Start low, go slow: what it means in milligrams
Start low, go slow is printed on legal cannabis packaging across Canada, and it is good advice with no numbers attached. Here are the numbers. They are conservative on purpose, because the cost of going too slow is a dull evening and the cost of going too fast is a very long one.
What does 'start low' mean in milligrams?
For someone new to edibles, 2.5 mg of THC is the widely used starting point, and Health Canada's own consumer guidance points to 2.5 mg or less. Occasional users who know inhaled cannabis but not edibles often start at 2.5 to 5 mg. Ten milligrams, the legal package cap, is a full dose for most people and a lot for a first time.
Homemade edibles complicate this because you are estimating potency, not reading it off a label. Run the batch through the dosage calculator, then treat the answer as an estimate and start below it: half a cookie is a perfectly respectable first serving.
What does 'go slow' mean in hours?
Edibles take 30 minutes to two hours to be felt and can keep building for up to four. Go slow means one serving, then a full two hours before deciding on more, and ideally waiting out the whole four-hour window the first time you try a new batch. The classic mistake is a second piece at the 45-minute mark because nothing has happened yet.
If you do step up, step up by the same small amount you started with. Going from 2.5 mg to 5 mg is going slow. Going from 2.5 mg to 15 mg is not.
How do I find my own number?
Keep a three-line note for each edible: what you took, when, and how it felt at the two- and four-hour marks. After three or four entries a pattern appears, and that pattern is your dose. Tolerance moves it over time, which is what tolerance breaks are for.
And if a night goes wrong, it passes. Water, a calm room, something to eat, and time. There is no known fatal overdose from cannabis alone, but plenty of people have had an evening they would rather not repeat, and the cure is smaller numbers next time.
Frequently asked questions
How many mg of edibles should a beginner take in Canada?
2.5 mg of THC or less is the common starting point and matches Health Canada's consumer guidance. Wait at least two hours before considering more.
How long should I wait between edible doses?
At least two hours, and a full four hours the first time you try a new batch, since effects can keep building for that long.
What if 2.5 mg does nothing?
Try 5 mg next time, not more tonight. Some people also absorb edibles poorly; if a few honest tries at reasonable doses do nothing, read why edibles might not be working.
Educational content for adults of legal age, not medical advice. Cannabis affects everyone differently — start low, go slow.
