle a high dose? Will baby girl be able to handle a 200-300mg dose if sharing with mommy?
Not sure if this is still a relevant question, but I have 5 children and consumed edibles with all but 1.
First off congrats on the little one. Now to the important part…..
I was advised to eat it due to illnesses that effected my appetite and sleep. I make my own edibles with about 50mg in each. I prefer to do this when pregnant because of prices and being able to control all ingredients. I eat 4-6 edibles a day normally. So 200mg-300mg and baby didn’t have any issues. However I started with 2-3 edibles and worked my way up to a good working dose for me. That’s what she should do too. Many things effect the dose you need from your side and tolerance to the baby’s size.
All my babies reacted differently to the thc, but none were in a negative way. My Dr. also knew about it, so he watched for symptoms after each ones birth and found none.
So the short answer is yes eating it is a great alternative to smoking when pregnant. Just remember correct doses vary by the person and situation, so make sure you start low and find the one that’s right for you.
Hopefully this helps.
I really wanna know if the butter or oil would be stronger with really good buds grinded up instead of shake or trim….
Yes, the higher the potency of the material.. the higher the end result percentage in the oil. 10% – 100mg… 20% – 200mg… as she said above in her blog.
I hello, there! I love your post. I also use this conversion method for my edibles. My question is this: if using a cannabis concentrate, such a BHO, hash, or kief, what conversion should I use to dose appropriately, assuming that I know the THC percentage of my starting material? Thanks in advance!
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Your math is wrong on some of the conversions…
14000mg × .15 = 210…not 2100.
With that mistake it takes the concentration rate of the oil from 43.75mg per teaspoon….down to 4.375mg per tsp.
Just thought u should know 🙂
Aric.. I 0.15 of 1 is 15%, 15% of 14000 is 2100.
So I’m new to the cooking with concentrates. Was wondering if you could possibly help me in knowing a decarboxylated kief to coconut oil ratio. As well as a good measurement for soy lecithin as well? Thanks!
It seems to me Luke is focusing on dosage when he should find a STRAIN that addresses his pain.
obsessed with your blog. I’m learning so much from you!
if I make a batch of chocolate candies with 17 grams of full melt hash into 14 pieces of candy. How would I figure out the dosage? I have been doing 17/14 = 1.21gram her piece so that would be 1.21 x 100 for mg?
It depends on how much thc was in the hash. If it was average full melt, about 40% THC, it would be 1.21 (grams in candy) x.4 (40% THC) x 1000 (mg per gram). Make sense?
According to my calculations, that would make each candy about 484mg of THC. Those are some damn strong candies that could take people out. If those are too strong (and they will be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too strong for most people) you could dial the amount of concentrate you’re using to about 10% of that per candy. That would make strong candies that wouldn’t make people sick and give LOTS of negative side effects. If you’ve already made them… be very careful. I hope that helps!
Much love,
Corinne
Hello Corinne you are so funny and i like You a lot. You had me at the quote HTFSIK Today was the perfect day for me so sign up here I learned exactly what I needed to know for dosing . I’m new to all this and You name popped out to me cuz i have a sister Corinne who’d die if she knew I was talking about her here and she could really use it w/Lupus. So glad you have this site.Thank You, Linda Sue
Thank you Linda Sue! We are so glad you joined!
Hello Corinne,
Thank you for all of the great information. I am purchasing medical cannabis for my mother so I have exact amounts of THC/CBD, and I understand all of the calculations. My question is, should one expect 100% of the CBD/THC to transfer into the coconut oil, or is there some percentage of loss in the process. So, if following your recipe exactly, if I know I have 2,000 mgs in my raw product, should I expect 2,000 mgs in my finished product, or is there generally only a certain percentage of absorption ( for example 90% is absorbed and so only 1 ,800 mg is transferred?) you mentioned some testing device that you have, so I was curious if you have any insight on this. Many thanks in advance.
I received a pint of infused coco oil for Xmas. Made with Black Afghani and Blue Dream. It smells very potent. I consumed an 1/8 tsp and was zonked! It is labeled 1mg per 1oz? Doesn’t jive with what I’m reading.
Just getting started with edibles, long time smoker.
Thx
Well, doesn’t that sound super potent! 🙂 I would agree, it sounds like the potency may not match the label. If it’s homemade, it’s understandable. Without the TCheck, it is very difficult to be accurate. If its a commercial product, that’s rare, but it can happen. No doubt, anything made with Black Afghani is probably going to be potent. However, let me give you a couple of other reasons it may so potent…
One reason might be, if the cannabis was old when they made the oil, much of the THC may have degraded to CBN, a more sedative cannabinoid (studies report its as much as 5 times as potent as Valium!) Excellent for insomnia, though!
Also, you said you’re new to edibles, but not smoking. Edibles are a TOTALLY different effect. When I first introduced my husband to edibles, he too doubted (he’s been a smoker for 30 years), but because of the digestive process, when THC is broke down by the enzymes in your system, it is changed to a different molecule called 11-Hydroxy-THC. This molecule is more potent and hangs on longer.
So there’s a little science as to why it may have hit you so hard. 🙂
Thanks! Homemade for sure. A friend worked on a Med grow farm this past summer and was given some trim.Baby steps for sure to determine dosage. Going to start a tincture tonight.
Good luck, Don! Let us know how it goes!
Hi Corrine,
Love your blog! I have been experimenting with bho and having a good time with edibles. I am moving up to topicals to include your famous lube. Will the calculator be accurate when inserting info on bho? For instance, 75 % thc, 3 grams of bho in 16 ounces of coconut oil. It is Sour diesel strain.
marijuanamathmatician? might i suggest the math pun “calcabis”… the study of deweedatives and integrass 😉
Bahahaha! Much better <3
Hello Corinne,
You have wonderful information for a newbie to the cannabis scene. I saw your THC calculator and it is awesome! Math is not my strong suit so there are a couple variables that baffle me a bit. I want to make a cannabis salve with RSO. How does that vary from the dried cannabis ratio of 1 gram = 1000 mg. The serving size would be a 4 oz. container. I’m using 2 oz. of 22% THC bud to make the RSO with 10 cups of grain alcohol 90 proof. I’m looking for the dosage to be about 1,650 per 1 oz. of product. Seriously……help 🙂
Thanks
Hi,
Just a tip for Luke from your story (i know its a few years old but still might help someone). I use oven bags to decarb in, no smell. Let cool inside bag so any goodness can settle back down on decarb flower, then infuse in oil, double boiler style with foil over top to reduce smell.
How’s it going with your baby….guessing awesome!
I made some cannabis infused coconut oil in the MBM; 1/2 oz. to 5 c. of coconut oil. Turned out as expected, I think. I love that machine, btw. Anyway, I don’t know what the dosage would be for the final product, but I’ve made some suppositories and so far I’m still walking around, so I guess it’s safe during the day. Question; is trial and error ok when not knowing dosage…kind of a unanswerable question I guess, but there it is. I have Multiple Myeloma ( 3 months worth so far ), and I want to supplement the chemo with …suppositories or tincture or anything that will help fight the bad parts of chemo therapy and maybe help get me in remission faster. Anyway, unless I hear or find something different, I’ll try little bits at a time and go from there. Love your blogs, young lady. From AK…….**Peace and Happiness with your Family **. Children are the most frustrating and loving animals ever!! kidding, but you know what I mean by now!!
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Your page has helped me tremendously and I appreciate everything on here. I am just confused. I infused 28g of flower with 2 cups of MCT. After decarbed in my Nova and mixed in magic butter I ended up with just over a cup of final product. When calculating percentages, am I using the 1 cup of final product or 2 cups of oil I infused?
I don’t use sunflower at all I use about 14 grams to 1 cup oil I use exotic weed buds will it make it less potent if I use another 1/2 or 1/4 oil
Hey Shun!
Check out our dosage calculator– it makes measuring your potency easy!
Hi Corinne! Hope all is well with you and yours! In this updated article, you mentioned that if you acquire your plant material from an untested source that it’s a pity. A pity, yes, but is testing possible? My question is, have you encountered any device/product that provides an accurate at-home THC% test for untested material? Hopefully, a manufacturer like Ardent, or one of the other companies whose products you endorse, has something you can recommend.