Starting points by product type
Edibles: start at 2.5 mg THC — half of the 5 mg 'standard' dose — and wait a full two hours before judging. Onset is 30–120 minutes, duration 4–8 hours, and overshooting produces the classic anxious, racing-heart misery that resolves on its own but feels endless. Inhaled (flower or vape): one small puff of a lower-THC product (under ~18% THC), wait 15 minutes, repeat only if needed; onset is fast, so titration is much easier than with edibles. Tinctures taken under the tongue land in between — 15–45 minute onset — and allow precise drop-by-drop control, which is why physicians often steer older first-timers there.
If your state lists CBD:THC ratio products, balanced (1:1) or CBD-leaning (2:1, 5:1) products blunt THC's anxiety edge and are the sensible default for anxiety-prone patients. Pure high-THC concentrates have no role in a first month.
Titration and the first two weeks
Change one variable at a time: same product, same time of evening, increase by the smallest increment (2.5 mg for edibles, one puff for flower) only every 2–3 days. Keep a simple log — dose, time, effect on your target symptom, side effects — because two weeks of notes is worth more to your physician at follow-up than any memory. The 'minimum effective dose' is the goal: research consistently finds symptom relief plateaus while side effects keep climbing with dose.
Plan the safety basics like an adult: no driving for at least 6 hours after inhaling or 8–10 after edibles (impairment outlasts the feeling of being impaired), store everything locked and away from kids and pets, and don't mix with alcohol or sedatives while you're still learning your response.
The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Cannabis use carries risks; consult a licensed physician about whether medical cannabis is appropriate for you. Federal status (as of June 2026): marijuana dispensed under state medical licenses and FDA-approved cannabis products are Schedule III controlled substances; all other marijuana remains Schedule I under U.S. federal law. Laws cited here change; confirm current rules with the linked primary sources before acting on them.