Many cannabis consumers do not know the correct flower to oil ratio (for their own personal dose) and may use too much cannabis, or too little, in their oils or butter. The endocannabinoid system is highly individualized, and what may work for one person, may not do anything for another.
Not knowing your own flower to oil ratio can have an adverse effect on future cannabis edibles consumption and experiences as well as becoming a somewhat confusing process for those who are new to cannabis or cannabis edibles.
We will be approximating an 80% THC infusion rate into whatever fat or oil you are infusing during this article. This approximation is somewhat high, however, it is better to overestimate when you are consuming cannabis edibles and a flower to oil ratio that suits you. In addition, different fats and oils produce different results therefore, experimentation with different oils, fats, and other substances such as flour, sugar or alcohol are incredibly important.
We will also be infusing 2 cups of oil (500ml) in total for these examples and making 20 cannabis cookies with 1/4 of a cup of the cannabis-infused oil. Storing your cannabis correctly will also ensure potency for your oil, or infusion.
These variables are incredibly important when determining a personal dose for edibles. The complete list of variables you need to consider when approximating the THC content of homemade edibles can be found at the end.
Flower to Oil Ratio: 5 Grams of Cannabis to 2 Cups of Oil
5 grams of 20% THC cannabis = 5,000mg x 20% THC = 1,000mg of total THC
Multiply 1,000mg of THC by 80% (The approximate absorption rate of THC into the oil) = 800mg THC
Divide the 800mg of infused THC by the amount of oil you will use, as well as the number of servings you will produce.
For example, If you were to make cookies using 1/4 of a cup of this oil, they would contain 100mg of THC in total. (800mg/8 = 100mg per 1/4 cup of oil).
Furthermore, if you were to make 20 cookies, they would contain approximately 5mg of THC each. (100mg of THC divided by 20 cookies). These cannabis cookies are perfect for those who are new to cannabis edibles, or, have a lower tolerance. Your own endocannabinoid system will play a large role in how your body reacts to cannabis.
Flower to Oil Ratio: 10 Grams of Cannabis to 2 Cups of Oil
10 grams of 20% THC cannabis = 10,000mg x 20% THC = 2,000mg of total THC
Multiply 2,000mg of THC by 80% = 1,600mg (Infused) THC
Divide 1,600mg of total infused THC by the amount of oil you use (1,600mg/8 = 200mg of THC per 1/4 cup of oil), as well as the number of servings you will create.
20 cookies, made with 1/4 cup of this oil = approximately 10mg of THC in each cookie. (200mg of THC divided by 20 cookies)
Flower to Oil Ratio: 15 Grams of Cannabis to 2 Cups of Oil
15 grams of 20% THC cannabis = 15,000mg x 20% THC = 3,000mg of total THC
Multiply 3,000mg of THC by 80% = 2,400mg (Infused) THC
Divide 2,400 of total infused THC by the amount of oil you will use (2,400mg/8 = 300mg of THC per 1/4 cup of oil), as well as the number of servings you will create.
20 cookies made with 1/4 cup of this oil = approximately 15mg of THC in each cookie. (300mg of THC divided by 20 cookies)
Flower to Oil Ratio: 20 Grams of Cannabis
20 grams of 20% THC cannabis = 20,000mg x 20% THC = 4,000mg of total THC
Multiply 4,000mg of THC by 80% = 3,200mg (Infused) THC
Divide 3,200mg of total infused THC by the amount of oil you will use, (3,200mg/8 = 400mg of THC per 1/4 cup of oil), as well as the number of servings you will create.
20 cookies made with 1/4 cup of this oil = approximately 20mg of THC per cookie. (400mg divided by 20 cookies).
The five variables when considering a flower to oil ratio are:
- The Amount of Cannabis Used
- The THC Content of the Cannabis
- The Amount of Oil Infused
- How Much Oil (or Other Substance) You Will Use
- How Many Servings You Make
The absorption rate for THC into fats and oils is not 80%, however, it is better to over approximate your cannabis edibles and potency when it comes to the flower to oil ratio. Ensure your cannabis is stored properly.
Flower to Oil Ratio – Blank Equation
Feel free to use our blank equation below to work out the best flower to oil ratio for you personally.
Step One: The Amount of Cannabis (in mg) divided by the THC content. This lets you know how many milligrams of THC, in total, you have within your cannabis.
_ Grams of cannabis multiplied by __ % THC = ____ (Total Amount of THC)
Step Two: Multiply the total amount of THC (Step One) within the cannabis by 80% (An approximate infusion rate)
_ MG of total THC multiplied by 80% = _____ (This represents the total infused THC)
Step Three: Divide the total amount of infused THC (Step Two) by the amount of oil you will create and use, as well as the number of servings you will make.
We have to use an example in this part of the equation, but, it makes it easier to see the working. For this example, we have made 2 cups of total cannabis oil and we are using 1/4 of a cup in our recipe.
(Total Infused THC) Divided by 8 (2 cups of cannabis oil divided by 1/4 of a cup)
= The total amount of THC in the entire batch of cannabis edibles
Divide this by the number of servings created.
Total THC in the entire batch of edibles ___ (THC) divided by _____ (Servings)
= The approximate amount of THC per serving.
These equations are only an approximate way to measure the THC content of cannabis edibles as well as a suitable flower to oil ratio. The only way to truly grasp your own personal dosage when it comes to cannabis edibles is to experiment by starting low, in terms of THC content, and taking it slow, in terms of how much you consume.
Cannabis edibles affect everyone differently and the endocannabinoid system varies greatly from one individual to another.
Check out our easy cannabutter recipe here
This is an awesome post!! Thanks for the info guys!
thanks for the comment Macky – enjoy your edibles 🙂
Wow Yeah knowing this tad of info has helped me calculate I used 15 grams 26 % THC bud to 14 oz coconut oil with your terminology on oil to bud ratio I’ll have a potent substance to play around with making cookies ,candies Thanks guys ,oh I’m using a levo2 machine .
Glad to hear this helped you out a bit, your oil will certainly be a potent batch 👍 thank you for the comment. Love the levo machine too
Great information thank you very much.
Is there a point where you cannot infuse anymore say 30 grams for 2 cups?
No problem Vince, glad it could give you an idea of what you’re working with in terms of potency. I have never done that much, but there is no reason why you can’t, experimentation is key and everyone is different in terms of tolerance. The most I’ve ever done was 25g of trim into 2 cups of oil and it was great 👍 Good luck with the infusions
Thank. Very good information. I have made cannabutter using 1 ounce of trim to 1 pound of butter. Could I use that same ratio to infuse oil (1 oz trim to 16oz oil)?
That would be a great ratio if you are already used to the strength of butter using that amount of cannabis in my opinion. Depending on the oil you use, it may be stronger than butter as some oils are more efficient in absorbing cannabinoids. Some great ones to use are MCT, coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil etc
I’m using 13 grams of weed I’m trying to make more than one edible like brownies and cereal bars and maybe another is 2 cups of oil to much I am using a exotic strain of weed I want them really strong
Hi Monica – you will still follow the same equations as above but just use 13grams. Do you know the THC level of your cannabis? If your cannabis is around 20% THC then 2 cups of oil will have about 2,600mg of THC.
Breaking this down further, if you used 1/4 of a cup of oil in a recipe, the 1/4 of a cup would have 325mg of THC
If you made 20 cookies with this 1/4 cup of oil, the cookies would have approximately 16mg of THC each. To make your oil stronger, infuse less oil, or add more cannabis.
Hope this helped you out a little bit, thanks for the comment 🙂
I suppose if you are using coconut oil to mix in and make infused honey it really doesn’t matter how much oil you use…as long as you have the THC level figured out and know approximately how much you are getting in each teaspoon of honey…
Very true Jay – as long as you know an approximate and appropriate dosage for yourself you can make as much or as little oil/butter/honey as you want
I am using 28 grams to 2 cups of oil I made a batch of brownies 1/2 cup can you please tell me the actual thc In it or help me figure it out the thc content is 18-20%
Hi Lanesha – I will give you the equation for 20% THC here, it may not be this strong since you said it may be 18% THC but this will give you a good idea.
28,000mg x 20% = 5,600mg of THC
5,600mg x 80% (an estimated absorbtion rate) = 4,480mg of THC in 2 Cups of Oil
4,480mg divided by 4 (the number of half cups in your total amount of oil) = 1,120mg of THC per 1/2 cup of oil
Divide 1,120mg of THC by the number of brownies you made and that is the approximate amount of THC per serving
Hope this helped – enjoy your edibles
Does the flower need to be decarbonated before running through the infusion process?
Thanks!
Yes! We definitely recommend decarbing every time for an infusion, we have several methods here on the site but arguably one of the easiest is to use a Mason jar which will contain the smell somewhat
I’m using refined coconut oil for hard candies. I want a minimum amount of oil in this and also potent candy. What is the “super saturation” point for coconut oil ? Can I use a 1/2 cup of oil or less and still infuse with 7 grams? Too much oil and the candy won’t harden. I have bought High THC Oil from the medical community. It cam in a syringe measured in milliliters. Would this be a process of infusing the oil, straining the plant matter and then infusing again wit fresh flower. Lather, rinse repeat until I can get the quantity and potency refined and reduced enough ? Thanks in advance .
Hi Skip, thanks for the comment and additional info – I actually wouldn’t know what a super saturation point would be for 1/2 a cup of oil but I think you can easily infuse 7-10g into a half cup and it will be quite potent. Your high THC oil is a lot easier to work with in terms of finding a dosage but if you are adding extra flower it will depend on the THC levels of the flower as to how strong your end oil will be. Cannabis edibles will affect everyone differently, your oil may knock me out completely while you’re left feeling fine! Experience and experimentation are key when you’re making your own edibles. I hope this helped a little bit, feel free to ask any more questions below
Has anyone used huge amounts of cannabis in their batches? Currently I am experimenting with 70 gms per 2 cups of coconut oil. While I realize this is a very large amount I am searching for a potent dose. Is there such a thing as ‘over saturated’ oil?
That is a lot of cannabis per 2 cups! I don’t actually know what the over saturation point for the oil would be. Personally, I wouldn’t use that much per 2 cups though because you may end up wasting some of your cannabis if it can’t absorb any more cannabinoids
I just used 80 grams with 29 fl oz = 3.62 cups of oil and I’m about to make cookies wish me luck
Good luck Kev! Let us know how strong your cookies are 😳