CBD, have you heard of it? JK, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. You probably can’t go there wherever these days without seeing cannabidiol products, commonly called CBD, all over the shelves.
How did it suddenly become so popular? Well, it has been reported that it has a lot of health and wellness benefits (anxiety relief and better sleep, anyone?). CBD products are cannabis-based, but because they contain little or no THC, they don’t give you drugs.
If you are new to CBD, understanding the products available and their dosage can be overwhelming. You may have no idea where to start, what to buy, or how to find your ideal CBD dose.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here’s everything you need to know about taking CBD for the first time.
There are many ways to introduce CBD into your system, so the first thing you need to do is decide how to consume it.
To smoke
Inhalation is the fastest way to introduce CBD into the bloodstream. If your state has legalized cannabis or has CBD-only dispensaries, you may be able to find flowers or CBD “buds” with little or no THC.
Vaping
If smoking is not your jam, CBD vaporizers are also fast-acting and offer a legitimate advantage in comfort and discretion. Despite this! Be very careful when buying spray products at a legal dispensary.
Black market vaporizers have been found to contain things you should not inhale, such as vitamin E acetate (And let’s be clear: vaping is yet bad for your lungs.)
Oils and tinctures
If you thought the oils and tinctures were the same, guess again:
- Olis it tends to be more concentrated with CBD (i.e. more potent) and may have a weed taste.
- Dyes they are alcohol-based, less potent and taste better of both. They can be mixed with other herbs and aromas.
Both products work by sublingual absorption (sub-what?). This means that if you hold the liquid under your tongue for a while before swallowing, some CBD will be absorbed through the membranes of your mouth. This causes it to enter the bloodstream more quickly.
Groceries, candies and drinks
The wide variety of CBD capsules, CBD foods, and CBD infusion drinks (hello, CBD coffee!) Work the same way. They travel through your digestive system and begin to be absorbed between 30 minutes and 2 hours after swallowing.
Creams, lotions, bath pumps and lubricants
Yes, you read that right: lubricant! Topical CBD refers to creams, ointments and lotions. These can be a good choice for localized pain and inflammation, while transdermal patches can provide more sustained, long-term release.
Bath pumps are on trend right now, with many happy bathers claiming that soaking in a tub with CBD infusion starts a deep, full-body relaxation. And there are even CBD lubricants that can help relieve pain and get you in the mood.
This is the most important rule when it comes to cannabis: start low and go slow.
If you are smoking or vaporizing CBD, it is difficult to measure your intake in milligrams. But the best thing about inhalation is that you get pretty instant feedback. If a couple of blows on a CBD vaporizer let you feel relaxed, but no too relaxed, this is probably your happy place.
Everyone responds to CBD differently. “There is no standard dose of CBD, because it is used by many people for many different conditions,” says Martin A. Lee, founder of the CBD Project.
Different varieties of CBD may also require different doses. For example, you may need to take more than one CBD isolate alone compared to a full spectrum product. If your stuff only contains CBD, Lee recommends 25 milligrams to start with. You can always go up or down from there.
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with full access to cannabis, you can get your feet wet with a lower dose of a full-spectrum CBD. Try 5 milligrams and increase (ie adjust) 5 milligrams more every two days.
Here’s a quick guide to the two different types of CBD you can take, but remember that everyone is different.
Find the right dose of CBD isolate
Note: The following doses are general guidelines for first use. You should consult with your healthcare provider before initiating a CBD regimen to determine the right dose for your specific needs.
Day 1: 25 mg
Day 2: Reduce to 10 mg if yesterday’s effects were too strong; otherwise, it is left with 25 mg.
Day 3: Same as day 2
Day 4: Increase anywhere from 35 to 50 mg if you have not yet achieved the desired effect.
Day 5: Reduce to 25 mg if a higher dose is too strong; otherwise, stay in the 35 to 50 mg range for the next few days.
Increase the dose every few days and continue to observe the effects. Many adults report that they have found their sweet spot between 25 and 75 mg of a CBD-only product.
Dosages for full spectrum CBD
Day 1: 5 mg
Day 2: 5 mg
Day 3: 10 mg (if you have not yet achieved the desired effect)
Day 4: 10 mg
Day 5: 15 mg (if you have not yet achieved the desired effect)
Day 6: 15 mg
Day 7: 20 mg (if you have not yet achieved the desired effect)
Day 8: 20 mg
Day 9: 25 mg (if you have not yet achieved the desired effect)
Continue to increase the dose until you get the maximum benefit. If you notice any unwanted response to CBD (such as dizziness), reduce your intake.
What you are looking for is a minimum effective dose: the sweet spot of the bell curve where you take the most useful amount without exceeding or breaking the bank. (Have you really checked the price tags for high quality CBD products lately?)
It takes a little trial and error to find the ideal dose. But the good news is that most people tolerate CBD well, even in large quantities. The side effects of CBD, if any, are usually diarrhea, changes in appetite, and too much sedation (i.e., inspiration for those overly high school PSAs).
If your anxiety calms down, you sleep better or you have less pain, this is a victory!
The time it takes for CBD to work varies depending on how you consume it. It could go from a few moments (with vaporization / smoking) to several weeks (like when you slowly increase the dose of CBD oil to get therapeutic effects).
CBD is not psychoactive, so you will not feel stoned. But some people report that they get a pretty quick response where the stress goes away and their mood lifts a bit.
If you are taking CBD for therapeutic purposes (such as sleep, anxiety, or inflammation), you will probably need to take it for longer before you can reap the full benefits.
In terms of rigorously investigated uses, CBD for epilepsy is the big hit here. In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex to treat two rare seizure disorders, Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.
But even without clinical approval, people are using CBD to address a wide variety of conditions. Lee tells us that an extensive survey of CBD users showed anxiety, depression, and pain as the most indicated uses. Some people are also using CBD along with conventional cancer treatments, he says.
This is what some of the research on potential uses says:
- Anxiety: A 2019 study found that 79 percent of people with anxiety showed improvement by taking 25 to 75 milligrams of CBD daily.
- Insomnia: More research is needed, but a 2017 review of existing studies found that CBD “may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia.”
- Depression: A 2010 study of mice found that CBD could have antidepressant effects. These results have not yet been fully replicated in people, however, many people report relief of symptoms.
- Pain and inflammation: A 2017 study on rats found that CBD may be effective in reducing pain. Again, human studies are still needed.
- PTSD and nightmares: A small 2019 study found that 10 out of 11 participants with PTSD found some relief with CBD. Some also reported relief from PTSD-associated nightmares.
- Nausea: THC is best known to help with nausea, such as chemotherapy. But CBD can also have some benefits. Many people report an improvement in the symptoms of nausea with CBD, and a 2010 study seems to support this.
CBD can be derived from hemp plants, which contain 0.3 percent or less of THC, or from marijuana plants, which contain a higher concentration of THC.
If THC is legal in your state, consider buying a product with mostly CBD and some THC. Research suggests that these two cannabinoids may work better together than separately.
A word of caution, though: the CBD market is not yet well regulated. Indeed, a 2017 study found that the doses of most consumer CBD products were actually mislabeled.
This means that you can find top-notch products for sale along with low or questionable quality brands. Do your research before you buy!
When buying a CBD product, three things must be clearly stated on the label:
- total milligrams of CBD and THC (if applicable)
- if the product is laboratory tested
- the batch number
You can check the brand’s website for specific information about when and where they supply the products. Renowned companies have batch numbers listed on the label that correspond to actual data.
If your condition allows, opt for full-spectrum CBD, which contains all the natural compounds in a cannabis plant, including THC. As mentioned before, CBD + THC can offer more benefits than CBD isolate products (CBD only).
Lee says full-spectrum CBD is usually more effective than isolating “just as drinking freshly squeezed orange juice is better for you than taking an ascorbic acid supplement.”
If you’re still not comfortable with THC (which appears in drug testing), try broad-spectrum CBD. It contains all the natural compounds of a cannabis plant except THC.
- CBD may interfere with certain prescription medications, so check with your healthcare provider before using it.
- It’s a good idea to try CBD for the first time when you have nowhere to go. That way, if you don’t feel like yourself, you can fall asleep.
- If you are specifically looking for sleep aids, try taking your CBD about half an hour before bedtime.
- If anxiety is turning you around, try to take your dose first, as before the day actually arrives.
- While some people like a little CBD in their cocktails, skip the alcohol when you try CBD for the first time so you can really focus on the effects.
- If you’ve titrated up to a large dose of CBD (like 50 milligrams or more daily), you’ll probably want to spaced the doses a little to avoid gastrointestinal problems.
