The short answer
A standard serving of cannabis in a baked good is 10 mg THC. That is the legal serving cap in Colorado and California. A first dose is smaller. Public health guidance puts a starting dose at 2.5 mg THC or less. Wait two hours before taking more.
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Why edibles differ from smoked flower
Oral THC moves through the liver before it reaches the bloodstream. The liver converts THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, a compound with stronger psychoactive effects. Onset runs 30 to 120 minutes. Peak blood levels arrive at 1 to 3 hours. Effects last 4 to 8 hours. Baked goods that carry fat and protein digest slower than a gummy, so onset can stretch past 2 hours.
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Calculate THC per serving
You need the potency of the starting material. A lab test or a package label gives a percentage. Without that number, the dose is a guess.
- Decarboxylate. Heat raw flower at 240 F for 30 to 45 minutes. THCA loses a carboxyl group and becomes THC. The conversion factor is 0.877 by molecular weight.
- Find total THC. Multiply grams of flower by the THC percentage, then by 1,000 to get milligrams. If the label lists THCA, multiply by 0.877.
- Infuse. Cannabinoids are fat soluble. Butter and oil work. Expect transfer below 100 percent. Plant material holds some back. A 70 to 80 percent yield is a common working figure.
- Divide by servings. Cut the batch into equal pieces and count them before you infuse. A 9x13 pan of brownies cut into 24 pieces gives 24 servings.
Example: 7 g of flower at 20 percent THCA. That is 1,400 mg THCA, or 1,228 mg THC after conversion. At 75 percent transfer into butter, the batch holds about 920 mg. Cut into 24 brownies, each piece holds about 38 mg. That is close to four standard servings.
How Long Do Cannabis Baked Goods Take to Work?
Mixing and variance
THC does not spread evenly on its own. Stir infused butter into the full batch of batter for several minutes. A 36-piece batch from the same batter has less per-piece deviation than a 12-piece batch. Small batches hide mixing errors in larger pieces.
Label and store
Write the milligram count on each wrapper. Store in the freezer or refrigerator. THC degrades with heat, light, and oxygen. Keep baked goods in a locked container away from children and pets.
State rules
Colorado and California cap a single serving at 10 mg THC and a package at 100 mg. Other states set their own limits. Rules change. Check the state cannabis regulator before you sell or share anything.
If you take too much
Overconsumption causes anxiety, a racing heart, and nausea. Cannabis alone has not been linked to a fatal overdose. There is no antidote. Time is the treatment. Sit somewhere calm. Call a poison control center or a doctor if chest pain, vomiting, or confusion appears.