When it comes to Cannabis usage, not all endocannabinoid systems move at the same speed.
We all know people who blast off from 5mg of THC and those for whom the dose has to be more like an elephant tranquilizer. We also know that things like live resin gummies hit differently than rosin gummies. So given the wild differences, we’ve long believed that weed is semi-immune to a dosing standardization that goes beyond the vague guardrails we have in place: “You can always take more, not less,” “Start with five and move up by five,” and even “puff, puff, pass.”
However, this study from 2024 has popped up and it’s looking to change the paradigm on how certain doses of THC might compare to each other. Outlined in the April ’24 issue of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, researchers from the University of British Columbia are suggesting that one of the biggest blind spots in the effort to create a standardized dose of THC is tolerance.
A sample group of people ages 18 to 93 with a history of Cannabis use that ranged from low to high doses had their habits studied across seven different modes of use (bong, pipe, dab, edible, etc). Using this data, they claim to have created the initial version of what they’re calling the Index of Cannabis Equivalence (ICE).
This new index has led them to boldly declare that two puffs on a joint, pipe or vaporizer (flower or concentrate) is the equivalent to one bong hit, one 5mg edible, or a one-fourth of a dab. The research team believes that through the creation of standardized dosing, it can help facilitate efforts in regulation, research and the creation of guidelines for using Cannabis.
The one bias they’ve identified is that they did focus on individuals with lower tolerances, and so for people in the elephant tranquilizer group, the research is still out. But, the findings from this study are tailored toward creating a baseline guide for people who might not own three Blazer torches and a Toro glass bong.
So is there a way to say two puffs is all a person needs when they’re starting out? Well the ICE will help people figure out how much of that dab to inhale if a 5mg piece of chocolate is their usual jam. The index certainly starts to clear away some of the fog around dosing and give us something that we can use to show people blunts and beverages aren’t so different after all.
