Do two puffs equal a bong hit? UBCO researchers aim to find out

All cannabis created equal?

Photo: UBCO

UBC Okanagan Drs. Michelle St. Pierre and Zach Walsh have created an index of cannabis equivalency to standardize dosing.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan are working hard to create a standardized method of measuring a cannabis dose, regardless of consumption method.

UBCO researchers Drs. Zach Walsh and Michelle St. Pierre have created what they call an Index of Cannabis Equivalence, or ICE, for short. The idea is to create a unique approach to standardized cannabis dosing across different consumption methods.

The research has been published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, and it represents a step towards establishing cannabis dosing guidelines comparable to the standard drink for alcohol.

“Different cannabis consumption methods can produce varied psychoactive effects, which makes it difficult to establish comparable doses across products,” explains Dr. St. Pierre.

“The ICE addresses this challenge by providing user-informed equivalencies grounded in psychoactive effects, offering a practical framework to help individuals make informed decisions and better manage their cannabis use.”

The researchers are proposing equivalencies for “low-dose” cannabis consumption based on user-reported experiences. An analysis of data from more than 1,300 participants aged 18 to 93 revealed these low-dose equivalents:

• Two puffs from a joint, pipe, or vaporizer.
• One 5 mg THC edible.
• A quarter dab of concentrate.
• One bong hit.

These doses are based on data from individuals with a low tolerance for cannabis, ensuring the guidelines prioritize safety and accessibility, especially for new or infrequent users.

“By creating practical and user-centred guidelines, the ICE measurement can support harm reduction, public health initiatives and consumer education while improving consistency in research and policy,” says Dr. Walsh of UBCO’s department of psychology.