Cannabis Dosing: Delivery Methods & Dosing Guidelines

Hi folks - a question for those of you who make infused oils and put it into capsules. How much, in drops or mills, do you fit into those capsules (either the 0 or the 00 size). I have a new batch of oil, my first high CBD, and I'm aiming to dose with a dropper that is marked at .25, .5, .75 & 1ml. Just trying to get an idea of what a capsule would hold. (And before someone suggests I just make capsules - I'm not equipped to do that, physically or financially).

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Hi folks - a question for those of you who make infused oils and put it into capsules. How much, in drops or mills, do you fit into those capsules (either the 0 or the 00 size). I have a new batch of oil, my first high CBD, and I'm aiming to dose with a dropper that is marked at .25, .5, .75 & 1ml. Just trying to get an idea of what a capsule would hold. (And before someone suggests I just make capsules - I'm not equipped to do that, physically or financially).

.

The 00 hold just under 1ml, .91 I believe

I use 2ml pipette and can fill 2 with a bit leftover

Always good to try small...go larger

Start at .5 and see how it works. I've done some half full capsules of kilamanjaro for a less high/THC effect but enjoy the Candida at a full capsule
 
Hi folks - a question for those of you who make infused oils and put it into capsules. How much, in drops or mills, do you fit into those capsules (either the 0 or the 00 size). I have a new batch of oil, my first high CBD, and I’m aiming to dose with a dropper that is marked at .25, .5, .75 & 1ml. Just trying to get an idea of what a capsule would hold. (And before someone suggests I just make capsules - I’m not equipped to do that, physically or financially).

.

None of my droppers have volume marks, but I can give you this: 20 drops fills the large side of a 00 sized capsule (before capping). What does that measure with your dropper?
 
Hi Amy - this reply considers your post, and Chris's reply, and AKs reply.

Most of the capsule discussion Ive seen on 420 relates to pretty strong capsules that can be used as suppositories. Yes the typical size is the 00 1 ml caps.

The more important (than volume) question for all to consider is what level of cannabinoid intake do you want with each dose you take?

You can use the spreadsheet I posted to calculate what is in each ml of the solution you have made. From there, how much volume do you need?

I too have unmarked droppers that I also calculated at 20 drops per ml so that's in the ballpark for sure.

I don't bother with caps, just put it on a spoon, or squirt it in to my mouth. Swish it all around and coat as much surface inside your mouth as you can. Hold off swallowing as long as you can for better absorption.

Give a shout if you need assistance using the dose calculator spreadsheet.

Extraction Strength and Dose Calculator
 
Amy here is my high tech infused oil cannabis capsule machine lol

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The 00 hold just under 1ml, .91 I believe

I use 2ml pipette and can fill 2 with a bit leftover

Always good to try small...go larger

Start at .5 and see how it works. I've done some half full capsules of kilamanjaro for a less high/THC effect but enjoy the Candida at a full capsule

None of my droppers have volume marks, but I can give you this: 20 drops fills the large side of a 00 sized capsule (before capping). What does that measure with your dropper?

Hi Amy - this reply considers your post, and Chris's reply, and AKs reply.

Most of the capsule discussion Ive seen on 420 relates to pretty strong capsules that can be used as suppositories. Yes the typical size is the 00 1 ml caps.

The more important (than volume) question for all to consider is what level of cannabinoid intake do you want with each dose you take?

You can use the spreadsheet I posted to calculate what is in each ml of the solution you have made. From there, how much volume do you need?

I too have unmarked droppers that I also calculated at 20 drops per ml so that's in the ballpark for sure.

I don't bother with caps, just put it on a spoon, or squirt it in to my mouth. Swish it all around and coat as much surface inside your mouth as you can. Hold off swallowing as long as you can for better absorption.

Give a shout if you need assistance using the dose calculator spreadsheet.

Extraction Strength and Dose Calculator

Super! Thanks all of you. Yes the droppers I have do 20drops to a ml. They're my left over Elixinol bottles (from before they made that illegal here as well).

I'm actually starting at .25 and will work up, if I need to. 1ml a day spread over 4 doses sounds like a good starting point do you think?

I have little idea how strong my oil is so that'll affect things too. It seems that I need to experiment a bit with getting the oil strength where I want it (trying a few different methods) and then refining dose along the way.

Should I be titrating up until I can feel the THC and then backing off? (I think that's the approach Sue laid out earlier in the thread).

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Super! Thanks all of you. Yes the droppers I have do 20drops to a ml. They’re my left over Elixinol bottles (from before they made that illegal here as well).

I’m actually starting at .25 and will work up, if I need to. 1ml a day spread over 4 doses sounds like a good starting point do you think?

I have little idea how strong my oil is so that’ll affect things too. It seems that I need to experiment a bit with getting the oil strength where I want it (trying a few different methods) and then refining dose along the way.

Should I be titrating up until I can feel the THC and then backing off? (I think that’s the approach Sue laid out earlier in the thread).

.


That's the way to get to the optimal therapeutic dose with oral meds. When using suppositories we use different criteria.

You start off sub-therapeutically and increase the dose incrementally until you feel like you can't really control the euphoria comfortably. Then you back off one step and stay there until you have some compelling reason to either adjust up or down.
 
An outfit in California is going big time with mass production of Cannabis strips, which dissolve in the mouth. We need to find a DIY recipe for the strips and what we need to infuse the strips with cannabis.

I put this before Sue in a PM, and she wants to start the conversation in her Study hall.
 
Finally made some edibles that worked! Made them a little too strong, but I mean, that's better to me than not strong enough which has been my experience. I had about 42 grams of trim plus maybe 7 of ABV, the trim had been stirred with a drill for about 10 minutes for bubble hash. Then I boiled it with 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of water, let it simmer for an hour covered, and just strained it. I didn't have cheese-cloth to run it through.

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I ate the whole thing in one large rice crispie treat. I got VERY high, end up feeling a little drunk towards the end--double vision, sour-mouth, etc. I just went to sleep at that point, but I'm still happy with it because I didn't expect it to do anything at all. I've had some very large doses before with no effect. I just wish that there was a way to guess how much THC it had. It also seems like I ended up with less butter than I started with, is that normal? I kind of expected it to be a larger mass since I was adding to it.

Anyway, I'll probably be trying this again with my trim and ABV on future runs. I haven't been high like that since I first started using it. Will probably just eat smaller pieces using the same proportions later on.
 
Finally made some edibles that worked! Made them a little too strong, but I mean, that's better to me than not strong enough which has been my experience. I had about 42 grams of trim plus maybe 7 of ABV, the trim had been stirred with a drill for about 10 minutes for bubble hash. Then I boiled it with 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of water, let it simmer for an hour covered, and just strained it. I didn't have cheese-cloth to run it through.

IMG_20180102_142147.jpg
IMG_20180102_142152.jpg


I ate the whole thing in one large rice crispie treat. I got VERY high, end up feeling a little drunk towards the end--double vision, sour-mouth, etc. I just went to sleep at that point, but I'm still happy with it because I didn't expect it to do anything at all. I've had some very large doses before with no effect. I just wish that there was a way to guess how much THC it had. It also seems like I ended up with less butter than I started with, is that normal? I kind of expected it to be a larger mass since I was adding to it.

Anyway, I'll probably be trying this again with my trim and ABV on future runs. I haven't been high like that since I first started using it. Will probably just eat smaller pieces using the same proportions later on.

:woohoo: I understand how frustrating it can be to have edibles fall short of your expectations. The purpose of the thread is to discuss dosing, so yes, I'm thrilled that you got high from your edibles :yahoo: but now, I'm going to expect you to return at a later date and share what you work out for an effective dose that doesn't get you wasted, unless wasted was the intent. :laughtwo:

That's your assignment Fertilizer. Work out your personal dose that gives you consistent results. You up to the challenge? :battingeyelashes:

I can't believe you ate the whole batch in one sitting. :laughtwo: You crazy man. Lol! The butter loses volume because you melted it. Air that was trapped in it was released. What did it taste like? Just 'cause I'm curious.
 
I'm watching a video on dosing strategies for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, and other neurodegenerative diseases and the instructor, Eloise Theisen, finished up with this lovely thought:


"The more consistent you are with the dose the more likely you are to see the results."
 
:woohoo: I understand how frustrating it can be to have edibles fall short of your expectations. The purpose of the thread is to discuss dosing, so yes, I'm thrilled that you got high from your edibles :yahoo: but now, I'm going to expect you to return at a later date and share what you work out for an effective dose that doesn't get you wasted, unless wasted was the intent. :laughtwo:

That's your assignment Fertilizer. Work out your personal dose that gives you consistent results. You up to the challenge? :battingeyelashes:

I can't believe you ate the whole batch in one sitting. :laughtwo: You crazy man. Lol! The butter loses volume because you melted it. Air that was trapped in it was released. What did it taste like? Just 'cause I'm curious.

Well I don't really describe tastes very well, but it sure didn't taste "good" lol It was very much like taking medicine, with that bitter taste trying to be masked with sweetness. I could kind of taste a similarity with other edibles I've had, but it was just a lot more intense. I don't know if straining through a cheesecloth to get more of the plant matter out would have helped, but I suspect so.

I think it will be kind of hard to really dial in the dosage on this though because I don't have any idea how strong the trim I used was. I feel like I could have easily ate half of that though. I do have some bud I could use that I know is about 20% THC though. But I kind of don't want to sacrifice my actual bud.

I was thinking that maybe I could make the edibles with bubble hash instead. It would certainly help the taste I bet, and I feel like I would have an easier time estimating the bubble hash at 50% THC than trying to guess what percentage my trim was at.

Edit:

So I was looking around and see that the Panama x Malawi that makes up the bulk of the trim I used usually tests around 25%. I also used a lot of ABV weed from my Blackberry Kush too. I'm not really sure how much was all there in the pot in total, but I'm guessing about 50 grams to one stick of butter. So if the trim is like, half as strong as the weed, then at 15% there was probably 7.5 grams of active ingredient. But of course I have no idea how much was left in the ABV.
 
Well I don't really describe tastes very well, but it sure didn't taste "good" lol It was very much like taking medicine, with that bitter taste trying to be masked with sweetness. I could kind of taste a similarity with other edibles I've had, but it was just a lot more intense. I don't know if straining through a cheesecloth to get more of the plant matter out would have helped, but I suspect so.

I think it will be kind of hard to really dial in the dosage on this though because I don't have any idea how strong the trim I used was. I feel like I could have easily ate half of that though. I do have some bud I could use that I know is about 20% THC though. But I kind of don't want to sacrifice my actual bud.

I was thinking that maybe I could make the edibles with bubble hash instead. It would certainly help the taste I bet, and I feel like I would have an easier time estimating the bubble hash at 50% THC than trying to guess what percentage my trim was at.

Edit:

So I was looking around and see that the Panama x Malawi that makes up the bulk of the trim I used usually tests around 25%. I also used a lot of ABV weed from my Blackberry Kush too. I'm not really sure how much was all there in the pot in total, but I'm guessing about 50 grams to one stick of butter. So if the trim is like, half as strong as the weed, then at 15% there was probably 7.5 grams of active ingredient. But of course I have no idea how much was left in the ABV.

Now I ask you.... wasn't it fun to figure that out? :laughtwo: I'm a fan of casual dosing, although I understand and support the need for controlled dosing with some patients. I find it a useful tool to be able to get a general feel for the potency of what you're consuming. That way you can at least avoid most of the nastier moments.

Straining the plant material out definitely would have improved the taste, and everything is easier to control using keif, so if that's an option I'd go for it. I prefer coconut oil for my edibles, including my capsule oil. Butter's too messy for me and has too high a calorie count. Infuse it into a nice coconut oil and fill some capsules and I can take the dose with me almost anywhere.
 
Now I ask you.... wasn't it fun to figure that out? :laughtwo: I'm a fan of casual dosing, although I understand and support the need for controlled dosing with some patients. I find it a useful tool to be able to get a general feel for the potency of what you're consuming. That way you can at least avoid most of the nastier moments.

Straining the plant material out definitely would have improved the taste, and everything is easier to control using keif, so if that's an option I'd go for it. I prefer coconut oil for my edibles, including my capsule oil. Butter's too messy for me and has too high a calorie count. Infuse it into a nice coconut oil and fill some capsules and I can take the dose with me almost anywhere.

Heh it was fun at first, but honestly after a while it was kind of the same feeling I'd get after I drank too much alcohol. Luckily just going to sleep worked fine as a remedy. I think that if I didn't have such a massive tolerance, and also kind of knew what to expect if I had too much, that it probably would have been a lot more unpleasant. I'd never had it effect my vision like that before so it was pretty interesting, and in fact it was so strong that I kept thinking, "Wow I smoked too much hash... Oh wait, I haven't smoked anything at all." I was kind of prepared for it to go badly basically lol

But indeed it was a good test to gauge how much I need for good potency, how much I should dose, etc. Gotta start somewhere and I've been "dragging the waters" with so many doses that did nothing, kind of had to just break the threshold. I believe that making it with similar quantities but consuming much less would work great. I made a rice crisp treat that was almost pan sized, so I'm sure I could have broken that up into smaller doses.

I'm not sure what I could make that would last longer though, it seems like a pain to thaw the butter any time I want to cook something with it, and I know from experience the baked goods don't really last that long.
 
Heh it was fun at first, but honestly after a while it was kind of the same feeling I'd get after I drank too much alcohol. Luckily just going to sleep worked fine as a remedy. I think that if I didn't have such a massive tolerance, and also kind of knew what to expect if I had too much, that it probably would have been a lot more unpleasant. I'd never had it effect my vision like that before so it was pretty interesting, and in fact it was so strong that I kept thinking, "Wow I smoked too much hash... Oh wait, I haven't smoked anything at all." I was kind of prepared for it to go badly basically lol

But indeed it was a good test to gauge how much I need for good potency, how much I should dose, etc. Gotta start somewhere and I've been "dragging the waters" with so many doses that did nothing, kind of had to just break the threshold. I believe that making it with similar quantities but consuming much less would work great. I made a rice crisp treat that was almost pan sized, so I'm sure I could have broken that up into smaller doses.

I'm not sure what I could make that would last longer though, it seems like a pain to thaw the butter any time I want to cook something with it, and I know from experience the baked goods don't really last that long.

I infuse coconut oil for most cooking. You still have to bring it back to at least 76 degrees F before you can use it, but it's easy to store longer in the fridge and if you don't like the taste of coconut oil you can buy refined, which has no taste. I find oils much more flexible for cooking.

Our baked goods get frozen in portion sizes, and then we simply take the next day's bag out of the freezer before going to bed. This works for just about anything. Getting consistent dosing with edibles that aren't capsules can be frustrating if you don't want to be high. Not a problem in my household. :laughtwo:

The best use of the oils, IMO, is in capsule form. They're easy to dose consistently and they do a good job of creating a more even endocannabinoid tone.
 
Eating sweets several times a day to get my maintenance level of cannabis gets old very fast. So I add the herb to main dishes (even in a cooked breakfast) and use some kind of creamy, spicy, or tomato sauce/ketchup to tame the taste.

I save the capsules for late evening, about an hour before bedtime. Two 00 sized is just right for maintenance without my getting high, and, if I remember to add the herb to all my meals, it further reduces the arthritis pain more than just the OTC's by themselves.
 
Sorry for the crummy pics, my camera didn't want to focus very well. I had some more butter-making adventure.

1 oz. Blackberry Kush ~20% THC

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Decarboxylated for 1 hr @ 225 and ground up semi-coarse

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Boiled into 2 sticks of butter and about a cup of water at a low simmer for 3 1/2 hours

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Got 3/4 cups of butter after straining it through cheesecloth and letting it separate over night

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It looked a lot nicer than the first batch I made thanks to the cheesecloth

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I tossed that half into the freezer, and then the other half went into these...

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I had double wrap the ones for the freezer because I have some serious freezer burn issues :/ Hopefully they'll be okay. I kept out and enjoyed 2 about 90 minutes ago (one and then the other this time ) and they're pretty nice. I went with a little stronger than the usual 1 oz per 4 sticks, but I still wanted to have more butter left over for later than just doing it with 1 again.

So these are pretty nice, each triangle should have about 1.7 gram's worth of weed distributed over it in terms of the input:output ratio. Wish I could even come close to computing the mG content. I know it's at about 20% THC, but who knows how much the butter absorbed the THC. I doubt it could be a 1:1 ratio, but here's the thing... I've had some pretty potent edibles before rated to have about 500 mg of active ingredient and they didn't make me feel much but a little drowsy and I think that was just a placebo looking back. So supposing there is a 1:1 absorption and all that THC went into the butter, then each piece should be about 1.7 * .20 = .34 mG. ROUGHLY speaking. I'm feeling these a lot more than the dispensary cookie though. In fact two might be a little stronger than needed. So I don't know, the numbers aren't bearing out but, maybe the edibles I've had the past were duds.
 
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