How Long Does it Take to Feel the Effects of Cannabis?

• Many factors can affect how long it takes cannabis to “kick in”—administration method, your individual response, food and water intake, and strain all play a role.
• You can experiment with timing by tinkering with any of the variables above. Cannabis effects can last up to several hours.
• If you took a dose and don’t feel anything yet, consider waiting a little longer, especially if you’re a newcomer to cannabis. If you’re an experienced medical marijuana patient, consider increasing your dose.

If you’re a newcomer to cannabis, you might be wondering: how long does it take for the effects of marijuana to “kick in?”

It depends on numerous factors—your administration method (e.g., smoking, eating an edible, using a tincture, or applying a topical), your unique physiology, how much food and water you’ve consumed prior to dosing, and the strain you’re using are just a few.

In this guide, we’re parsing everything you need to know about cannabis effects timing: the four factors that most impact onset time, options for speeding up or slowing down the effects of cannabis, how long these effects can last, and what to do if your dose hasn’t kicked in yet.

4 Factors That Impact Cannabis Effects Timing

While many factors can impact how soon you’ll start feeling the effects of cannabis, there are four that are widely discussed (and understood) in the community.

#1 Administration Method

The way you introduce medical marijuana to your body will play a significant role in the timing of your effects.

While every patient is different (more on that in the next section), users generally report the following onset times for these common administration methods:

• Smoking and vaping – Smoking and vaping offer very fast effects; they typically kick in within minutes.
• Eating an edible – Edibles can take a long time to start working, but they usually kick in between forty-five minutes and two hours after dosing.
• Using a sublingual product – If you use a tincture (an alcohol-based cannabis extraction) or an oil (a liquid fat-based extraction) and place a few drops under your tongue, you’ll likely feel the effects between thirty and sixty minutes after dosing.
• Applying topicals – Cannabinoid-infused topicals (like CBD lotions) take approximately twenty minutes to kick in.

If you’re looking for a quick route to the effects of cannabis, smoking, and vaping will offer the fastest results. However, the effects may wear off sooner than other methods.

#2 Individual Response

The timelines above are estimates based on anecdotal evidence—at the end of the day, there’s no guarantee that a cannabis product will take effect within any set timeframe.

One reason why? Individual physiology. Everyone responds to cannabis differently, and you might generally see effects faster or slower than the average patient.

Cannabis healthcare providers and researchers are still exploring how individual physiological characteristics (anything from body mass to oxygen metabolism) could impact your onset time. Want to keep your finger on the pulse of major cannabis breakthroughs? Check out our blog for the latest developments.

#3 Food and Water Intake

Cannabis patients generally agree that, on an empty stomach, cannabis:

1. Takes effect more quickly than it does when you’re full, and
2. Offers longer-lasting effects than it does after eating

While there isn’t any research data to confirm this anecdotal consensus, the cannabis community does have two hypotheses that could explain this phenomenon:

• Faster digestion – If you eat an edible on an empty stomach, it may break down faster in your GI tract.
• Faster blood absorption – No matter your administration method, some users believe that cannabinoids absorb into your bloodstream more quickly on an empty stomach.

What about hydration? There are conflicting reports about whether or not dehydration increases the onset time for cannabis or leads to more powerful effects.

If you want to figure out how you respond to cannabis on an empty stomach vs. a full stomach, consider experimenting with consistent variables.

With both an empty stomach and a full stomach (on different days):

• Take your dose at the same time
• Drink about the same amount of water
• Use the same administration method and dose
• Use the same cannabis strain

By trying cannabis products under consistent circumstances and changing one variable, you can assess your response.

#4 Strain

Some users report that certain strains offer faster effects—however, this is highly subjective for a few reasons:

• Individual physiology varies – Individual responses to cannabis are a recurring theme in conversations about effects and timing. Your body might respond to indica strains faster than Sativa strains, vice-versa, or respond randomly (i.e., independently of strain).
• Many strains share names – While it doesn’t exactly support a straightforward dispensaries or pharmacy experience, sometimes, manufacturers will adopt strain names that are already taken. So, it can be difficult to say that one strain definitively takes a certain amount of time to kick in.
• Strains aren’t always consistent – Even if you purchase the exact same flower grown by the same farm and processed by the same manufacturer every time you go to the pharmacy, strains can vary in cannabinoid, terpene, and flavonoid content across harvests.

Can You Speed Up or Slow Down Your Onset Time?

You can speed up or slow down your onset time (to a degree) by experimenting with each of the variables above to find out what works for you.

If you’re trying to speed up your onset time, try:

• Choosing a faster-acting administration method (like sublingual products or smoking)
• Taking your dose on an empty stomach
• Using a strain that has offered fast effects in the past

If you’re looking to gradually ease into your effects, consider:

• Using an edible product
• Eating a meal before taking a dose
• Choosing a slow-acting strain that you’re familiar with

Unfortunately, these are choices that typically need to be made before you take a dose. If you’ve already committed to a product, all you can do is ride it out (and document your response for future reference).

How Long Do Cannabis Effects Last?

The duration of cannabis effects depends on just as many factors as onset time; however, the administration method is one of the best predictors of longevity.

• Smoking or vaping typically impacts users for anywhere between one and three hours.
• Edible effects usually peak at about two hours after dosing and slowly taper off.
• Sublingual applications can last for multiple hours.
• Topicals offer effects for multiple hours.

Taking a cannabis dose typically isn’t a short-term commitment; however, you can experiment to find out which administration methods, strains, doses, and circumstances produce your ideal effects duration.

You Don’t Feel Anything Yet—What Should You Do?

If you’re experimenting with a new strain, dose, or method (or it’s your first time using cannabis), you might have come to this guide with a more specific question: “Why don’t I feel anything yet?” Depending on your experience with cannabis and your current context, your next steps might vary.

Let’s break down a few hypotheticals:

• Daytime dosing – If you took a dose to increase your alertness, productivity, or creativity, you might be hesitant to increase your dose before you start to feel the effects—and for good reason. If you’re planning to leave the house, go to work, or interact with strangers, consider waiting out your current dose to reduce your risk of overconsumption.
• Nighttime dosing – If you’re looking to wind down after a long day and start snoozing, consider taking slightly more cannabis if you’ve been waiting for effects for a few hours. The risk is low—if you overconsume, you’re safe at home and can easily sleep it off. However, if you’re planning on hitting the town or heading out to a dinner party, consider saving your experiment for another day.
• First-time dosing or early experimentation – If you’re a complete newcomer to cannabis (or you’ve only dosed a few times so far), we strongly recommend starting low and slow with medical marijuana. If you don’t feel the effects yet, consider waiting; sometimes it can take longer than expected. We recommend increasing your dose tomorrow instead of right now. Overconsumption (while it’s not dangerous) can be overstimulating for some patients, and you want to reduce that risk as much as possible.

TeleLeaf: Your Source for Empathetic, Informed Cannabis Care

While it’s hard to say just how long it will take for your cannabis dose to kick in, there are ways to explore your body’s response to different cannabis products in various circumstances. Fine-tuning your medical marijuana treatment is all about intention.

Luckily, there are licensed clinicians who can help you tweak your regimen to discover revolutionary healing—and TeleLeaf is here to help you find them. We connect patients with expert, licensed cannabis healthcare providers who can recommend medical cannabis to qualifying patients, help you build a treatment routine, answer your questions, and so much more.

Ready to meet with a cannabis expert and personalize your healing journey? Start by making an appointment.

Sources:

Healthline. How Long Does a Cannabis High Last?
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-a-marijuana-high-last

Exclusive Essentialz. Why Consuming Cannabis on an Empty Stomach Can Maximize Its Effects.
https://www.exclusiveessentialz.com/blog/health-cannabis-empty-stomach

Jointly. Does Your Hydration Level Affect Your Cannabis Experience?
https://jointlybetter.com/magazine/article/cannabis-cbd-and-hydration/

University of Colorado Boulder. What’s In Your Weed? The Label Doesn’t Tell You Much, Study Suggests.
https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/05/19/whats-your-weed-label-doesnt-tell-you-much-study-suggests

Healthline. You Might Not Overdose on Cannabis, But You Can Still Overdo It.
https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-overdose-on-marijuana