When you’re making edibles at home, understanding potency is the key to a consistent, safe, and enjoyable experience. Unlike store-bought products, homemade edibles vary because they depend on flower strength, decarboxylation, infusion method, and serving size. This guide walks you through a simple, repeatable method to estimate potency using clear formulas and everyday kitchen tools.
1. Know Your Flower’s THC Percentage
Start with the THC percentage printed on your cannabis label—often something like 18%, 22%, or 28%. This number tells you how many milligrams of THC are present per gram of flower.
Formula:
1 gram cannabis = 1000 mg flower
THC% × 1000 = mg THC per gram
Example:
20% THC → 1000 × 0.20 = 200 mg THC per gram
2. Adjust for Decarboxylation Loss
Raw cannabis must be heated to convert THCA into THC. This process causes natural loss. Home cooks can estimate:
Decarb efficiency: 85–90%
Using our example:200 mg × 0.87 ≈ 174 mg activated THC per gram after decarb
3. Factor In Infusion Efficiency
Not all activated THC transfers into butter or oil. Most home methods fall in the 60–80% efficiency range.
Use 70% as a practical average:174 mg × 0.70 ≈ 122 mg THC infused per gram
If you used 7 grams of cannabis:122 mg × 7 ≈ 854 mg THC in your infused fat
4. Calculate THC Per Teaspoon or Tablespoon
If your infusion yields 1 cup of butter/oil:
- 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp
THC per tsp:854 ÷ 48 ≈ 17.8 mg
THC per tbsp:854 ÷ 16 ≈ 53 mg
This lets you dose any recipe accurately.
5. Calculate THC Per Serving
If you add 3 teaspoons of infused butter into a recipe:
17.8 mg × 3 = 53.4 mg total THC
If the recipe makes 12 servings:53.4 ÷ 12 ≈ 4.4 mg THC per serving
6. Expect Natural Variation
Homemade potency can shift due to:
- Temperature spikes
- Flower test variability
- Uneven mixing
- Moisture loss in fat
Try a small dose first and wait to see how it feels before increasing.
7. Tips for More Accurate Results
- Weigh flower and butter with a kitchen scale
- Maintain consistent temps during decarb and infusion
- Stir thoroughly before portioning
- Keep notes so each batch becomes more predictable
Final Thoughts
Potency math may look intimidating at first, but once you know the formulas, it becomes second nature. With these steps, you’ll create edibles that are consistent, predictable, and tailored to your needs—no guesswork required.
