While delta 8 THC offers a milder, less heady version of delta 9 THC, it’s still powerful. That means you have to dose it carefully to get the best experience possible.
In this article, we’re going to show you how to do just that. We’ll provide delta 8 dosage guidance, as well as a calculator and chart for easy dosage calculation.
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What is Delta 8?
Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 8 THC or delta 8) is a psychoactive cannabinoid that naturally occurs in the hemp plant. However, delta 8 only occurs in very small amounts, so the the delta 8 that’s used in products is made in a lab.
Delta 8 is about half as potent as delta 9, and it’s emerged as a popular choice for both therapeutic and recreational uses because it creates a head high without as much anxiety and paranoia as delta 9.
How Much Delta 8 Should You Take? What to Consider
Before discussing specific dosage formulas, we want to discuss some factors you’ll need to consider when deciding how much delta 8 you should take.
Body Weight
Your weight will determine how much delta 8 you need to take to achieve your desired effects. Someone who is 200 pounds will need more delta 8 than someone who weighs 100 pounds to achieve the same feeling.
What You’re Using It For
Different situations call for different amounts of delta 8!
For therapeutic use, you’ll want to start slow and work your way up, stopping once you’ve reached the point where you’ve achieved the effects you need.
Recreationally, we have starting recommendations, but really, it’s up to you.
Your body weight and the reason you’re using delta 8 are easy to account for in a dosage formula. But the next two factors we’ll cover are harder to quantify and differ a lot by person.
Tolerance
If you use psychoactive cannabinoids on a regular basis, you may build up a tolerance to delta 8 and similar substances.
If you’ve built a tolerance, you might need more than the recommended dosage to get the effects you’re looking for (though, by default, play it safe and start low).
On the flipside, if you’ve never had delta 8 before, we recommend you stick with the starting minimum dose to avoid being overwhelmed by the effects.
Body Chemistry
This factor varies a lot from person to person. Some people naturally have a high tolerance to cannabinoids like delta 8; others will get a powerful high from a small amount.
Because we all respond differently, starting with a small dose is important until you know how your body reacts to delta 8.
Delta 8 Dosage by Use
Based on what you want to take delta 8 for, you’ll need to use a specific formula to calculate your dosage. In this section, we provide formulas for all the main situations in which you might use delta 8.
We break down dosage into low, medium, and high strengths, each of which specifies a weight-based ratio that can be used in a dosage formula.
Delta 8 Dosage for Sleep
If you’re using delta 8 for sleep, we recommend starting with a low-strength dosage:
(0.05) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your nightly delta 8 dose for sleep in mg.
Delta 8 Dosage for Pain
If you’re using delta 8 for pain, we recommend starting with a medium-strength dosage:
(0.1) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily delta 8 dose for pain in mg.
Delta 8 Dosage for Anxiety
When taking delta 8 for anxiety, we recommend starting with a low-strength dosage:
(0.05) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily delta 8 dose for anxiety in mg.
Delta 8 Dosage for Energy & Focus
If you’re using delta 8 to support energy and focus, we recommend a low-strength dosage starting out:
(0.05) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily delta 8 dose for energy and focus in mg.
Delta 8 Dosage for Recreation
For recreation, dosage varies. If you’re familiar with delta 8, start with a medium-strength dosage:
(0.1) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily recreational delta 8 dose in mg.
But if you’ve never used psychoactive cannabinoids before, we recommend starting with a low-strength dosage:
(0.05) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily recreational delta 8 dose in mg.
Wait.. So What is the High Strength Dosage For?
You may have noticed that we never recommended a high-strength dosage for any condition or use. But in the chart and calculator below, we account for a high-strength dosage. So what is it for?
A high-strength dose of delta 8 is really only a good option if you’ve already determined that you need more than a medium dose. Depending on your condition, a higher dose may be necessary – and you may want it for recreational purposes, as well.
Delta 8 Dosage Calculator
- In the top field, enter your body weight in pounds (lbs.)
- In the bottom field, select your delta 8 THC dosage strength based on your condition or use
- Click the calculate button to determine your daily delta 8 THC dosage
Delta 8 Dosage Chart
How Long Does Delta 8 Take to Begin Working?
The onset time of delta 8 will depend on how you’re taking it (more on products in the next section).
If you’re inhaling delta 8 through a vape or via hemp flower, you’ll begin feeling effects in just 5-10 minutes.
If you’re taking delta 8 through an oil/tincture, it will start working in 10-15 minutes.
Delta 8 edibles and capsules will begin working in 45 minutes to 1 hour (since they have to be digested).
How to Take Delta 8: Recommendations by Product
There are a variety of ways you can take delta 8, and we don’t particularly recommend one method over the others. Each may be right for you, depending on what you’re looking for. In this section, we’ll discuss each method in depth.
For reference, average bioavailability is a measure of the percentage of cannabinoids in a certain delivery method that will actually be used by your body – your body naturally discards some percentage of the substances you consume.
Delta 8 Edibles
Average Bioavailability: 10-20%
The most popular type of delta 8 edibles are gummies. Gummies offer a fixed-dose delta 8 consumption method, meaning you can get the same amount of cannabinoids in each piece. This makes them ideal if you’re going to be taking the same dose on a regular basis.
You can also split your delta 8 gummies into smaller pieces if you want a smaller dose.
Delta 8 Flower & Vapes
Average Bioavailability: 40-50%
You can inhale delta 8 through a vape or by smoking hemp flower. This consumption method has a few benefits: it’s fast acting (see the section above), it has high bioavailability due to the smoke or vapor delivering cannabinoids to your lungs, and vapes, specifically, are ideal if you want to take small amounts of delta 8 throughout the day.
The downsides of inhalable consumption are twofold:
- Smoking or vaping anything poses a health risk
- It’s hard to accurately dose inhalable products
Delta 8 Capsules
Average Bioavailability: 10-20%
Delta 8 can also be taken in capsule form, which for all intents and purposes functions very similarly to delta 8 edibles. The downside to capsules is that, unlike edibles, they can’t be split into smaller pieces if you want to reduce the amount you’re taking.
Delta 8 Oils/Tinctures
Average Bioavailability: 20-30%
Delta 8 oil, also sometimes called tincture, is taken under the tongue and absorbed through the blood vessels in your mouth. Oils allow for very precise dosing, as you can measure your dose down to the drop using the metered dropper that comes with most products.
Oils are also slightly more bioavailable than edibles and capsules due to their direct delivery of cannabinoids to the blood vessels.
What you’re sacrificing with oils is taste: you may not be a fan of the earthy, slightly bitter taste of hemp.
Here’s what you need to know about dosing delta 8 oil:
Generally, oils come with 1-milliliter droppers. Based on the strength of your product (we sell a 1500mg delta 8 oil), here’s how much delta 8 will be in each dropper of oil:
100 mg bottle = 3.3mg. delta 8 per 1 ml.
250mg bottle = 8.3mg. delta 8 per 1 ml.
500mg bottle = 16.7mg. delta 8 per 1 ml.
1000mg bottle = 33.3mg. delta 8 per 1 ml.
1500mg bottle = 50mg. delta 8 per 1 ml.
3000mg bottle = 100m. delta 8 per 1 ml.
5000mg bottle = 166.6mg delta 8 per 1 ml.
Can You Take Too Much Delta 8?
Yes and no. There is no established lethal dose of delta 8 – scientists haven’t determined if taking a certain amount of delta 8 can kill you, and if so, how much.
However, taking too much delta 8 can result in increased side effects, such as extreme sedation, anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, and more.
This underscores the importance of starting with a small dose of delta 8 and working your way up.
How Much Delta 8 Do You Need to Get The Same Effects as Delta 9 THC?
If you’re using delta 8 to substitute delta 9 in a pinch, you’ll need to adjust the dosing.
Since delta 9 is roughly two times as powerful as delta 8, double your dosage if you’re using delta 8.
However, be aware that this ratio won’t be exactly accurate for everyone – when in doubt, start with a smaller amount until you know how it works for you, then gradually increase.
For more on delta 9 dosage, click here for our guide, chart, and calculator.
Conclusion: Finding the Perfect Amount of Delta 8
Delta 8 is a very versatile cannabinoid, and we love it because it helps so many of our customers even when they have very different goals. It can render therapeutic support for some, while providing a recreational alternative to stronger cannabinoids, like delta 9 or THC-O, to others.
But because delta 8 can be used for so many things, we have to emphasize that delta 8 dosage is not one-size-fits-all. We have starting formulas for different uses, but ultimately, you’ll need to experiment a bit to settle on the perfect amount.
Learn More: THCv Dosage Guide
Learn More: The Best THC Gummies for Energy
