A cannabis baked good sold at a licensed US shop usually carries 5 to 10 mg of THC per serving, and the whole package is capped at 100 mg in most legal states. That milligram figure, not the grams of flower that went into the butter, is the number that predicts what you will feel. For predictable dosing, the strongest choice is a lab-tested, single-serving packaged item with THC printed per serving and per package; the criteria that matter are labeled potency, serving size, total package THC, and whether your state caps a single serving at 10 mg. Pop's Cannabis carries that style of labeled product, and the guidance below works whether you shop or bake.
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What the Label Actually Tells You
Regulated edibles are dosed in milligrams of THC, which is a different unit from the grams of flower used to make them. A brownie made with 7 grams of 20% flower does not equal a 20% brownie; it equals whatever your extraction and baking losses left behind, divided by the number of pieces. Read four numbers on any commercial package:
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- Serving size: a serving is a defined weight or fraction, not the entire cookie. A 20 mg cookie cut into two servings means 10 mg per half.
- THC per serving: 10 mg is the standard cap for a single recreational serving in most legal states.
- THC per package: 100 mg total is the common recreational package limit.
- CBD content: a 1:1 item with 10 mg THC also delivers 10 mg CBD, which changes the feel for many people.
Inhaled THC and eaten THC are not interchangeable at the same milligram count. Smoke and vapor reach the bloodstream in minutes, while an edible has to pass through the stomach and liver first. Ten milligrams eaten can feel substantially heavier than ten milligrams inhaled.
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Store-Bought Baked Goods: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Potency is tested and printed, so the dose is known before the first bite.
- Servings are scored or individually wrapped, which makes splitting simple.
- Consistency from batch to batch, since the producer repeats the same recipe and test.
Cons
- Cost per milligram runs higher than a homemade batch.
- Flavor and texture rarely match a good scratch recipe.
- Selection depends on what the shop has in stock that week.
Best for: anyone new to edibles, anyone dosing for sleep or pain on a schedule, and anyone who wants the number on the label to match the number in their body.
Homemade Baked Goods: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Full control over flavor, sweetness, and portion size.
- Lower cost per milligram when you start with trim or budget flower.
- You can make a very low-dose batch, such as 2 mg per piece, for microdosing.
Cons
- No lab test, so potency is an estimate built on assumptions.
- Uneven mixing is common and can leave one corner of the pan far stronger than another.
- Over-strong batches cannot be undone, only recut into smaller pieces.
Best for: experienced bakers who already know their tolerance and are willing to test a small piece and wait before eating more.
The Math for a Homemade Batch
Start with the flower weight and its THC percentage. One gram of 20% flower holds about 200 mg of THC if every milligram made it into the butter, which never happens. Decarboxylation, the heated conversion of THCA into THC, and the infusion step each lose material. A reasonable working estimate keeps 60% to 80% of the total.
Example: 7 grams of 20% flower is roughly 1,400 mg of potential THC. Multiply by 0.7 for decarb and infusion losses and you have about 980 mg in the finished butter. Divide that into 24 brownies and each piece holds about 40 mg, which is four times a standard serving. Divide the same butter into 96 pieces and you land near 10 mg each.
Decarboxylation and Baking Losses
Raw flower and raw kief contain THCA, which is not psychoactive until heat removes a carboxyl group. A common home method is 30 to 60 minutes in an oven set between 220°F and 240°F, stirred once or twice. Skip that step and your brownies carry mostly THCA, which will not deliver the effect you expect.
Baking itself costs less than most people assume. Batter stays below the boiling point of water until it sets, so a 325°F oven does not destroy the THC inside a moist brownie. Long, hot, dry bakes such as thin cookies or biscotti at 375°F for 25 minutes will burn off more. Add the infused fat late in the mix when a recipe allows it.
Why Edibles Hit Harder Than Smoking
The liver converts eaten THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, a metabolite that crosses into the brain with more force than THC from smoke. Onset runs 30 minutes to 2 hours, the peak lands around the 4 hour mark, and the whole arc can last 6 hours or longer. That delay is why people take a second piece too soon and end up far past their intended dose.
A Practical Dosing Ladder
These are general starting points, not medical advice. Your body weight, liver enzymes, other medications, and recent meals all shift the result.
- 1 to 2.5 mg: microdose range for mood, focus, or daytime calm.
- 5 mg: standard light dose for most new users.
- 10 mg: one full recreational serving, the cap in most legal states.
- 20 to 50 mg: heavy tolerance territory, with a higher chance of an uncomfortable few hours.
- 50 mg and up: only for people who already know how they respond at lower levels.
Wait a full 2 hours before adding more, even if you feel nothing at the 45 minute mark. Eat something with fat if you have overdone it, and remember that no dose is dangerous in the way a stimulant overdose is, but the experience can still be long and unpleasant.
What Changes the Number in the Same Recipe
- Butter or oil quality: fat carries cannabinoids, so a weak infusion means a weak batch even if the recipe is unchanged.
- Mixing: hand-stirred batter distributes THC unevenly, while a fully melted, blended fat spreads it better.
- Portion size: cutting a 9x9 pan into 12 pieces instead of 24 doubles every dose.
- Empty stomach: a fatty meal before dosing slows onset and can soften the peak.
Write the batch date, the flower percentage, and the calculated mg per piece on the container lid. That single habit prevents the most common edible mistake, which is forgetting how strong last week's batch actually was.