A 5 mg dose of THC, the standard single serving in most legal cannabis markets, produces effects that typically last 4 to 8 hours depending on how you consume it. The exact timeline varies based on whether you inhale or eat it, your body weight and metabolism, and how often you use cannabis.
Edibles vs. Inhaled: Two Very Different Timelines
How you take that 5 mg changes nearly everything about the experience. When you smoke or vape 5 mg of THC, effects begin within minutes, peak around 15 to 30 minutes, and taper off within 2 to 4 hours. Some residual effects, like mild fatigue or a slightly altered mood, can linger longer.
When you eat 5 mg as a gummy, chocolate, or other edible, the timeline stretches considerably. Edibles typically take 30 to 60 minutes to kick in, though it can take up to 2 hours on a full stomach. Peak intensity hits around 3 hours after you eat it. The total duration of noticeable effects runs 6 to 8 hours, and according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, effects from ingested cannabis can last up to 12 hours with residual effects persisting up to 24 hours.
This difference comes down to how your body processes THC. When you inhale it, THC passes directly from your lungs into your bloodstream, hitting your brain almost immediately and clearing relatively fast. When you eat it, THC travels through your digestive system to your liver first. Your liver converts it into a metabolite that is equal to or more potent than THC itself, roughly 1.5 times as active by some measures. This converted form then enters your bloodstream alongside the remaining original THC, creating a longer, more gradual wave of effects.
What 5 mg Actually Feels Like
For someone with little or no tolerance, 5 mg is a noticeable dose. You can expect mild euphoria, relaxation, slightly altered perception of time, and possibly some increase in appetite. It’s generally considered a “low” dose, which is why regulators in many states set it as the standard serving size for edibles.
For regular cannabis users, 5 mg may produce barely perceptible effects. Research consistently shows that frequent users develop a blunted response to THC’s psychological, perceptual, and memory-related effects. If you use cannabis daily, 5 mg may wear off faster subjectively, not necessarily because the compound leaves your body sooner, but because your brain’s receptors respond less intensely to it.
Factors That Shorten or Extend the Duration
Several things push that 4-to-8-hour window in either direction:
- Genetics. About one in four people carry a gene variant that causes their liver enzymes to break down THC less efficiently. For these individuals, the same 5 mg dose produces stronger and longer-lasting effects than it does for someone who metabolizes THC quickly.
- Body composition. THC is fat-soluble, meaning it gets stored in fatty tissue and released slowly. People with higher body fat percentages may experience a longer tail of mild effects as stored THC gradually re-enters the bloodstream.
- Food intake. Taking an edible on an empty stomach speeds up absorption and can produce a faster, shorter peak. A full meal, especially one high in fat, slows absorption and can extend the overall duration.
- Tolerance. Frequent users process and adapt to THC differently. The subjective high from 5 mg may last only an hour or two for a daily user, while a first-time user could feel effects for the full 6 to 8 hours with an edible.
How Long Impairment Lasts
The “high” and the impairment window are not the same thing. Even after you stop feeling euphoric, your reaction time, coordination, and judgment can remain affected. THC blood levels typically drop to low levels within 3 to 4 hours after use, but cognitive effects can outlast what blood levels suggest, particularly with edibles.
There is no universally accepted threshold for when impairment fully clears, and it varies by individual. A reasonable rule of thumb for a 5 mg dose: avoid driving or operating anything dangerous for at least 6 hours after smoking or vaping, and at least 8 hours after eating an edible. If you’re in that one-in-four group that metabolizes THC slowly, or if you rarely use cannabis, add extra time.
How Long It Shows on a Drug Test
Effects wearing off doesn’t mean THC has left your body. Drug tests look for metabolites that linger long after the high is gone. A single use of a low dose is typically detectable in urine for 3 to 4 days using the standard screening cutoff (50 ng/mL). With a more sensitive test at 20 ng/mL, that window extends to about 5 to 7 days.
These numbers apply to genuinely occasional, one-time use. If you’ve been using cannabis regularly and then take 5 mg, the accumulated THC metabolites stored in your fat tissue push that detection window much further, potentially weeks. For someone who used cannabis just once and is worried about an upcoming test, a single 5 mg dose should clear urine within a week at most.