Since the 2018 farm bill decriminalized hemp on a federal level, we’ve seen a huge uptick in the number of CBD products available, as well as the number of people who are turning to naturally-occurring hemp cannabinoids to help alleviate various ailments.
For those just starting to venture into the world of cannabis and CBD, finding the proper dosage can be tricky, especially since the plant’s nebulous legal status adds a layer of difficulty when searching for a clear definitive answer from the medical and scientific communities.
But don’t let your confusion about dosing prevent you from experiencing the therapeutic benefits of magical hemp compounds. Keep reading to learn more about the right CBD dosage for you.
What is CBD?
To understand how much CBD we need, first, we need to know what exactly it is, what its effects are, and how it operates on our bodies.
CBD (short for cannabidiol) is a type of compound known as a cannabinoid found in the cannabis sativa l. plant.
When humans consume CBD or any other kind of cannabinoid, the compounds have an effect on numerous bodily systems, including memory, appetite, mood, and other key functions of homeostasis by interacting with our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS).
What are the Benefits of CBD?
When CBD hit enters our bloodstream, it stimulates the neurotransmitters that our body naturally produces and binds to the CB1 and CB2 receptors that partly make up our ECS, influencing many essential human functions.
Research into these effects is still in its infancy, but a significant growing body of work points to a myriad of benefits CBD may provide.
Many people find that CBD can help control their anxiety. One 2011 study examined patients suffering from social-anxiety disorder, giving half the participants 400 mg of CBD and the other half a placebo. The study found that overall, participants who were given the CBD reported having reduced levels of anxiety.
CBD has also been proven to be effective at treating chronic seizures in patients with conditions like Dravets Syndrome. In fact, the evidence is so overwhelming that even the FDA approved the use of CBD for this purpose under the name Epidiolex.
Research into CBD as a form of pain and inflammation management has also been promising, with animal models seeing a significant reduction in pain.
Some patients use CBD to help deal with insomnia, and others take the cannabinoid as a supplement to help promote general wellness. However, despite all the anecdotal evidence that points to CBD being able to prevent or treat certain ailments, the FDA has yet to approve CBD for the treatment of anything besides seizures.
How Much CBD Should I Take?
The CBD recommended dosage will heavily depend on several factors, making it difficult to give a single clear cut answer.
For one, the reason someone is taking the CBD in the first place will affect the dosage. For example, the recommended CBD dosage to treat seizures will greatly differ from a recommended CBD dosage for overall wellness. Without concrete clinical studies of CBD to treat different ailments, there has not been a definitive recommended CBD dosage for anxiety or sleep.
Another critical factor in determining dosage is the weight, height and body mass index of the patient. Generally, those with a higher body fat percentage will require more CBD to feel any effects in comparison to smaller patients.
The intake method of CBD will also greatly affect how much CBD is needed due to the varying bioavailability each method. Bioavailability in short, is the amount of a substance your body processes and thus enters the bloodstream. Topicals and edibles have incredibly lower bioavailability and a proper cbd dosage within your edible or topical will have to be much higher than for inhalants or sublinguals. For example, 25 mg of CBD within an edible versus 25 mg of CBD within a vape will provide dramatically different effects. Your body may only absorb around 20% of the CBD from the edible while your body may absorb up to 90% of the CBD from the vape.
A good rule of thumb when first figuring out a dose is to start out smaller and see how the CBD affects you over the course of a week. If more is needed, titrate up until the desired effect is reached. This is also true if you are switching between intake methods. If you are used to using a topical with 500 mg of CBD, it is not recommended to start off with a sublingual of an equal or higher dose because your body will absorb a much greater percentage of the CBD.
To find a good jumping-off point, this CBD dosage calculator will take in your information like weight and purpose of use to determine three tiers of potential CBD doses. The calculator will also take CBD oil dosage in the form of dropper amounts if you enter in the total MG of your oil as well as the total volume of your bottle in mL.
Calculating CBD Dose When Smoking or Vaping
Inhalation methods of CBD intake can be incredibly effective at delivering CBD efficiently and effectively; however, they can add some difficulty in terms of dosing.
When someone uses an inhalation device like our elon®, the amount of cannabinoids actually taken in with each hit or draw will vary greatly from person to person. This variance makes calculating dosage more imprecise than a CBD oil or CBD isolate dosage.
However, inhalation methods do take effect earlier than oral consumption methods. This means that a consumer can take a hit, wait around ten minutes to half an hour, and then judge if they require additional cannabinoids.
Further Research is Required
Currently, most users are left to anecdotal evidence or previous experience to help guide them when looking to the cannabis plant for health benefits. Without more regulation and proper guidance from the food and drug administration, it is hard to provide concrete answers to these questions.
It is best to talk to your doctor when considering CBD to treat certain ailments to see if CBD works for your particular needs. Your doctor may also help recommend the best intake method for you with consideration of your body weight, age, and other factors.
Until further clinical studies have been found conclusive we are unable to give a definitive answer to what dosage of CBD researchers suggest for particular use cases. The best answer we can provide is, to start off with a low CBD mg per day and gradually increase based on how you feel.
