Quick answer
A cannabis microdose is a small dose that produces little to no high. Reported THC microdoses run from 0.5 mg to 2.5 mg. CBD microdoses are higher, in the 5 mg to 20 mg range. The steps: pick one product with a printed dose, set a baseline, start below your target, wait one full onset window, log the result, hold the same dose for 3 to 7 days, then raise it in 0.5 mg steps.
Step 1: Set a baseline
Pick one symptom to score. Sleep hours, pain on a 0 to 10 scale, anxiety on a 0 to 10 scale, appetite. Record it each day for 3 days before the first dose. A change of 1 point on a 0 to 10 scale is hard to notice. A change of 2 points is a signal.
microdosing cannabis instructions
Step 2: Pick a product with a printed dose
Choose a tincture with a marked dropper or a capsule. The label states mg per bottle and mg per serving. A 30 ml tincture with 300 mg THC holds 10 mg per ml. One drop is about 0.05 ml. That equals 0.5 mg. Do the math before the first dose. Skip products with no mg data.
Step 3: Start below the target
First dose: 0.5 mg to 1 mg THC, or 5 mg CBD. People who are new to cannabis, age 65 and up, or taking other drugs start at the low end. CBD inhibits the liver enzymes CYP2C19 and CYP3A4. Those enzymes clear some seizure drugs, blood thinners, and antidepressants. Talk to a pharmacist if you take prescription drugs.
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Step 4: Match the wait to the route
- Inhaled flower or vape: onset 5 to 10 minutes, peak near 30 minutes, offset 2 to 3 hours.
- Tincture held under the tongue: onset 15 to 30 minutes, offset 2 to 4 hours.
- Swallowed capsule or edible: onset 30 to 120 minutes, offset 4 to 6 hours. Wait 2 hours before a second dose.
Food in the stomach shifts edible onset and peak. A full stomach adds time.
Step 5: Log three numbers
Write the dose in mg, the route, and the clock time. Then write the symptom score at 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours. Note side effects: dry mouth, hunger, racing heart, drowsiness. Ten days of notes show a pattern that memory does not.
Step 6: Hold, then step up
Keep the same dose for 3 to 7 days. Raise it by 0.5 mg THC or 5 mg CBD. Change one thing at a time. A new product, a new route, and a new dose on the same day make the result unreadable.
Step 7: Stop or step back
Racing heart, nausea, dizziness, panic, and dry mouth are signs the dose is too high. High THC doses can cause short-term memory problems and paranoia. Do not drive after a dose. THC shows on urine tests for days to weeks after use. Hemp CBD products can carry trace THC.
Limits of the evidence
Trials on cannabis microdosing are small. Sample sizes run from about 10 to 40 people, and some studies used a single dose, so they say little about daily use over months. The FDA has approved one cannabis-derived drug, Epidiolex, for two rare seizure disorders. The FDA has not approved cannabis for other medical uses. State law governs access to THC products. Federal law lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, while hemp CBD with 0.3% THC or less is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.