Finding the right CBD dosage for yourself can be pretty complicated. You’ll need to consider it from all angles, starting with what you wanted it to accomplish. After all, cannabidiol has been shown to:
- Suppress seizures — the FDA has even approved CBD-based medication as a treatment for childhood epilepsy
- Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, which can help people with PTSD, insomnia, autism, and OCD as well
- Alleviate pain, which makes it particularly useful for those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other chronic pain disorders
- Enhance the immune system thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties
- Prevent nausea and vomiting, due to stomach ulcers as well as other gastrointestinal symptoms
But most of these claims come from personal experiences — for now, that’s all we have to go on. Since research hasn’t caught up with demand, most CBD products are classified as food supplements and, therefore, not subject to FDA regulations.
Finding the Right CBD Dosage to Treat Various Health Concerns
Perhaps if CBD products were under the FDA’s purview, they’d all come with empirically obtained instructions. Since they’re not, most of what we’re about to discuss is the result of anecdotal evidence and no small amount of guesswork.
Consider the Problem You’re Trying to Solve
The lack of concrete scientific evidence confirming the beneficial effects of cannabidiol can make adjusting your CBD dosage rather difficult. However, there are numbers most users agree on. For example, taking 10–20 mg per day is enough if you want to lower stress and improve immune system functions over time.
Alternatively, if you’re using CBD to momentarily treat pain or other symptoms such as menstrual cramps you might want to take higher doses. People who have insomnia could even take as much as 300 mg of CBD in one go. And don’t worry, that’s not enough to experience any side effects. According to a 2011 study, anything less than taking 20 grams of concentrated CBD at once should be fine.
Think About the Delivery Method
Now, the delivery system you use will affect both your CBD dosage and how quickly you’ll experience the benefits. For example, edibles, gummies, and teas all have relatively low potencies. You’d have to take them every day for a while before you experience any effects. However, with CBD oil, you’d probably experience the effects of CBD fairly quickly.
After all, CBD oil is applied under the tongue, which is one of the most effective ways to absorb any kind of medication or, in this case, supplement. Sublingual or buccal (dropping the oil between the gums and cheek) administration allows the tincture to absorb directly into the bloodstream.
Even vape liquid would kick in pretty quickly. After taking two or three inhales, wait for half an hour before taking more, if necessary.
On the other hand, if you wanted to experience a more localized effect and make use of cannabidiol’s anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties, you could use a topical treatment instead. In that case, you would take as much salve as you need to cover the area you’d like to treat. Then, you’ll just have to reapply the ointment every six hours — or as often as you feel like it.
Read more: How Long Does CBD Stay in your System?
Go for Full-Spectrum If Possible
Cannabidiol is certainly not the most famous cannabinoid — that honor goes to the main psychoactive component of the plant, THC. Many people are afraid of taking anything that has a mind-altering substance in it. However, we should note that most commercial CBD products come from hemp, which typically contains less than 0.3% of THC. What’s more, during the production of CBD products, manufacturers can:
- Choose to leave any THC they extract mixed in with the CBD. That’s how we get full-spectrum products that contain all the cannabinoids and terpenes extracted from the plant.
- Take just the THC out while leaving in other cannabinoids, leaving us with broad-spectrum products.
- Remove any chemicals that aren’t CBD, resulting in CBD isolate.
Research has shown that CBD isolate needs to be taken in much larger doses than full-spectrum products to have a similar effect. Therefore, other cannabinoids and terpenes seem to make CBD more potent. So if you want to experience the full effects of CBD, don’t be afraid to reach for the full-spectrum products.
Read more: How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy CBD?
Take Your Weight Into Account
When it comes to CBD, it’s best to start with a mild dose that’s appropriate for your weight category. For people (or rather, children) between 46 and 85 pounds, it’s best to start with 9 mg of CBD and increase in tiny increments to 12 or 15 mg. If you’re under 150 pounds, you should start with 12 and work your way up to 18 mg of CBD, again working in small increments.
People under 240 pounds should look for their optimal CBD dosage in the 18–27 mg range. Lastly, people over 240 pounds should start with 23 mg and work their way up to taking 45 mg if the mild dosage isn’t effective.
Set Up a Schedule
When you settle on a dose you’d like to start with, you’ll have to find a way to incorporate it into your day. Some people only take CBD once or twice per day. Others make it a more regular occurrence, adding oil or popping capsules every two or three hours to extend the effects of the treatment. Lastly, if you like how CBD makes you feel, you could take smaller doses on an hourly basis.
A Few Parting Words
Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of guesswork involved in figuring out the CBD dosage you should be taking. However, you can be sure that you won’t be able to hurt yourself while you look for the perfect amount to treat what ails you. Cannabidiol is not physically addictive by any stretch of the imagination. Therefore, you can have CBD products every day without experiencing any detrimental side effects.