By now you’ve probably heard all about the seemingly endless benefits of CBD - but how much should you be taking to get the best results?
Let’s Go Over A Few Things
CBD is a substance that comes from the Cannabis Sativa plant. The Cannabis Sativa plant produces around 540 chemical substances and around 100 cannabinoids. Simply put, cannabinoids are groups of chemical substances. The two most relevant cannabinoids are CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Because CBD oil has such a small amount of THC in it (less than 0.3%), it can offer many health benefits without the psychoactive effect synonymous with THC products, especially when the THC is extracted completely..
To read more about CBD’s origin story, click here.
CBD Can Do What?!
The power of CBD spans far and wide. In fact, studies have shown that CBD can be helpful in: reducing anxiety and depression, improving sleep, reducing seizures in people with epilepsy, soothing pain and inflammation, improving heart health, easing symptoms of schizophrenia, easing PTSD, aiding in addiction problems, among many other things. Although, there is still more research to be done, the possibilities of CBD are seemingly endless. No matter what your reasons are for using CBD, you must know the right amount to take for it to work its magic.
From Knowledge to Action
First, you’ll need to find out which CBD option(s) makes the most sense for you and your lifestyle. CBD can be taken in the form of ‘edibles’ (gummies for example), oils/tinctures, topicals such as creams/lotions, capsules/pills, or vaping. It’s really up to you to decide on an option that fits your needs in terms of what is most convenient for your lifestyle, what you’re hoping to treat, and your body’s personal preference based on its chemical makeup. To make it a little easier, I'll highlight a few of the benefits and key differences of each option below.
Edibles
Pros: Edibles are affordable, discrete, and can be super tasty - CBD Gummies for example. Because edibles are already split into serving sizes there is no guesswork involved - the dosing is exact, and what’s nice about a CBD Gummy is they are lower in dosage so you can incrementally increase your dosage as needed, until you figure out what the right amount is for you.
Key Difference to Consider: Edibles have a longer release time, meaning it can take up to 1-2 hours for them to kick in. So if you need a quick fix for pain or anxiety, then maybe this isn't the option for you.
Oils/Tinctures
Pros: These products are some of the most fast-acting, because they absorb quickly; about 15 minutes when taken sublingually (placed under the tongue). CBD in this form is often free of additives such as sugar and preservatives and are often vegetarian or even vegan. It is also somewhat easy to adjust serving size with droppers.
Key Difference to Consider: Some oils or tinctures can be bitter in taste, and this form is often taken by dropping it under the tongue - so it is really just up to personal preference. Many high quality tinctures are actually tasty though, we’d recommend trying one of our naturally flavored tinctures in Cool Mint or Orange.
Creams/Lotions
Pros: Unlike CBD taken by mouth, topicals can provide a very concentrated dose to very specific areas of the body. This form is discreet and can last for a very long time (4-6 hours).
Key Difference to Consider: Creams and lotions have a longer release time (up to 2 hours), making them a less popular option for those who are in need of relief immediately or are experiencing extremely high levels of pain. However, depending on the strength of the CBD in the cream, these are a great addition to your CBD routine because they can greatly relax your sore muscles and stiff joints, and are also very effective in helping relieve arthritis, eczema, dry skin, and other skin conditions. If this is an option that interests you, we’d highly recommend our best-selling CBD Sports Cream, that truly does provide quick and effective relief.
Capsules/Pills
Pros: Capsules or pills (for example Better Conditions CBD Softgels) can be taken very discreetly and are virtually tasteless. And, depending on the quality of the capsule/pill/softgel these can also be a fast-acting and efficient option for the quickest, most quality relief. Check out our CBD Softgels to see how this high quality, fast-acting, highly absorbent option could help you.
Key Difference to Consider: It is difficult to make precise adjustments to the serving size of CBD when using pills or capsules. Some pills contain gelatin, making them unsuitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Vaping
Pros: Vaping provides instant release, so if you need a quick fix this might be the route for you.
Key Difference to Consider: Vaping may cause other negative health effects related to overall lung health.
A Personal Journey
CBD isn’t regulated by the FDA, which makes it slightly harder to determine firm numbers for dosing. Dosage is very dependent on several different factors: your body weight, chemical makeup, the condition you wish to treat and the concentration of CBD in the supplement you are taking. In short, it is always a good idea to start at a low dosage to see how it affects your body. If you find that the low dosage is not supplying you with any relief, that would be the time to bump up the dosage and potentially the frequency.
Should You Ask Your Doctor First?
Talking to your doctor before trying CBD is never a bad idea, especially if you have underlying health conditions or take other regulated medications. Or for example if you are pregnant or nursing - in which you should not take any CBD products during this time. And while there are very few side effects associated with CBD (and I’m not talking about just any CBD - I’m talking about Premium-Grade, Third Party Tested, Quality CBD that you can trust), it is always a good idea to talk to your doctors if you’re weary of trying CBD because they can evaluate the pros and/or cons based on your own medical history, make recommendations on dosage or give insight on how it will affect you when mixed with other prescriptions you may be taking. It could be an important thing to know for future medical issues as well. If your doctor gives you a limit based on any of these factors, stick to it. This is especially important in the case of the FDA-approved Epidiolex drug used to treat people with certain types of epilepsy.
In Short…
The world of CBD can seem very mysterious at first. It is truly about figuring out what works best with you as an individual. Talk to your doctor to try to get some perspective on potential risks, benefits and dosing suggestions. If your doctor is unable to provide you with any insight, you might start off with 20-40 milligrams a day and increase by 5 milligrams a week until you feel you have found the perfect dosage for your mind and body. This will all depend on your body weight, your chemical makeup, what you are trying to treat, and the concentration of CBD in your products. Every body is different, every mind is different - and therefore everyone’s CBD needs are often different. It will be a learning experience at first, but will be so worth it when you find the exact dose that your body needs to experience all the wonderful benefits of CBD.
We wish you the best in your journey with CBD. We truly believe in its powers & can only hope that everyone will soon experience and benefit from it too.
