How to Dose Cannabis Topicals

• Cannabis topical doses can be hard to calculate—patients are often missing a lot of information they’d typically use to make precise dosing calculations.
• Instead of doing the math, patients need to experiment by starting with a low dose and slowly increasing it as needed to reach their desired effects. In medical lingo, this is called “titering to effectiveness.”
• Keep in mind that every topical produces unique effects because each product uses a different strain of cannabis. Some strains might be incompatible with your needs.

Unlocking your perfect dose is one of the most complex parts of finding your footing with medical cannabis. While it’s somewhat straightforward to figure out dosing for edibles and tinctures, topicals pose some unique challenges.

So, how do you figure out your perfect topical dose? It’s tricky. While some product labels might offer helpful intel (like the mass of cannabinoids in a dime-sized dollop of lotion), others might not be as forthcoming.

This guide is here to help. Below, we’re breaking down how to figure out cannabis topical dosing complete with a step-by-step guide and some troubleshooting tips.

Dosage Calculation: Topicals Live in a Gray Area

Edible dosing is usually as simple as reading a package. Smokeables are easy enough to dose via experimentation, and you can gauge the cannabinoid content in tinctures with a few simple calculations.

Topicals aren’t as simple. Why?

• Many products don’t have a standardized dispenser – While vape pens only produce a certain volume of vapor per hit and tincture drops are usually around the same size, many topical cannabis formulas come in a tub. But even pump bottles aren’t guaranteed to dispense the same volume of product every time.
• Topicals are made of multiple ingredients with different densities – To find out how much THC or CBD is in one drop of a tincture or oil, you need to know the density of the base ingredient: ethanol or avocado oil, for instance. Topicals are often made with a combination of oils, extracts, and other compounds of varying densities—in ratios that typically aren’t printed on the bottle. That missing figure (density) makes calculating mg of THC per mL of product nearly impossible.

Finding the Right Dose: Practical Experimentation Steps

In the face of this uncertainty, what should you do to find your ideal dose? Find as much information as you can, start small and experiment.

#1 Read the Product Label

A topical product label might have an array of information that can help you determine an approximate dose per dollop:

• The total mass (in mg) of a cannabinoid (like CBD or THC) in the bottle
• The mass of a cannabinoid in an approximate amount of product (e.g., “a dime-sized amount”)
• The total number of doses in the bottle

In some cases, the product label may even include the mg of a cannabinoid per mL of product—the golden metric for dosing. If this is the case, all you’ll need is a small measuring cup (in mL units) to dole out your ideal dose.

Even if a label doesn’t list precise numbers, it might offer user instructions; use these as a starting point for your dose experimentation.

#2 Start Small

If your topical bottle label only lists the ingredients or cannabinoid concentration in a formula, you’ll need to experiment with dosing to find your ideal product volume.

But instead of doling out the same amount of lotion you’d typically use, consider starting smaller: with a pea-sized, dime-sized, or quarter-sized amount.

As you choose your first dose, remember:

• It’s almost impossible to overdose – Cannabis topicals don’t reach the bloodstream—they’re designed for local effectiveness in specific areas of your body. So, even topicals containing THC (the only psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana) won’t get you high. Using a little too much of your chosen product during your experiments is very low-risk.
• Repeat a dose a few times before increasing – No matter the amount you start with, try to repeat this experiment a few times (and as consistently as possible) before increasing your dose. This will give you a more nuanced understanding of how the dose actually works for you.

#3 Slowly Increase Your Topical Volume As Needed

If your first experimental doses don’t offer the results you’re looking for, consider increasing your dose:

• Increase your product volume by about 50% – While this doesn’t have to be a perfect measurement, try to picture about half of your current dose; this is the amount you should add as you “titer up.”
• Repeat experiments a few times – Like your first dose, repeat your experiment with your new dose a few times to collect as much qualitative data as possible.
• Documentation is everything – One of the best ways to determine the effectiveness of your experiments is to take notes about your experience once your product takes effect. These qualitative notes will help you assess your response to the formula over time (and decide whether or not you need to titer up again).

Troubleshooting Topicals

With the above process in mind, let’s cover a few troubleshooting topics—common roadblocks for patients that might leave you head-scratching.

I Don’t Feel Anything Yet—Should I Use More?

You’ve applied a dollop of cannabis-infused lotion for the first time, and the results are underwhelming so far. You’ve waited to feel the effects of your product (topicals typically kick in after 10 to 30 minutes) but you’re still not seeing the results you expected. What now?

There are two notes to keep in mind before you try to increase your dose:

• Data collection is key – If you haven’t repeated this dose a few times yet, you might not have a complete picture of how you respond to this product; maybe it takes a little longer to feel its effects than you’d expect. Instead of immediately titering up on day one, consider riding it out and trying the same dose tomorrow.
• Increasing the dose won’t hurt you – Unless you have an allergic reaction to a product (we’ve covered cannabis allergies in detail in this guide), adding a little more product won’t hurt you. It won’t put you at risk of overstimulation, anxiety symptoms, or drowsiness either: topicals are designed to be used in a specific area, so their effects aren’t widespread throughout the body. If you do choose to increase your dose, you have a low risk of incurring any side effects.

I’ve Experimented with Dosage and I Still Don’t Feel Anything

You’ve started small, slowly increased your dose, and you’ve applied a sizeable volume of product (a golf ball-sized amount, for instance) for a few days in a row—and still don’t feel anything. What should you do?

Instead of continuing to titer up with this product, it might be time for a new formula. Every cannabis product (no matter the administration method) produces unique effects because they’re all made from unique strains. Strains are subtypes of the cannabis plant, and some strains simply might not be a good match for you.

If you’ve experimented with fidelity but you’re still looking for more, switch to a new product.

Can I Use Topicals and Smoke Weed at the Same Time?

If you’re looking to treat local pain (like delayed onset muscle soreness after a hard lifting day, for instance) and help manage mental health symptoms (like social anxiety or lack of energy), you might need to combine multiple cannabis products to achieve all of your treatment goals in one sitting.

There are a few things to note here:

• It is safe to smoke, vape, eat an edible, or use a tincture if you’ve used a topical – Topicals have a local effect; the effects of cannabis inhalation and ingestion are typically widespread. This is one of the main reasons why you can smoke cannabis and use a cannabis-infused topical simultaneously.
• Topicals can be used for widespread relief – If your whole body is sore after a long day of yard work, feel free to apply your topical product in as many areas as you’d like—or even all over your body. While inhaling or eating cannabis won’t enhance the effectiveness of your topical, you can lean into your topical administration to make the most of its properties.

TeleLeaf: Connecting Cannabis-Informed Providers with Medical Card Patients

Whether you’re looking to avoid a high or simply treat localized discomfort, cannabis topicals could be an exceptional match for you.

How do we know? Because the TeleLeaf team is full of cannabis experts: licensed clinicians who can help patients get medical cards, develop personalized treatment regimens, and choose products.

We want to connect you with that network of providers to help you get the cannabis-informed healthcare you deserve. Ready to get started? Schedule an appointment with us now.

Sources: 

Weedmaps. Do Cannabinoids from Topicals Enter the Bloodstream?.
https://weedmaps.com/

Silver Stem Cannabis. Everything You Need to Know About Cannabis Topicals.
https://silverstemcannabis.com/