Most weed cookies should land between 2.5 and 10 mg of THC each, and 5 mg is the standard starter dose. To hit that number, find the total THC in your infused butter and divide it by the number of cookies you cut. A batch made with one stick of butter and an eighth of flower often carries 300 to 600 mg of THC, so portion size decides the dose far more than the recipe does.
more on this topic
Weed cookie dosage chart
THC per cookie sets the experience. These ranges match what most edible guides and public health agencies suggest.
weed cookie recipe dosage
- 1 to 2.5 mg: microdose. Light body calm, no fog.
- 2.5 to 5 mg: beginner dose. The standard starting point for a first edible.
- 5 to 10 mg: moderate. Fits people who use cannabis a few times a month.
- 10 to 20 mg: strong. For daily users with tolerance.
- 20 to 50 mg and up: heavy. Expect couch lock and a long ride.
Health Canada and several US states cap a single recreational edible package at 10 mg of THC. That cap is a fair hint about where the average dose limit sits.
what does a cannabis cookie high feel like
How do you calculate THC per cookie?
The math has three parts: decarb, infuse, divide. Skip a step and your dose estimate turns into a guess.
Step 1: Decarb the flower
Raw cannabis holds THCA, which does not get you high. Heat converts it into THC. Spread ground flower on a sheet pan and bake at 240°F for 35 to 40 minutes. The flower will smell toasted and turn darker at the edges.
Step 2: Infuse the butter
Combine the decarbed flower with melted butter in a double boiler or slow cooker. Hold it at 160 to 180°F for 2 to 3 hours, stirring now and then. Strain through cheesecloth and squeeze the pulp to save the last of the fat.
Step 3: Run the numbers
Use one formula: (grams of flower × 1000 × THC percentage × 0.75) ÷ cookies per batch. The 0.75 covers loss during decarb, infusion, and straining.
Example: 3.5 g of flower at 20% THC gives 700 mg of potential THC. Multiply by 0.75 and you have about 525 mg in the butter. Split that into 48 cookies and each one holds near 11 mg. Cut the same dough into 100 pieces and you are at 5 mg.
How many cookies should one batch make?
Make them small. A standard drop scoop holds about 1 tablespoon of dough, which yields a 2 inch cookie and about 40 to 50 cookies per batch. Bakery size cookies, the 4 inch kind, can pack 30 mg or more of THC each.
A simple habit: cut the dough into squares before baking and count them. Write the mg per piece on the container lid.
How long do weed cookies take to kick in?
Edibles travel through the stomach before the THC reaches the bloodstream. Expect the first effects in 30 minutes to 2 hours, a peak around 2 to 4 hours, and a total run of 4 to 6 hours.
Wait a full 2 hours before eating a second cookie. The common mistake is to eat one, feel nothing at 45 minutes, and eat two more.
Does baking destroy THC?
Some of it, yes. Oven heat above 350°F for 20 minutes or longer breaks down THC and leaves the cookie weak. Bake at 320 to 325°F and pull the cookies when the edges set.
No-bake options protect the dose best. Mix canna butter into cookie dough after the dough cools, or use it in no-bake oat balls, fudge, or frosting.
Does the type of butter or oil change the dose?
Fat carries the THC, so fat content matters. Butter and coconut oil both work well. Clarified butter and coconut oil hold more cannabinoids than whipped spreads, which contain water and air.
If you swap butter for oil, use about 3/4 cup of oil per cup of butter and expect a similar dose per cookie. The texture changes, the math does not.
What if you eat too much?
Too much THC is not fatal, but the hours can feel rough. Effects include racing heart, nausea, panic, and heavy body fatigue.
- Drink water and eat something light.
- Chew black peppercorns or smell them. The terpene pinene may calm the edge.
- Skip caffeine and alcohol.
- Rest in a quiet room and remind yourself the feeling fades.
- Call poison control or seek care if chest pain or vomiting does not stop.
How should you store and label weed cookies?
THC degrades with heat, light, and air. Keep cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Freezing also slows the urge to snack on a whole batch.
Label every container with the mg per cookie and the date. Plain cookies in a shared kitchen get eaten by the wrong person, and that is the most common edible accident.
Should you test a new batch before sharing it?
Yes. Eat one quarter of a single cookie and wait 2 hours. If the effect feels right, your estimate is close. If it feels strong, cut the rest of the batch in half and label the new dose.
Keep a note of the flower strain, the THC percentage on the label, the butter amount, and the cookie count. After two or three batches, you will know your own kitchen numbers without guessing.