Short answer
Per milligram of THC, an edible is stronger than inhaled distillate. Per unit, a distillate syringe holds more THC than any single edible serving sold in a US legal market.
A 1 mL distillate syringe holds 0.85 g to 1 g of oil. At 80% THC, that is 680 mg to 800 mg of THC. A standard edible serving in the US is 10 mg of THC. One syringe equals 68 to 80 edible servings.
how to use a cannabis distillate syringe
The numbers
- 1 mL distillate syringe: 700 mg to 900 mg THC at 70% to 90% potency.
- Single edible serving, US legal market: 5 mg or 10 mg THC.
- Single edible package cap, most US states: 100 mg THC.
- One 10 mg gummy: 1.4% of a 700 mg syringe.
Route decides the strength
Route changes how much THC reaches the blood and how long it stays there.
Inhaled distillate
Vapor or dab. THC enters the blood through the lungs. Onset is 2 to 10 minutes. Peak is 10 to 30 minutes. Effects last 1 to 3 hours. Bioavailability runs 10% to 30%.
Oral THC
Eating distillate or a gummy. THC passes through the liver. The liver converts THC to 11-hydroxy-THC, a metabolite that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Onset is 30 minutes to 2 hours. Peak is 2 to 4 hours. Effects last 4 to 8 hours. Bioavailability runs 4% to 20%.
Eating distillate from a syringe
Distillate in a syringe is decarboxylated. THC is already in its active form. The oil works when eaten with no further heating. The risk is dose. A rice-grain drop weighs 10 mg to 25 mg and can carry 8 mg to 22 mg of THC. A line of oil the length of a toothpick can carry 50 mg or more.
Measure with a scale. A 0.1 g drop at 80% THC is 80 mg.
Label rules
States cap edible servings. Colorado, Washington, and Oregon set 10 mg per serving and 100 mg per package for recreational products. Canada sets 10 mg per package. Syringes sold for inhalation or cart refilling carry a total THC number, not a per-serving number.
Which one hits harder
One 10 mg gummy and one 10 mg drop of distillate eaten are the same dose. The edible form wins on duration and on intensity per milligram. The syringe wins on total THC per unit and on cost per milligram.