You’ve most likely heard all about the health benefits of CBD oil, and you’ve decided to give it a try. The next questions you’ll probably have are, “What delivery method should I use?” and “What is the proper CBD oil dosage?”
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the factors involved in determining your ideal CBD oil dosage. Some of these factors include the product type and delivery method, the bioavailability of that combination, and your body type.
Some of the factors involved in determining your ideal CBD oil dosage CBD oil works differently and has different effects for each individual depending on factors such as body size, and genetic makeup. Some products use purified CBD, others use a full-spectrum oil. Some products you consume orally, some you apply topically, and so on.
What this means is that every person has to take into account a variety of factors when determining their ideal CBD oil dosage.
Many CBD products list a “recommended serving size.” However, without taking into account all of the factors that are involved, this serving size might be far too low or possibly even too high for you.
Potency Can Vary Greatly And a recommended dosage for one product will often times not apply to similar products. There are several reasons for this. One reason is that CBD extracts and concentrates will have varying percentages of CBD. Consequently, one product might contain an extract that has 10% CBD, for example, while one contains a more refined extract that has 20% CBD. Then there’s the percentage of extract in the oil to be considered.
Products vary in strength because concentrations of CBD can vary widely between different preparations. One product might offer only 10 milligrams of CBD per dose, while another might have 25mg.
Something else to consider is whether or not the extracts used in the product contain additional active ingredients such as terpenes and other cannabinoids[1], each of which has its own effects. And those effects can differ from person to person depending on genetic makeup, sex, weight, and so on.
Health Maintenance vs. Therapuetic Treatment One of the most important factors to consider is why you’re using CBD oil in the first place. The reason the CBD is being consumed in the first place will dictate both dosage and duration of treatment.
You might simply be interested in using CBD as a dietary supplement to support health and wellness. But, on the other hand, you might be using CBD to treat a particular ailment. So there may be a big difference in the ideal CBD oil dosage required to achieve the desired effects.
CBD Delivery Methods There are a variety of methods for consuming CBD, from tinctures, to capsules, to topical creams, and so on. Some methods make it easy to determine the amount needed to get the proper CBD oil dosage. Others, such a vaping, make it very difficult to determine how much CBD is being consumed. For that reason we’ll stick with discussing those products which facilitate proper dosing: tinctures (oral drops) and capsules.
Other factors which vary depending on delivery method are bioavailability, time of onset, and duration of effects.
Let’s look at a couple of delivery methods and their pros and cons.
CBD Oil Tinctures (Drops) CBD tinctures are a mixture of CBD-rich hemp extracts and oils, and can also contain additional active and non-active ingredients such as other herbal extracts and a variety of essential oils.
Tinctures work best when applied sublingually (under the tongue). The reason for this is bioavailability, which we will discuss in a moment. When used sublingually, the CBD is absorbed into the blood vessels in the tissues in the bottom of the mouth. You can see these if you check it out in the mirror. Because some of the CBD is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, tinctures tend to work more quickly than swallowing capsules.
The benefit of tinctures is that they work more quickly than softgels. However, they are a little less convenient to use than softgels.
CBD Edibles Another way to get your CBD is through CBD-infused edibles. One if the most popular edible CBD products in the world is CBD gumdrops.
Edibles travel well, are convenient to use, provide exact dosages, and are probably the most enjoyable way to get your CBD. However, edibles are slower to take effect and have a lower bioavailability than tinctures.
CBD Oil Softgels Not all CBD-oil capsules are equal. Aside from the fact that different products contain different dosages of CBD, the way the CBD is processed can make a vast difference in the bioavailability of the CBD.
Infuzions’ CBD softgels contain a nanoencapsulated form of CBD oil that has a much higher bioavailability than regular CBD oil.
The benefit of softgels is that they are extremely convenient, they travel well, and require no guesswork as to how much CBD is in each dose. However, as with edibles, your digestive system will trap some of the CBD, and your liver will neutralize some as well. (This makes our nanoencapsulated softgels with a higher bioavailability a superior product to regular capsules.)
Which brings us to our next topic… bioavailability.
Bioavailability of CBD Deliver Methods A products bioavailability refers to the amount of the active compound that actually makes its way into the bodily systems where it will do some good. Some percentage of the compound will usually be metabolized, broken down by the digestive system, get trapped in fatty tissues, or be filtered out by the liver.
The bioavailability of raw CBD-rich hemp extract, when eaten, is fairly low. The factors mentioned above cause a good percentage of the CBD to go to waste. Infuzions’ nanoencapsulation process was specifically developed to greatly increase the bioavailability of the CBD.
In order to get the maximum bioavailability from tinctures, as we mentioned, they should be applied under the tongue rather than swallowed.
(As a side note, vaping CBD provides both a fast onset and high bioavailability, but determining dosage is near impossible since everyone’s vaping technique is different.)
Purified CBD vs. Full Spectrum CBD Oil We can break CBD products down into a few categories. The type of CBD being used in the product determines its category. Some products use purified CBD added to an oil base. Others use CBD concentrates from which manufacturers have stripped of some of the ingredients found in raw hemp extract. And some use CBD isolate – a purified form of CBD which is completely devoid of all the other compounds found in hemp extracts such as terpenes and other cannabinoids [1].
Raw CBD-rich hemp extract is also referred to as full-spectrum CBD extract because it contains the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant. These additional active ingredients provide a variety of effects. The sum of these effects is often greater than their individual effects. The combined effects of the CBD and other active compounds in hemp extract is commonly referred to as the entourage effect.
More Than Just CBD To illustrate the importance of this concept we’d like to point out that a product which contains 10 milligrams of purified CBD gives you just that – 10 milligrams. On the other hand, a full-spectrum product with 10 milligrams of CBD will also contain a host cannabinoids, terpenes and other active ingredients which you won’t get with the purified product.
A great example of the difference this can make is related to a terpene called myrcene. Myrcene is known to make the brain-blood barrier more permeable, hence allowing more of the CBD to enter the brain.
All of Infuzions products utilize a broad-spectrum CBD-rich hemp extract for maximum efficacy.
Determining Your Ideal CBD Oil Dosage As you can see, given all of the above-listed factors, determining your ideal dosage is not as simple as just taking a “recommended serving size.” So let’s look at the factors more closely to determine your idea CBD oil dosage.
The factors to consider include:
The type of CBD – full-spectrum or purified CBD The concentration of the CBD and other active ingredients The formulation of the product – oil tincture vs. nanoencapsulated The bioavailability of the particular product Preference of delivery method – sublingual tinctures vs. oral softgels vs edibles The reason you’re taking the CBD – health maintenance or as a therapy for a particular condition Your body type – sex, weight, height, metabolism How Much Is Too Much? The most important thing to consider when determining a CBD oil dosage that works for you is this: taking too little will not produce the desired effect and will be a waste of time and money, and taking more than you need may not provide additional benefits and again be a waste of money.
Another reason not to take too much is that herbal treatments often have what scientists call biphasic properties. What this means is that one dosage may achieve a particular affect, while taking a larger dosage might begin to suppress the effect. Alcohol is a good example of a drug with biphasic properties. Below a certain blood alcohol content (BAC), it provides a stimulating effect and makes a person more active and social. Alternatively, a BAC above a certain level – depending on the person – can have a depressant effect and knock them out.
CBD can also have different effects depending on the time of day. Some find it helps them sleep at night, others find it helps them remain more alert and gives them more energy during the day. Some claim that they both sleep better and have more energy during the day.
With some experimentation, you can find your sweet spot.
Recommendations: First, if you have a particular ailment which you are considering treating with CBD, skip all the above steps and talk to a medical professional who is knowledgeable about CBD and its use as a therapeutic agent. You may need larger doses to achieve the desired results than you would for health maintenance. And at the same time, you want to avoid taking too much as CBD therapy can be costly.
Also, try to reach out to people who are successfully using CBD to treat the condition. There are websites dedicated to every ailment you can think of.
General Guidelines For CBD Oil Dosage If you’re considering taking CBD for health maintenance, here are some general guidelines you can follow to determine your ideal CBD oil dosage.
Stick with one product for a while so you can gauge your daily CBD oil dosage. If you vacillate back and forth between different products it will be harder to get a handle on what works for you. Once you have a product that works for you, stick with it. Start with just a 5mg dose of CBD (or 10 milligrams if you are over 175 pounds). It’s best to start at night about an hour before bedtime. See how that dosage affects you. If you have no issues (which you most likely won’t) take another dose in the morning. If it makes you sleepy, take it at night, not during the day. And if it keeps you awake at night, take it during the day. Oftentimes CBD helps with both and patients can take it multiple times throughout the day. If all goes well, after a few days you can move up to 10 milligrams and use the same process. Then again in a few days, if you haven’t fully experienced the desired results you can increase the dosage again. Take note of the effects that each dosage level provides. You might find, for example, that CBD helps with post-workout pain at a certain level but does not provide additional relief beyond that level. For health maintenance, you probably want to stick within a range of 20 to 80 milligrams a day depending on your size and the bioavailability of the product and so on. Can you take too much CBD oil? CBD is completely non-toxic. You could eat quite a bit of it before feeling any adverse effects. No one has ever reported an overdose from CBD.
However, taking more CBD than needed might cause some unwanted effects such as making you more relaxed than you’d like to be while working.
Wrapping It Up As we said, CBD has different effects on each individual. It’s important that you start small, keep tabs on the effects, and work your way up to your perfect CBD oil dosage.
Remember, CBD oil is not a miracle cure. If you don’t feel effects immediately that doesn’t mean you should abandon it. You can’t expect to take a few drops and instantly feel fabulous. The effects take time to come on, and they can accumulate over time. Finding the perfect CBD oil dosage will not happen overnight.
Finally, if you’re considering using CBD to treat a particular ailment, always consult with a knowledgeable medical professional. You want to be armed with as much information as you can get before beginning any therapeutic regimen.
Additional Sources of Information We Asked a Scientist: What’s the Right Dose of CBD? https://www.leafly.com/news/health/whats-the-right-dose-of-cbd CBD Oil Dosage [The Complete Guide] https://www.marijuanabreak.com/cbd-oil-dosage 3 Tips To Getting The Correct CBD Dosage https://herb.co/marijuana/news/correct-cbd-dosage CBD USER’S MANUAL https://www.projectcbd.org/guidance/cbd-users-manual