Did you know the hemp market has grown exponentially in recent years? Our industry now offers a whole new wave of cannabinoids for us to enjoy. Three of the most popular cannabinoids on today’s market are delta 8 THC, delta 9 THC, and delta 10 THC. The main thing that these compounds share in common with one another is that they’re psychoactive. Meaning, consuming them will get you high. However, their more specific effects are quite unique, which is why each hemp-based derivative is worth exploring on its own.
In order to know that you’re going to get the best experience possible with any of these three cannabinoids, making sure that you’re dosing with them properly is crucial.
- Taking too low of a dose means that you will end up missing out on what each cannabinoid is fully capable of.
- Taking too much when your tolerance is low, due to them being psychoactive, means you may get too high, which you might not be comfortable with as a newbie.
A Quick Overview of Delta 8 THC, Delta 9 THC, and Delta 10 THC
Before you even consider the proper dosage amount for a particular cannabinoid, it’s important to choose which of the three cannabinoids you want to explore. While these 3 cannabinoids are isomers of one another, the effects that they’re associated with are quite different.
- Delta 8 THC: A mildly psychoactive cannabinoid that’s about 70% as intoxicating as delta 9. Less likely to take away mental clarity, it’s known as a great evening choice because of its almost indica-like effects.
- Delta 9 THC: Most psychoactive of the three, and it’s the active psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. Its effects are much heavier, and it’s associated with many valuable properties beyond its intoxicating capabilities.
- Delta 10 THC: Like delta 8, delta 10 seems to be less psychoactive than delta 9, and less likely to interfere with mental clarity. Delta-10 is commonly described as uplifting, and it’s usually taken in the daytime because of its more sativa-like effects.
Dosage vs. Milligram Strength
When it comes to dosing, there are two individual factors that must be considered.
- Dosage amount, which refers to the actual amount of product that is consumed – for instance, one gummy, or 3 puffs of a vape.
- Milligram strength, which refers to the number of milligrams of the active cannabinoid in the product, thus determining its potency. For instance, gummies come in different milligram strengths, often ranging from 5mg to 50mg per piece.
What to Consider When Dosing with Psychoactive Cannabinoids
With all cannabinoids, there are fairly established dosing guidelines out there that tell us how many milligrams per serving we should take to experience the desired effects that they offer. But, there are specific factors that ultimately affect how much of a particular cannabinoid we should take at one time.
#1: Your Tolerance
Tolerance is an extremely important factor to consider. If you are completely new to a cannabinoid, you will have a low tolerance to its effects, just like how it is with alcohol or caffeine. In other words, you will be more sensitive to the intoxicating properties, until repeated use allows you to develop a stronger tolerance. This is why beginners are encouraged to start out with a low dose of a THC product.
#2: Your Goals
We all have a goal in mind when we consume an intoxicating cannabinoid. Maybe we want to enjoy just a mild buzz while we hang out with friends, or maybe we want to experience a powerful psychoactive sensation as we ease into bedtime. Consider what type of experience you want from delta 8, delta 9 or delta 10, in terms of how strongly you want to feel its psychoactive properties.
#3: The Delivery Method
Each delivery method (vapes, edibles, etc.) behaves differently in the body based on how it absorbs. Bioavailability is an important factor to take into account, as more bioavailable delivery methods tend to produce stronger and faster-acting effects. For example, inhalable products are very potent and take effect within minutes, while edibles are a bit less potent, and take up to 2 hours to really kick in. Because of these differences, the recommended dosage amount of a cannabinoid will vary slightly according to the delivery method, as you’ll see below.
#4: Strain Type
If you’re using a product type that comes in many strains, the strain itself must be taken into account as well. Some strains are naturally much more potent than others due to the other compounds present. In other words, if you’re using a very potent strain of, say, a delta 8 vape, you may want to consume a little less than usual as the effects may be too strong otherwise.
Delta 8 Dosage
Although once again, delta 8 THC is milder than delta 9 THC, if you’ve never consumed any psychoactive cannabinoids before, you still want to start out with a low dosage amount.
Vapes
Vaping products like cartridges and disposable devices typically contain 100% pure hemp, which means that they do not come in varying milligram strengths, as the hemp compounds are not diluted with other ingredients. Because of this, we determine the proper dosage according to the general number of puffs taken. Note that this guideline is very general, since how deeply you inhale and the wattage or voltage of your vape pen can determine how potent each puff is.
Beginner Dose: 1 puff
Intermediate Dose: 2-3 puffs
Advanced Dose: 4+ puffs
Gummies
Delta 8 THC gummies are very easy to dose because each gummy in a package contains the same number of milligrams of delta 8 THC. The standard serving size for this type of product is a single gummy, but gummies come in a variety of different milligram strength options. Therefore, when selecting a specific gummy product, you’ll want to be mindful of how many milligrams of delta 8 are in each piece, which will be indicated on the label.
Beginner Dose: 5mg-10mg
Intermediate Dose: 11mg-25mg
Advanced Dose: 26mg+
Dosing Delta 9 THC
Again, delta 9 THC is more potent than delta 8 and delta 10, and so it will get you noticeably more intoxicated. We do recommend that before you try delta 9, that you first build up a tolerance to either delta-8 or delta-10. Why? Well, so that the psychoactive effects are more easily managed, of course.
Gummies
Delta 9 gummies, like delta 8 gummies, are easy to dose due to the consistency of the number of milligrams per piece. Notice that with delta 9 edibles, the portion sizes tend to be larger. This is because delta 9 THC is legal as long as a product contain a maximum of 0.3% delta 9 THC by dry weight. Therefore, to adhere to this, companies offer larger serving sizes that allow the 0.3% of delta-9 to actually be effective.
Beginner Dose: 5mg
Intermediate Dose: 6mg-24mg
Advanced Dose: 25mg+
Dosing Delta 10 THC
Delta 10 and delta 8 are about as intoxicating as one another, which means that the dosing guidelines that apply to delta 8 also apply to delta 10.
Vapes
Like delta 8 vapes, delta 10 vapes almost always consist of 100% pure hemp, which means that there is no variety of milligram strengths to choose from. This also means that there is no easy way to determine how many milligrams you’re getting per puff as this depends on how deeply you inhale. Not to mention, the wattage or voltage at which your device operates at. Coming around full circle, it all comes down to how many puffs you take.
Beginner Dose: 1 puff
Intermediate Dose: 2-3 puffs
Advanced Dose: 4+ puffs
Gummies
If you’d prefer to experience the effects of delta 10 in gummy form, you will once again be able to enjoy an easier time with dosing as you can control the exact amount of milligrams you take in per serving. Like we said, the dosing guidelines for delta 10 edibles are pretty much identical for delta 8 edibles.
Beginner Dose: 5mg-10mg
Intermediate Dose: 11mg-25mg
Advanced Dose: 26mg+
Changing Your Dose
So, let’s say you’ve been taking the “beginner dose” of one of the above products for a while. When is the right time to adjust the amount that you take?
Each person’s body is unique, and how long it takes to build a tolerance to the effects of delta 8, delta 9, or delta 10 can vary from person to person as a result. In the most general sense, a person can likely develop something of a tolerance after about 2 weeks of daily use. From there, they may decide to increase the amount you take, but you will want to do this only in small increments.
On the other hand, if you feel that the effects of delta 8, delta 9, or delta 10 are too strong at the dosage you’re taking, you can reduce that dosage at any time.
Enjoy the Perfect Delta 8 THC, Delta 9 THC, or Delta 10 THC Experience with Proper Dosage
As you can now see, delta 8 THC, delta 9 THC, and delta 10 THC are each capable of offering a distinctive psychoactive experience, and you’re more likely to enjoy favorable effects if you are very mindful of the dosage amount that you take. At Greenlife Remedies, we make it easy by offering a variety of delta 8, delta 9, and delta 10 products that allow you to control the dosage amount easily. Remember, you should always start slow and build your dosage up gradually to get your body used to the unique psychoactive effects that each cannabinoid has to offer.
