A Comprehensive Guide to CBD Dosage: Finding the Right Amount for You

Cannabidiol (CBD) has become a popular natural solution with incredible wellness benefits. Originating from the hemp/marijuana plant, CBD is a non-psychoactive substance that does not induce the "high" connected with its counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Instead, users love CBD for its medicinal properties that relieve various ailments, including stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. 

Many people try to use CBD as it gains popularity; however, they falter when it comes to identifying a dosage tailored for them. This is because it can be slightly complicated to determine an ideal dosage as it differs from one person to another. Aspects such as body weight, metabolic process, tolerance, and the specific condition being resolved can all influence the dosage.

In addition, it's crucial to understand that the FDA hasn't regulated CBD products yet. Thus, they are considered supplements instead of medicine. This absence of regulation means there are no standardized dosing guidelines for various products and conditions. As you can understand, the onus is on you to understand the effects by consulting healthcare professionals and identifying a suitable dosage. 

Factors that can Impact CBD Dosage

To figure out the ideal dosage, you must consider various factors. These factors could influence how the dosage can have an impact on you. 

1. Medications and Interactions with Other Drugs

If you’re taking any medications, you must know their potential interactions with CBD. While CBD is safe to consume, its interaction with some medicines, such as antidepressants, could increase side effects. In addition, CBD may also interact with anticoagulants and antiepileptic drugs that may either increase their efficiency or side effects. 

It is what it is. CBD can be beneficial, but the other drugs you take could make things worse. This is why we always recommend consulting professionals to ensure you’re safe. If your doctor is averse to cannabis, you can try speaking to those that appreciate the benefits of CBD. 

2. Body Weight

Just like a medication perfect for a teenager may not suit you, the CBD dosage another person takes may not work for you. This is because body weight can affect CBD dosage. Typically, individuals with higher body weights might need greater CBD doses to experience the effects you seek. Therefore, it is vital to start with a reduced dosage and gradually increase it as individual responses to CBD can vary.

3. Metabolic Rate

Metabolism is nothing but the way your body processes any substance, including CBD. Individuals with faster metabolic rates might metabolize CBD much quicker, meaning they may need stronger doses to experience results. On the other hand, those with slower metabolic rates and smaller doses may experience prolonged effects. So, you must recognize your own metabolic process to figure out the proper CBD dose for your particular needs.

4. Levels of Tolerance

CBD resistance can develop over time if you use it frequently. Essentially, this means that the same dosage that positively impacted you at the beginning will diminish and be much less effective in time. If you have actually been utilizing CBD for an extensive period, you’ll have to readjust your dosage to ensure its effectiveness.

5. Your Specific Problem

The condition you’re looking to treat with CBD can influence the dosage. Different problems may call for different CBD dosages for optimal results. For example, if you’re using CBD to relieve mild anxiety, you may need a moderate dosage, whereas those using it to relieve severe anxiety or chronic pain may need higher doses. Your healthcare provider will advise the best dosage, depending on the condition you want to address. 

Having said all that, you must remember that CBD affects individuals differently. As you can see, the effects can be influenced by various elements, including your body weight, type of problem, and the medications you’re already taking. Once you take these into account, it becomes easier to determine the dosage. 

Understanding CBD Product Labels

One important skill you must be adept at is reading product labels when shopping for CBD products. This understanding allows you to make informed choices regarding the quality, safety, as well as suitability of the product.

Here’s how you can read the label:

1. CBD Concentration

The CBD concentration is the amount of CBD present in the product. Typically, it’s listed in milligrams (mg) and indicates how strong the product is. Strong concentrations may be suitable for individuals that need high doses and powerful effects, whereas lighter concentrations are appropriate for those who prefer milder results or have low dosage requirements.

2. Serving

You can see another element in the label named “serving size.” It’s the recommended dosage indicated by the manufacturer. Generally, it’s in milliliters (ml). It’s important that you understand the serving size to figure out the quantity of CBD you should consume, as it can be slightly confusing. 

For example, if you buy a 10 ml bottle containing 1000 mg CBD, you must determine how many drops you should take. Let’s imagine the bottle says it contains about 200 drops. This means every drop will have about 5 mg (1000mg divided by 200 drops). So, if you want to consume about 40 mg of CBD per day, you can administer about 8 drops every day. Ensure you adhere to the suggested serving size and tweak it depending on your requirements.  

3. Type of CBD

CBD products, including oils, edibles, and tinctures, are available as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolates. While full-spectrum CBD contains all cannabinoids and terpenes of the plant, including THC, broad-spectrum also contains all cannabinoids plus terpenes sans THC. Isolates, on the other hand, have nothing but pure CBD. 

While isolates may seem like a great choice for medicinal users, consider using full-spectrum products as you get to experience all the benefits of the herb. This effect is known as the “entourage effect,” where all cannabinoids and terpenes work in tandem to give you maximum benefits. 

However, if you’re working a job where drug tests are common, you can give full-spectrum products a pass and use broad-spectrum instead, as THC could show up in drug tests even if the product has negligible amounts.  

4. Third-Party Testing

No matter how trustworthy the company seems, you must always purchase products that have undergone third-party testing by an independent research laboratory. Some companies even have in-house labs, but that won’t work. Third-party screening guarantees that the CBD is safe as it’s rigorously tested for its potency, presence of any contaminants, solvents, and heavy metals. 

You can find these tests, often known as the COA or Certificate of Analysis, on the company website itself. Third-party tests offer transparency and also help you be at peace that you’re consuming high-quality, safe CBD products. 

5. Organic, High-Quality Ingredients

Check out everything written on the label, including the ingredients. For example, some companies may use coconut oil as the carrier oil, whereas others may use olive. Other companies add supplements like melatonin, which will be described on the label clearly. 

Understanding the ingredients will also prevent you from purchasing products you’re allergic to. Top-quality CBD products often consist of organic and all-natural ingredients, but this isn’t mandatory. Avoid products containing synthetic flavors if you can. The same goes for additives and other elements that could be unsafe. After all, you’re looking for a product that can make you healthy, so why choose anything synthetic? Selecting organic components can guarantee that the item is devoid of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.

Guidelines for CBD Dosage

While CBD can have different impacts on every individual, it’s beneficial to have some guidelines you can refer to for identifying the suitable CBD dosage. You can experiment with CBD at first and change the dosage according to your unique requirements. 

Essentially, you should adhere to a risk-free CBD dose to get all possible benefits. Although high doses of CBD are also safe, it’s critical that you use pure, unadulterated products. 

Now that we are talking about guidelines for safe dosage, what dose of CBD is typically considered safe without a possibility of any adverse side effects?

Unfortunately, there isn’t much data on dosages, but a study in 2017 confirmed that humans could tolerate up to 1500 mg of CBD per day. But, another study conducted on mice in 2019 raised some issues regarding the side effects when CBD interacts with other drugs. So, only your physician can tell you about the exact safe dosage you can consume. 

1. Begin With Low Doses and Increase Slowly

It’s best to start with small doses and progressively increase them as required. This approach allows you to gauge your specific response to CBD and also minimize the danger of possible negative effects. Don't worry, you can consume high doses of CBD later on as it's safe, and the side effects are temporary too, but you should let your body adjust to it slowly instead of jumping the gun immediately.

2. Body Weight

We covered this before, so you already know that you should use higher doses of CBD if you weigh more. But, again, this isn’t a hard rule as your body's metabolism comes into play. Here’s a chart to help you start with the dosage according to your body weight:

3. The Severity of Your Condition

The severity of the problem you’re addressing can also influence the dosage, as mentioned earlier. If you’re looking for general health assistance or to improve your well-being, low CBD doses may suffice. On the other hand, chronic and extreme conditions will need higher doses. It’s not possible to tell you about the dosage you should take without knowing what ailment you’re suffering from, so a physician can help with that.  

4. Observe the Effects

When you start consuming CBD, you must observe the effects and evaluate how your body responds. This means that you should track the time you consume, the amount you consume and also look out for any changes in your body. By doing so, you can tweak the dosage accordingly. 

5. Be Consistent

Consistency in using CBD is very important for better outcomes. Typically, it requires some time for CBD to develop in the body and reach its maximum effectiveness. Therefore, you must stick to a routine and consume it on a regular basis.

6. Adhere to the Serving Size

You must adhere to the dosage the manufacturer recommends unless your doctor explicitly recommends something else. This is because companies take great care to arrive at specific numbers after rigorous testing. Of course, as mentioned before, you can increase or decrease the dosage based on your needs once your body adjusts to the CBD. 

Potential Side Effects of CBD

CBD is non-psychoactive and safe, and most people tolerate it fairly well, but it can cause some side effects like any other supplement. You should also know that side effects of CBD are relatively rare; however, it still depends on other drugs you consume. 

In addition, these side effects are temporary, but if they persist, go ahead and visit your physician. Lastly, know that every individual consuming CBD doesn’t experience these symptoms. The user’s body sensitivity and many other factors determine how CBD affects them. 

1. Appetite Changes

CBD might influence appetite in some people, meaning it can increase or reduce your appetite, leading to weight loss or weight gain. If this happens to you, monitor your dosage and the food you consume so you can make the necessary changes. 

2. Dry Mouth

Recreational cannabis users will attest to the fact that cannabis sometimes causes dry mouth. Likewise, CBD can decrease the production of saliva in your mouth temporarily, leading to a completely dry mouth. To avoid this issue, drink lots of water. 

3. Diarrhea 

Sometimes high doses of CBD may trigger intestinal pain and diarrhea. If the issue persists, consider decreasing the dosage or terminating its usage. 

4. Drug Interactions

CBD can interact with certain drugs, particularly those metabolized by the liver enzymes that are in charge of metabolizing drugs like the cytochrome P450 system. As a result, it can have an impact on the metabolic process, as well as the efficiency of these other drugs you’re consuming. To avoid this, talk to your doctor about alternatives. 

Different Techniques to Administer CBD

CBD or cannabidiol can be administered in different means to fit individual preferences. The approach you take can influence how quickly and how long it works.

But first, you must understand bioavailability, which is nothing but the proportion of CBD that gets into the bloodstream and also is readily available for the body to use. In short, it measures how much of the CBD you consume is actually used by your body.

When you consume CBD through various techniques (we will get to this in just a sec), the bioavailability can vary because every approach has its own absorption rate and efficiency in delivering CBD to the bloodstream. Read on to know how it can vary according to the method of consumption. 

1. Oral Consumption

Oral consumption is when you consume CBD orally through your mouth. You can consume any product through oral consumption, whether they are pills, edibles, or oils. When you swallow CBD, it goes through the digestion system and is metabolized by the liver prior to getting into the bloodstream. This approach is convenient and also very discreet, making it a preferred choice. 

However, you can feel the effects a little later after consumption (at least 30 minutes - 2 hours), although it can last for at least a few hours.

2. Sublingual Administration

Sublingual administration is when you place CBD oil or tinctures under your tongue and hold it there momentarily before ingesting. It permits direct absorption of CBD right into the bloodstream. 

This technique bypasses the digestive system resulting in a quicker onset of effects, so you can feel the impact in just under 15-30 minutes, although the effects last for quite a few hours. Sublingual administration is quick, convenient, and ensures rapid absorption. It is a preferred option for people who desire quicker relief or even more control over their CBD dosage. 

3. Vaping/Smoking

You can inhale CBD by smoking or vaping CBD buds or concentrates. This process allows CBD to get into your lungs so quickly that you can feel the effects in just a matter of minutes. Typically, users that look for immediate relief prefer this technique. However, if you don’t want to smoke CBD (and you shouldn’t, as you probably already know the ill effects of smoking), you can use vaporizers to vape CBD. 

4. Topical Application

CBD-infused topicals such as oils, creams, balms, and lotions are used straight on the skin and are efficient at providing relief on the area of your body you apply them. For example, you can use balms on your knees or muscles to relieve pain. 

Here, CBD doesn’t get into your bloodstream; instead, it interacts with cannabinoid receptors present in your skin. Although topicals don’t produce effects like other CBD products, including concentrates or edibles, for instance, they are excellent for people looking to target localized areas for pain or skin conditions. 

5. Rectal Suppositories

Rectal suppositories are an alternative approach to consuming CBD and are typically uncommon. The suppositories are used by inserting it into an individual’s rectum, where they dissolve and produce CBD in the bloodstream. This technique permits effective absorption bypassing the gastrointestinal system, and also decreases any problems with the liver metabolic process. Rectal suppositories are quicker than oral ingestion and can be used by people who have difficulty swallowing or who have intestinal conditions that make oral ingestion impossible. 

When you choose a particular method for administering CBD, consider how fast you want the effects and how long you want it. In addition, you must be comfortable using it. For example, don’t go for smoking or vaping if you’ve never done that before. Trial and error with various techniques can help you discover the most effective choice for your requirements.

Remember, start small and then increase the dosage so your body has a chance to reciprocate. Also, don’t forget to read the labels carefully. Finally, talk to a trusted doctor about how you can use CBD to help. 

Summary: A Comprehensive Guide to CBD Dosage: Finding the Right Amount for You

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid produced by the hemp plant. Cannabis also produces CBD, so companies can extract CBD from whatever they choose. Although cannabis produces many other cannabinoids, CBD has become extremely popular due to its medicinal benefits. 

However, it’s important to administer the right dosage to gain maximum results. Unfortunately, the FDA has not regulated CBD yet, so CBD is considered a supplement rather than a medication. Due to this, it can be challenging to identify the exact dosage. Additionally, the dosage depends on various factors, including body weight, type of problem, and individual preference. 

CBD doesn’t work the same for everyone, so you must consult your physician to understand the ramifications. This is incredibly important, especially if you’re consuming other drugs, as CBD can interact with them and either prolong their effects or render them useless. 

Coming to a specific dosage, you can start with 10-20 mg CBD per day and increase it gradually. Don’t forget to conduct some research and pick companies that are trustworthy and produce third-party lab tests.