Delta 8 Dosage Chart - The Perfect Dose

Delta 8 is, without a doubt, one of the most famous compounds hemp has to offer. Whether it be for its relaxing properties or its mild psychoactive effects, delta 8 is currently loved by millions around the country. Despite its many positive effects, however, delta 8 isn't as simple to use as just popping a handful of gummies or chugging a bottle of tincture.

Like all other cannabinoids, having a safe and positive delta 8 experience depends on dosing. The problem is dosing isn't an exact science. How much delta 8 you need depends on individual factors like age, weight, rate of metabolism, tolerance, and desired effects, as well as the way in which you are ingesting the compound.

If you’re interested in melting into delta 8’s calming and soothing effects but aren’t sure how to dose it, here’s a full breakdown on how many gummies, drops, or puffs you should be taking!

What Is Delta 8 THC?

Delta 8 Gummies Dosage

Delta 8 gummies, like all delta 8 edibles, are one of the strongest ways to ingest the cannabinoid, but they’re also one of the easiest to dose because they offer a set premeasured amount of delta 8. They usually come in amounts of between 10-40mg of delta 8 per gummy, which can make it easier to eat your desired amount, whether it be a lot or a little.

If you’ve ever experimented with any kind of cannabis edible, you already know they feel much stronger and last for much longer than smoking, vaping, or even dropping delta 8 under the tongue. You probably also know that they can take a little longer to kick in than most other methods—usually upwards of an hour.

This is because edibles need to bypass the digestive system before taking effect. When you smoke, the delta 8 is absorbed into your bloodstream through your lungs, giving it a direct route from your inhalation to the brain. Gummies, however, need to be digested by the body first. The treats are broken down in the stomach and separated into different compounds. From there, the liver metabolizes the delta 8 and converts it into 11-hydroxy-THC, a much stronger metabolite than regular THC. The metabolite then makes its way into your bloodstream, where it travels to your brain and hits you harder than a ton of bricks.

Because edibles take so long to kick in, some users may become impatient and feel like they didn’t take enough delta 8 the first time around. What’s really happening in that time, however, is your body working hard to get you high. Edibles can take two hours to kick in and can sometimes last more than 10 hours. Their effects commonly peak after around four hours from initial consumption. For this reason, we recommend waiting at least two hours for the effects to fully develop before going back for seconds.

Here's a dosing chart for delta 8 edibles depending on your desired psychoactive effects:

While some gummies come in similar doses than the ones listed above, you can always cut your edibles in half and start a little lower than recommended. Because gummies can have such heightened psychoactive effects, it’s always recommended to start low and slow and build your way up to the perfect high for you.

Delta 8 Oil Dosage

Taking delta 8 oils or tinctures gives you full control over exactly how much you take. Most tincture bottles come with a dropper, which might make it seem a little more complicated than it actually is. You may be wondering how to dose delta 8 oil correctly, and all you need to do is divide the total amount of delta 8 by the size of the bottle. This way, you’ll know exactly how much delta 8 sits in a single serving. Additionally, most tincture packages also come with dosing instructions, letting you know exactly how much delta 8 is contained in a single drop. Depending on the size of your bottle and the amount of delta 8 it contains, this number can change.

However, a standard tincture dosage depending on your potency looks something like this:

Although this chart mainly refers to tinctures, it can also be applied to other methods of consumption. Tinctures are the second fastest consumption method after inhalation, usually kicking in within 15-30 minutes. They’re usually dropped sublingually, where the delta 8 is absorbed by the mucous membrane and veins in your mouth, namely under your tongue. This allows the tincture to reach the brain faster than many other methods.

That said, some people can be put off by the raw taste of delta 8 extract, so they prefer to add it to food or drinks to better mask the flavor. This method, however, turns delta 8 tincture into an edible, meaning its effects and onset time will resemble those of gummies. 

Delta 8 Flower Dosage

Delta 8 flower is actually just CBD hemp bud sprayed with delta 8 distillate. Similar to vapes, you should take 1-5mg, or three puffs, as an initial dose. This method may be a little trickier to dose because the delta 8 distillate isn't always evenly coated throughout the bud, making it a little harder to determine whether a tiny but saturated nug will have more intense psychoactive effects than a larger area without as much delta 8 concentration.

Smoking a delta 8 pre-roll will get you high within minutes of inhalation, making it one of the fastest ways to get high off the compound. Again, since delta 8 bud is somewhat complicated to dose, it’s best to wait about 20 minutes between one or two hits to assess the strength of the effects. If you’re feeling good after just a couple hits, that’s great! If you’re looking for a little more intensity, keep smoking until you’re feeling just how you want to.

Delta 8 Cartridge Dosage

Delta 8 vapes are among the most popular products of this cannabinoid. There are many different types of vapes, including delta 8 disposable vapes and delta 8 cartridges, on the market today. Because you can take long or short hits, this method can also be a little tricky to dose.

The average single dose of vaporized delta 8 is one to three puffs depending on bodily factors like your metabolism, weight, and tolerance. Numerically speaking, these puffs would amount to around 1-5mg of delta 8 per serving, but how exactly do you measure milligrams in each puff?

It’s actually pretty simple. One milliliter of e-liquid contains about 100 puffs. Based on this information, you can divide the total amount of delta 8 in the product by the size of its container. So, if you have a 1ml cart that contains 500mg of delta 8, each puff will contain approximately 5mg of delta 8. Depending on your tolerance, you can take one puff or more than 10! It all depends on how much delta 8 your body can handle and how pronounced you want its psychoactive effects to be.

Can I Overdose on Delta 8?

It’s technically impossible to overdose on delta 8. In other words, a delta 8 “overdose” wouldn’t lead to any serious long-term effects or any harm. No medical report has yet revealed any lethal consequences from overdosing on cannabis or any of its derivatives. You’ll probably just get a little paranoid, anxious, or confused—all typical side effects of any cannabinoid taken at a large dose.

That being said, it takes a very high amount of delta 8 to reach these discomforts because the compound is known to be pretty mild—delta 8 is about half as strong as delta 9. If you’re worried about having a negative experience with delta 8, remember to start low and slow and build your way up to the perfect high. Although this may seem like a lot of trial and error, it’ll certainly be worth it once you reach that delta 8 sweet spot!

A great place to start when it comes to delta 8 dosage is to measure it out by your weight:

Is My CBD Dosage the Same for Delta 8?

Like delta 8, CBD dosage depends on your body’s tolerance and desired effects. One important distinction between the two cannabinoids, however, is that CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it will not get you high in any dosage. Even without these effects, however, CBD has been known to promote many wellness benefits, so it’s still important to find a proper dose to make you feel great without wasting any excess product.

As a baseline, the suggested dosage is 0.25mg of CBD multiplied by your body weight in pounds. This means that a person weighing 140 pounds should take 35mg of CBD on a daily basis. It’s ideal to split this dose equally between morning and night, that way you can get full relief all day long!

So, even though your CBD dosage isn't the same as your delta 8 dosage, figuring them both out is equally easy!

How Does Delta 8 Potency Work?

Delta 8 works by binding to receptors in the brain, particularly the CB1 receptor, which belongs to your body’s endocannabinoid system. This receptor is what triggers the high you experience when smoking or eating delta 8. That said, research suggests that delta 8 has a slightly weaker affinity for attaching to the CB1 receptor than delta 9, making it weaker than the popular cannabinoid.

There are two key factors that determine your optimal delta 8 dosage: your product’s potency and the amount of delta 8 it contains per milligram. To figure out how many milligrams of delta 8 is in a single serving size, all you need to do is divide the total amount of milligrams by the size of your product. This works for tinctures, vapes, gummies, and other products.

By using this method, you can absolutely control your delta 8 intake—and therefore, its resulting potency—to a T. You can make a product’s potency work in your favor, whether you want it to feel strong or mild, by accurately measuring how much delta 8 is in a single serving.

How Long Should I Wait for the Effects to Kick In?

The effects of delta 8 products take different times to kick in depending on how they’re ingested. Usually, it’s best to wait between 10-20 minutes when vaping; 1-1.5 hours when using a tincture; and 2-3 hours when taking edibles such as gummies.

As a rule of thumb, however, we recommend waiting up to two hours before taking a second dose of delta 8, in order to give the compound’s effects time to reach their peak.

Overall Summary

Delta 8’s psychoactive effects can vary in onset time, duration, and potency depending on how the compound is taken. Vapes, for example, kick in quickly and can last a couple hours, while tinctures are considered the second fastest ingestion method and also last around the same time. Edibles, such as gummies, take a little longer to kick in due to their journey through the digestive system, but once they do, they feel more potent and last for longer than any other method.

Delta 8 is a wildly popular cannabinoid all around the country; its incredibly mellowing psychoactive effects make it attractive to cannabis users everywhere. That said, one of the most important aspects to achieving a safe and positive delta 8 experience is understanding how to dose correctly. Whether you’re dosing based on your tolerance or weight, it’s always essential to start a little lower than you think you should in order to prevent any adverse effects. Happy buzzing!