Last verified: April 2026
Definition
Start low, go slow is a four-word protocol repeated by budtenders, physicians, and state health departments. It means: take a small initial dose — 2.5 mg THC for edibles, one small puff for inhaled — and then wait. Onset varies by route: 30–120 minutes for edibles and tinctures taken with a meal, 5–15 minutes for inhaled flower or vapor. Only after full onset do you assess whether a second dose is warranted.
Etymology & Origin
The phrase comes out of geriatric medicine, where it was a standard prescribing principle for elderly patients long before cannabis legalization. Cannabis educators — notably Dr. Dustin Sulak, an integrative physician who has written and spoken on cannabis dosing since the mid-2000s — carried it into dispensary training. By the time Colorado and Washington opened adult-use stores in 2014, it was already the default onboarding line for new consumers.
Usage
Used as direct advice.
- “It’s your first edible — start low, go slow.”
- “The label says 10 mg, but start low, go slow — cut it in four.”
- “Start-low-go-slow saved me a bad Tuesday.”
The advice is especially critical for edibles (because of delayed onset), for new consumers, and for older adults (who often have slower hepatic clearance).
Related Terms
See the full protocol at start low, go slow, the specialized older adults guide, and T-break.
The single biggest cause of edible overdose is impatience: eating a second dose before the first one has kicked in. If a 2.5 mg gummy has not landed in 90 minutes, it is still more likely to land late than it is to be a dud.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org