CBD is literally everywhere. You can find CBD in CBD stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and even gas stations. The popularity of the product has many people wondering what the right CBD dosage is for them. The answer is it depends on the individual, but there are some general guidelines about CBD that can help determine the right dosage for you. This blog will walk you through what CBD is and what dosage may be right for you.
What is CBD?
Before we can examine the right CBD dosage for you, we need to look at what CBD is to better understand how it can help. CBD, or cannabidiol as it is technically known, is a part of the hemp plant. The hemp plant is a cannabis plant but is not marijuana. The main difference between hemp and marijuana is the presence of THC.
THC, like CBD, is a cannabinoid found in the marijuana plant. THC is the part of marijuana that gives you the euphoric high sensation often associated with the plant. While hemp has a trace amount of THC in the plant, it is not enough to give you a high feeling.
Is CBD Legal?
When you see the word cannabis many think the product is illegal and you may think what does it matter what my CBD dosage is because I cannot take it. Well good news-CBD is fully legal. In 2018 the federal government passed the federal Farm Bill which fully legalized all hemp-based products. This means that any product that is hemp-derived, meaning that it has 0.3% of THC in it is fully federally legal.
This means that whether you are in Baltimore, Maryland or Phoenix, Arizona it is fully legally to buy, posses, and consume CBD products.
How Does CBD Work?
Ok so CBD is legal and we know where it comes from, but how does it work? The short answer is that it works with our body’s endocannabinoid system. This complex system of receptors in our bodies was first discovered in the 1990s. We now know that we have endocannabinoid receptors all throughout our bodies in areas such as our brain, nervous system, digestive system, skin, bones, and more. The endocannabinoid system’s primary responsibility is to create balance in our bodies.
CBD works by attaching to these receptors in various areas of our bodies to give several effects. The primary effects of CBD are pain and inflammation relief. In addition, CBD has anti-anxiety properties. This means that it gives you a general calming and relaxing feel.
What Does The Research Say?
Since CBD has only been federally legal for a few years there is still only a limited amount of research about its effects. However, the research that does exist shows many positive signs of CBD’s ability to help with pain, inflammation, and anxiety.
In a double-blinded study from 2019, 37 Japanese teenagers with social anxiety disorder (SAD) received 300 mg of CBD oil or a placebo every day for four weeks. The teens were assessed with surveys used to diagnose and measure SAD symptoms. The anti-anxiety properties of CBD reduced symptoms aligned with the disorder, providing relief comparable to Paroxetine, a drug commonly used to treat the condition.
A 2011 study that was done in rats looked at how CBD would affect pain. The study concluded that CBD helped to reduce inflammatory pain in the rats. It did this by impacting the way pain receptors in the rat’s body responded to the sensation of pain.
In 2014 there was a review done of all research on animals regarding CBD and arthritis. The review of all animal research indicated that CBD may be help for those suffering from osteoarthritis.
Finally, a study done in 2016 showed that CBD applied topically had the potential to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
CBD Dosage
Now that we have looked at what CBD is and what it does let us examine what the right CBD dosage could be for you. The amount of CBD you should take depends on a range of factors, including:
- your body weight
- the condition you are treating
- your individual body chemistry
- the concentration of CBD in each pill, capsule, drop, or gummy
In other words, there are a lot of variables that go into deciding how much CBD to take. Before trying CBD, be sure to talk to a CBD expert near you about an appropriate dosage and any potential risks.
It is always best to go low and slow with your CBD dosage. This means starting with a lower dosage and gradually increasing it. This generally means starting somewhere between 20 to 40 milligrams of CBD per day to see how you feel. After 3 days you can increase the amount by 5 milligrams if you feel you need more. You can continue increasing your CBD until you feel it is effectively treating your symptoms.
A good way to track your dosage is to write down how much you have taken. This way if you must gradually add more you know exactly how much you have taken in the past.
How To Calculate CBD Dosage
If you are using a product like a pill or gummy that has a premeasured amount of CBD in the product you will know exactly how much you are taking which will make this process easy. However, if you are using a CBD oil it will be necessary to calculate your dose.
Sometimes it is useful to figure out how much CBD is in one drop of oil. On some packages they may tell you how much is in a drop but on others the packaging may only specify the total amount of CBD in the entire bottle, but not the amount that will be in a single drop.
So, let us walk you through how you can calculate your dosage. One drop of CBD oil is about 0.05 milliliters (mL). That is, not a full dropper — just a single drop.
This means that a 10-mL bottle of CBD oil contains 200 drops. You get 200 drops by dividing the 10 milliliters in the bottle by .05, or the size of a drop. And if the packaging for that 10-mL bottle says that the bottle contains 1,000 mg of CBD, each drop will contain about 5 mg of CBD. You get this number by dividing the total milligrams of CBD in the bottle by the number of drops in the bottle. So, in this example if you want to have 20 mg of CBD, you should take four drops.
Takeaways About CBD Dosage
CBD has been shown to be helpful with many different ailments, but specifically pain, inflammation, and anxiety. As this article has shown it is best to go low and slow with your dosage of CBD until you find the right amount for you. Everyone can be a little bit different, so your dosage of CBD tends to be highly personalized.
To feel confident about your correct dose of CBD it is often useful to speak with an expert. While some CBD shops may claim to be experts few have providers on staff. This is one aspect that separates places like CBD Supply Maryland that have a certified medical cannabis doctor on their team who can help walk you through the process. If you have questions it is always best to go to a CBD store near you that truly has experts that can guide you through the process.
