Quick answer
A medical cannabis dosage chart is a starting reference, not a prescription. No single chart fits everyone because potency, product form, body weight, tolerance, and the condition being treated all change the right amount. Most clinicians who work with cannabis suggest starting around 1 to 2.5 mg of THC per dose and 5 to 25 mg of CBD per day, then raising the amount slowly across days or weeks. Read any chart as a range, check the milligram content on the product label, and record what happens before you change anything.
Why no single chart covers everyone
Cannabis is not dosed like a standard tablet. Two products with the same label weight can deliver very different amounts of THC and CBD, and the same product can hit two people differently. Absorption changes with delivery method: inhaled products reach the bloodstream within minutes, while edibles and tinctures taken by mouth can take 30 minutes to 2 hours to peak and may last far longer. Charts exist to give you a safe floor and a reasonable ceiling, not an exact number for your body.
Prerequisites
- A product label that lists total THC and CBD in milligrams per unit or per milliliter
- A delivery method you can measure consistently, such as a metered tincture dropper or a measured edible portion
- A clinician who knows what you are treating and what else you take
- A simple written log for dose, time, and effect
How to read a medical cannabis dosage chart
- Locate the column for your delivery method, since oral and inhaled doses are not interchangeable.
- Find the starting dose row, which is usually the lowest milligram amount listed.
- Note the THC to CBD ratio in that row, because ratio changes the effect as much as total milligrams.
- Convert the dose into your product's units, such as drops of tincture or milligrams of a gummy.
- Set a fixed starting amount and take it at the same time of day for three to five days.
- Increase by the smallest increment the chart lists only if you feel no effect.
- Stop increasing as soon as you get the response you want, or as soon as side effects appear.
- Record every change in your log before moving to the next step.
Typical starter ranges
- THC, oral: 1 to 2.5 mg per dose, raised in 1 to 2.5 mg steps
- THC, inhaled: 1 to 2 mg per puff, with a pause of several minutes between puffs
- CBD, oral: 5 to 25 mg per day, often split into two doses, with many people settling between 25 and 50 mg daily
- Balanced ratio products: equal THC and CBD, useful when THC alone causes anxiety or rapid heart rate
Factors that shift your dose
Body weight matters less for cannabis than it does for many drugs, but it still plays a role. Tolerance built from regular use raises the amount needed for the same effect. Age and liver function change how quickly oral cannabinoids clear from the body. Other drugs, especially sedatives, blood thinners, and some seizure medications, can interact. THC also has biphasic effects, meaning a low dose may calm you while a higher dose of the same product can increase anxiety, so more is not always better.
Track these four numbers
- Milligrams of THC and CBD taken
- Time of dose and time to onset
- Duration of effect
- Side effects, rated mild, moderate, or severe
Safety notes
Do not drive or operate equipment after THC until you know how it affects you. Avoid cannabis during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Keep products locked away from children and pets, since edible overdose in children is a documented emergency. If you get chest pain, severe confusion, vomiting that will not stop, or a racing heartbeat that does not settle, seek medical care. A dosage chart is a tool for organizing a careful trial, and your clinician should guide the plan when you are treating a medical condition.