THC Gummy Potency: Why Milligrams Don’t Always Tell the Whole Story

The potency of THC gummies depends on more than just milligrams. It’s also important to consider the cannabinoids used, the blends, and the person taking them. 25 mg of one gummy won’t deliver the same razzle-dazzle as a different 25 mg gummy, and both of those gummies combined won’t even scratch the surface of what 10 mg of a certain gummy can do. (P.S. Don’t combine gummies; we just said that for the sake of our argument.) 

In the wild ’n’ wonderful world of THC gummies, many adults and canna-stranauts live by milligrams. They swear by ’em. Milligrams = personality. Every circle of friends has the Ten-Milligram Tom, the Five-Milligram Franchesca, and the “Any Gummy Will Do” Uncle Gary. But what this rag-tag bunch of buds doesn’t quite understand is that milligrams aren’t telling the whole story. 

So, for the newbies in the room, how do you find that super-sweet pocket where bliss meets euphoria? How do you find the right blend of cannabinoids (and the right milligrams of those cannabinoids) to plant your flag on Stoney Cloud Nine? 

Here, we’ll break down why the first thing we look for when checking out a package of THC gummies isn’t milligrams, but cannabinoid content. We’ll help you find all the answers you’re looking for. And who knows, maybe you’ll find a few facts Future You will rattle off to your smoke circle. Perhaps they’ll knight you the group’s Gummy Czar, the Knower of All, the Crowned Duke of Dank. 

First, What Are THC Gummies?

THC gummies are potent, bite-sized chews that deliver a range of effects for mind-body bliss. Fruity, flavorful, feel-good fun, THC edibles deliver tastes and effects other products just can’t quite capture. Only THC gummies let you savor some seriously juicy flavors before strapping in for a gradual rise to red-eyed giggles. 

How THC Gummies Work

Just like other delectable edibles, THC gummies work by swimming through your digestive system, breaking apart along the way, and delivering their psychoactive compounds. But these effects from these edibles don’t set in as quickly as those from THC vapes. While vapes can get you toasty in up to 90 seconds, gummy edibles take a little longer to warm up. 

Duration for Effects

It can take a THC gummy up to two hours to fully absorb into your system. So, you may not feel its rip-roarin’ effects until the 30-minute mark or later. Now, for the newbies in the room, listen up. Every experienced cannabis enjoyer has one too many stories of taking too many edibles too soon and getting too elevated. 

Find your dose (which is usually around one gummy) and stick with it. Don’t take more until a few hours later. If you don’t feel the effects now, that’s totally groovy. Wait out the clock and take a stronger dose next time. You don’t want to take more cannabis edibles, on top of the ones you took an hour ago, and get exponentially more lit than you were expecting. 

Find your dose, and stick with it. 

Why Bioavailability Is Important

Now, another thing that plays a helping hand is the secret to THC gummy bioavailability. This is the amount of a compound that absorbs into your body. Look, I get it. I know I’m throwin’ a lot of big words at you, and asking you to do more reading comprehension than you have since Ms. Johnson’s British Literature class, but all this is super crucial to finding that perfect delicate dose of THC edibles. 

To understand bioavailability, picture you and your best friend going out for a pipin’ hot cup of joe. You gulp down half of that cup and wait for the caffeine buzz to electrify your senses, only for this light roast to moderately raise your heart rate and barely stimulate your focus. But your best friend, oh, they gulped down the same amount of coffee, and they’re off the wall with energy. They’re chattin’ it up with others, hitting on the barista, and getting out every ounce of energy before the inevitable crash. And you’re still just there, sippin’ your coffee, feelin’ moderately energetic. 

This is an example of the effects of bioavailability. More caffeine made it into your best friend’s system. Maybe this was because your friend has never had caffeine, so their tolerance is lower. Maybe, for some weird biological, scientific reason, caffeine has a super-powering effect on them. Or, maybe your tolerance is too high. Maybe you have too much caffeine every day, so half a cup ain’t gonna do much for you. 

Now, relate this back to THC edibles. How 10 mg of THC affects you will be different than how it affects your friend. They may take 10 mg daily. So, that little chew ain’t gonna do much. But, for you, 10mg is plenty to ride the delta wave of delight. Other health factors, like weight, height, and body composition, also play a role. 

What Are Your “Typical” Gummies? 

To get the full story, we need to know what the standard cannabis edibles are. For most cannabis enjoyers, the image of “THC gummies” conjures up delta 9 THC gummy edibles. Delta 9 THC is one of those cannabinoids we mentioned earlier, and it’s one of the most prevalent. Delta 9 THC is the most notable psychoactive cannabinoid, canonized for its euphoric, deliciously trippy effects. It’s so popular, in fact, that many cannabis enjoyers say THC is synonymous with delta 9 THC. But there are other cannabinoids that deliver similar electric feels. We’ll get into those soon. 

Dosage

10 mg of delta 9 THC is the standard dose. Typically, one delta 9 THC gummy contains exactly 10 mg delta  9 THC. But, since it plays well with its cannabinoid siblings, delta 9 THC is often added to blends that add in extra milligrams from other cannabinoids. 

Effects

In terms of effects, delta 9 THC delivers the classic cannabis effects: think, like, red-eyed giggles. When packed into downright delicious edibles, these effects gradually set in before reaching a marvelous crescendo. Then, once the sweet, blissful music has been played, delta 9 THC gently takes you back down to the third rock from the Sun. 

But That’s Not the Whole Story

Sure, delta 9 THC is great, grand, and gnarly (does that count as an alliteration?), but there are other compounds that percolate in the background, waiting for their time to shine. And no, we aren’t talking about CBD. We’re talking about psychoactive alternative cannabinoids that deliver velvety feels delta 9 THC can’t quite replicate. 

Alternative Cannabinoids

Don’t know all the grooviest alternative cannabinoids right off the bat? Let’s meet ’em!

Delta 8

First, we have delta 8 THC. This puppy is known to deliver softer, less cerebral effects. Users who like delta 8 THC products often prefer the cannabinoid’s body-heavy effects, as opposed to delta 9 THC’s potent, cerebral-swirling effects. This cannabinoid is often enjoyed on its own for a mellow dose, typically around 25 mg of delta 8 THC per gummy.

THC-P

Next, we make a radical jump to the cannabinoid many researchers say is thirty-three stronger than delta 9 THC: THC-P. THC-P is a naturally occurring cannabinoid that delivers effects similar, yet ridiculously stronger than delta 9 THC. They think this supremely high potency is because THC-P has a unique atomic structure that lets it bind with more cells in your brain than delta 9 THC. The more cerebral cells engaged, the more razzle-dazzle you feel. So, since THC-P is ridiculously strong, it’s not really ever consumed on its own. We add a small amount of THC-P, like around 2 mg, into some of our edibles to boost the effects of weaker cannabinoids, like delta 8 THC. 

Delta 10

Much like delta 8, delta 10 is an alternative cannabinoid that’s quickly found its niche in the wild and wonderful world of weed edibles. Compared to delta 9, delta 10 delivers more subtle effects that range from a light body buzz to a perfect brainy bliss. To beef up delta 10’s effects, we usually pair it with HHC and delta-9. 

THC-A

THC-A is a funny little cannabinoid. It’s the chemical precursor to THC, and in its base state, it doesn’t offer any psychoactive effects. When it gets heated, THC-A chemically morphs into THC, unlocking its fun like a disco ball sliding down from the ceiling. 

HHC

HHC is the hydrogenated form of THC. We make HHC by adding a stable hydrogen atom to the THC molecule, and it’s now primed and ready to pepper your senses with some seriously cerebral effects. Compared to delta 9 THC, HHC is a tad more subtle. It offers effects that are both body- and brain-heavy, but you’ll probably need a stronger dose of HHC to reach the same effects as delta 9 THC. We add 25 mg of HHC into our HHC edibles, and a little less when combined with other cannabinoids. 

Popular Blends of Cannabinoids

To find the right dosage for you, it’s going to be important to know how different cannabinoids affect each other. Here are a few cannabinoid blends we use in our suite of sweet edibles. 

Delta 9 + CBD

Since delta 9 offers pretty stellar effects on its own, we pair it with CBD, making a wild ’n’ tame swirl of cerebral wonder. CBD is famous for its non-psychoactive, wellness-based effects, making it perfect for balancing out the strong surge of effects from delta 9. If you want an edible with this delicious blend, check out our Peach Pear Delta 9 + CBD Gummies. These edibles are made with 10 mg of delta 9 and 10 mg of CBD per serving. 

Delta 8 + HHC + THC-P + CBD

While delta 8 and HHC both deliver more subtle effects, we balance this baseline out with THC-P, letting you enjoy a wonderful mixture of brain and body splendor. You can enjoy this blend in our Tropic Mango Delta 8 Gummies, made with 20 mg of delta 8, 10 mg of HHC, 2 mg of THC-P, and 3 mg of CBD to help balance it all out.  

Delta 10 + HHC + Delta 9

With a hint of delta 9 and a full helping of delta 10 and HHC, this blend leans more energetic than relaxing or euphoric. This blend lets you enjoy a strong swirl of cerebral effects that get you up off the couch. It’s best for a midday sesh. You can enjoy this blend in our Sour Blue Raspberry Delta 9 + HHC Gummies, made with 10 mg of delta 9, 5 mg of HHC, and 5 mg of delta 10 per serving. 

THCA + Delta 9 + Delta 8 + THC-P

For a seriously strong swirl of euphoria, check out this blend, made with THCA, delta 9, delta 8, and THC-P. Typically, edibles with this blend should be halved for newbies. It’s a pretty strong formula—our strongest, in fact. You can enjoy it in our ItsPurpl Purple Punch THCA Gummies. 

Time for Closing Arguments

Now, milligrams do mean something. They have to. If you take a strong dose of THC, you will get a strong, rip-roarin’ ride through the cosmos. But milligrams aren’t the only thing that matters. Cannabinoid content also matters because each cannabinoid is different and offers radically different effects. So, while everyone else is arguing over milligrams, enlighten them with a little extra know-how: cannabinoid content matters, too!