Scroll to bottom of page for short video on When to Take CBD Oil.
How Much CBD Oil Should I Take?
When Should I take CBD?
The answer to that question is different for everyone and can vary widely. It is not just weight that determines the right dosage of cbd for each person. People's body chemistry, metabolism, severity of condition being managed and the absorption rate of different products all effect dosages.
I am a 120 lb woman and take about 30 mg per day mostly to manage joint discomfort from skiing injuries, but my sister who is the same age and size as me takes about 100 mg per day. Some people do great with 10 mg per day, others need much more. Pharmaceutical grade cbd drugs such as Epidiolex which is a 0 THC product is generally dosed in the hundreds of milligrams per day for seizures. For epidiolex the recommendation for a 100 lb person would be to start with about 200 mg per day for the first week and continue to uptitrate until the desired effect is reached (there chart is at 1200 mg per day by week 5) This is much more than a typical person would take. The only really good way to find what is best for you is the up-titration method (Starting low and slowly increasing over time) The saying for up titrating is start low and increase slow, (but don't be afraid to continue to increase if needed).
We recommend beginning with about 10-15 mg a day if you are sensitive to medications and supplements and 20-25 mg per day if you are not. Take this amount for 3-4 days so you have a clear understanding of how that dose effects you, whether there are any unwanted side effects, etc. (See blog post at this link for known side effects of cbd) Try taking it in the morning and later in the afternoon or evening to see what works best for you. Doses over 25-30 mg can make some people tired so if you find you need more to get the desired effect, you may want to split it up and take less in one sitting, but take it more often. (Maybe 15 mg 3 times a day instead of 50 mg at once which might make you tired) It is good to understand how you react to a certain dose so you can determine whether a higher dose gives you more relief or less relief. After that, if you are not getting the effects you want, increase your dosage by 5-10 milligrams (or less if you are sensitive) for another 3-4 days. Continue to do this until you get the results you are looking for. If you begin to see a decrease in benefits, go back down to the lower dose at which you were seeing positive effects. Some people feel the effects of cbd right away. Others can take up to 6-8 weeks before they feel the full effects (though this is rare). It took me about 8 days at 25 mg/day before my knee discomfort was relieved. I increased my serving for about 5 weeks until I was at about 40 mg per day but I didn’t feel any better at 40 than I did at 30 so I went back down to 30.
My sister increased her serving daily for several months and eventually found that 100 mg per day was perfect for her. Having patience and finding the right serving size for you is key to using cbd and full spectrum hemp products successfully. Starting low and up-titrating over a period of weeks or even months is the best way to find the right dose for your body. You may also want to experiment with taking it once twice or three times a day.
How Much CBD Oil Should I Take?
When Should I take CBD?
The answer to that question is different for everyone and can vary widely. It is not just weight that determines the right dosage of cbd for each person. People's body chemistry, metabolism, severity of condition being managed and the absorption rate of different products all effect dosages.
I am a 120 lb woman and take about 30 mg per day mostly to manage joint discomfort from skiing injuries, but my sister who is the same age and size as me takes about 100 mg per day. Some people do great with 10 mg per day, others need much more. Pharmaceutical grade cbd drugs such as Epidiolex which is a 0 THC product is generally dosed in the hundreds of milligrams per day for seizures. For epidiolex the recommendation for a 100 lb person would be to start with about 200 mg per day for the first week and continue to uptitrate until the desired effect is reached (there chart is at 1200 mg per day by week 5) This is much more than a typical person would take. The only really good way to find what is best for you is the up-titration method (Starting low and slowly increasing over time) The saying for up titrating is start low and increase slow, (but don't be afraid to continue to increase if needed).
We recommend beginning with about 10-15 mg a day if you are sensitive to medications and supplements and 20-25 mg per day if you are not. Take this amount for 3-4 days so you have a clear understanding of how that dose effects you, whether there are any unwanted side effects, etc. (See blog post at this link for known side effects of cbd) Try taking it in the morning and later in the afternoon or evening to see what works best for you. Doses over 25-30 mg can make some people tired so if you find you need more to get the desired effect, you may want to split it up and take less in one sitting, but take it more often. (Maybe 15 mg 3 times a day instead of 50 mg at once which might make you tired) It is good to understand how you react to a certain dose so you can determine whether a higher dose gives you more relief or less relief. After that, if you are not getting the effects you want, increase your dosage by 5-10 milligrams (or less if you are sensitive) for another 3-4 days. Continue to do this until you get the results you are looking for. If you begin to see a decrease in benefits, go back down to the lower dose at which you were seeing positive effects. Some people feel the effects of cbd right away. Others can take up to 6-8 weeks before they feel the full effects (though this is rare). It took me about 8 days at 25 mg/day before my knee discomfort was relieved. I increased my serving for about 5 weeks until I was at about 40 mg per day but I didn’t feel any better at 40 than I did at 30 so I went back down to 30.
My sister increased her serving daily for several months and eventually found that 100 mg per day was perfect for her. Having patience and finding the right serving size for you is key to using cbd and full spectrum hemp products successfully. Starting low and up-titrating over a period of weeks or even months is the best way to find the right dose for your body. You may also want to experiment with taking it once twice or three times a day.
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The Bi-Phasic Effects of CBD and How it Effects Dosing.
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Why is more CBD not always better?
Why does cbd sometimes stop working or have the opposite effect?
Studies have shown that the effectiveness of cbd is bi-phasic meaning that more is not always better. The graph of its efficacy looks like the bell curve above which shows the level of dose on the X axis and the relative benefits on the X axis. Once you reach the optimum level for your body, taking more will cause a decrease in the benefits.
As you can see, more CBD is not necessarily better. Each person's body has its own optimum level. Why? CBD is a neurotransmitter modulator and the amount of cbd required to bring your body back into balance will be different than the amount required to bring someone else's body back to balance because the amount needed to balance your body depends on the condition of your endocannabinoid systems and your body's own natural neurotransmitter modulators (this is called your endocannabinoid tone). If you have perfect endocannabinoid tone, taking cbd could actually have negative effects. People will actually experience a loss of benefits at a high concentration of cannabis that are greater than their optimal level. This concentration will differ for everyone based on their endocannabinoid tone.
Endocannabinoid tone includes the number of endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes that metabolize the cannabinoids. If you flood the receptors with too many cannabinoids (cbd, thc or others), the body will actually turn the receptors off or even metabolize them in order to bring your body back into balance or homeostasis. The excess cannabinoids and enzymes that your body produced to metabolize the excess cannabinoids will be excreted into the blood. When homeostasis is reached the receptors will "turn back on". Finding this spot of homeostasis is finding your optimal dose or otherwise referred to as your sweet spot. That is why we say to up-titrate. If you just jump to a high dose right away you could actually experience negative effects and waste a lot of money.
How to Read CBD Labels & Calculate CBD Dosages
Because every company gives concentration of their product in a different way, it can be difficult to calculate dosages. Some companies tell you how much there is in a drop, some tell you how much is in 1 ml of fluid others give the total milligrams in a whole bottle. Need help? Click on the link above to see our video and read our blog post on calculating cbd dosages.
When Should I Take CBD?
We have found that the key to being successful with CBD is a willingness to experiment. Everyone's body is different and everyone reacts a little different to cbd. Some people feel it right away; others need it to build up in their system and don't feel the full effects for a week or 2.
Some people do well taking it once a day in the morning, however we recommend splitting your daily dose and taking 1/2 in the morning and half at night. If you are taking large doses for pain, it might make you sleepy so you may choose to take a small quantity in the morning and the majority of your daily dose at night to help you sleep. We also have customers who take small amounts 4 -5 times a day throughout the day.
Wondering what delivery method is best? Click on this link for our blog post:
What is the Most Effective Way to Take CBD?
Note to those taking supplements & pharmaceutical medications**
If you are taking supplements or medications, please consult your physician before taking CBD as there are some known side effects and CBD can impact the effectiveness of some pharmaceutical drugs.
Drugs that are metabolized by the CYP450 enzyme can be effected. Please see the following link for more information on drug interactions. Since many physicians do not have a clear understanding of the effects of cbd, we recommend forwarding this report to your doctor.
A Primer on Cannabinoid-Drug Interactions
CBD-Drug Interactions: Role of Cytochrome P450
