The Ultimate Homemade Edibles Dosage Calculator | Gourmet Edibles

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The Ultimate Homemade Edibles Dosage Calculator: How to Accurately Math Your Cannabutter & Infusions

Published under: Techniques • Precision Dosing

If you have ever made a batch of homemade cannabis brownies, cut them into equal squares, and found that one square put you gently on the couch while another sent you to outer space, you are not alone.

Inconsistent dosing is the single most common frustration of home cannabis cooking. Without a clear understanding of the math, your edibles are essentially a game of culinary Russian roulette. This comprehensive guide breaks down the science of calculating milligram (mg) dosages, providing you with a step-by-step formula to take the guesswork out of your kitchen.

Step 1: Know Your Starting Material (The Potency Math)

Before you turn your flower or concentrate into butter or oil, you need to know how much raw THC you are starting with.

For Cannabis Flower (Buds):

Flower potency is measured by percentage. If you are using an ounce (28 grams) of cannabis testing at 15% THC, that means 15% of that total weight is pure THC.

Convert grams to milligrams: 28 grams = 28,000 milligrams.
Multiply by the THC percentage: 28,000 mg × 0.15 = 4,200 mg of total THC.

Note: In reality, you will lose a small percentage of THC during the decarboxylation and infusion process due to heat degradation. Most chefs factor in an 80% to 90% efficiency rate for home infusions to be safe.
Adjusted Real-World THC: 4,200 mg × 0.85 = 3,570 mg of active THC.

For Concentrates (Rosin, Distillate, or Wax):

Working with concentrates is much easier because they are usually labeled with a precise milligram or percentage amount right on the package. If you have a 1-gram syringe of distillate testing at 80% THC, you have roughly 800 mg of THC ready to go.

Step 2: Calculate THC Per Cup (or Tablespoon) of Infusion

Once your cannabutter or infused oil is strained and finished, you need to know how potent your carrier fat is.

Let us say you used that 3,570 mg of active THC flower to make 2 cups (16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons) of cannabutter.

Formula: Total THC ÷ Total Cups of Butter = THC per Cup
Calculation: 3,570 mg ÷ 2 cups = 1,785 mg of THC per cup
Per Tablespoon: 1,785 mg ÷ 16 tablespoons = ~111 mg of THC per tablespoon

Step 3: Divide by Total Servings (The Final Cut)

Now comes the final step: scaling your potent butter down into individual portions that won't overwhelm your guests.

Imagine you are using 1/2 cup of your cannabutter to bake a pan of brownies that you intend to cut into 24 equal squares.

Find the total THC in the recipe: If 1 cup has 1,785 mg, then 1/2 cup contains 892.5 mg.
Divide by the number of servings: 892.5 mg ÷ 24 pieces = ~37.2 mg per brownie.

⚠️ A 37mg single serving is quite strong for an average consumer, where a standard recreational dose is usually 5mg to 10mg. To make these more approachable, you would either need to cut the brownies into smaller portions (e.g., 48 tiny bites yielding ~18.5 mg each) or use less cannabis/more plain butter in your recipe.

Quick Rules of Thumb for Home Dosing

Microdose (1 mg – 2.5 mg): Ideal for beginners, daytime functional use, or subtle mood elevation.
Standard Low Dose (5 mg – 10 mg): The legal commercial standard for a single serving in most regulated markets.
Moderate Dose (15 mg – 30 mg): Best for regular consumers or those with higher natural metabolic tolerances.
High Dose (50 mg+): Typically reserved for medical patients or very experienced consumers.

By taking two minutes to run these simple calculations before you bake, you ensure a safe, predictable, and enjoyable experience for everyone at your table.