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The Ultimate CBD Dosage Guide:
How Much CBD Should You Take?
Cannabidiol may just be one of the fastest growing subgroups of the marijuana industry. While many companies have been selling CBD for the better part of a decade by now, increased attention as well as the laws around marijuana becoming more and more relaxed has skyrocketed CBD to the forefront of the mary jane marketplace.
If you'd like to read more about about CBD itself, we've written a comprehensive page on the subject that can be found here.
Dispensaries from the boutique to the no-frills all now typically stock at least one CBD-only product. The challenge faced by us consumers is that are these products worth all the new buzz, despite the fact that with CBD you won't even catch a buzz?
Well, it depends on what attracts you to CBD in the first place. Is it relief from inflammation in a very specific part of the body, or are you looking for a more comprehensive whole body approach?
Deciding what kind of effects you want is imperative to deciding what form of cannabidiol products are worth looking into. You aren't out of the woods entirely once you have you desired delivery route figured out, though. If you're like me, after you finally have some CBD of your own you'll have another burning question: how much CBD do I take?
Thankfully dosing has been simplified over time and thanks to the many human guinea pigs that have reported back with how to best take CBD.
Therefore you'll be able to know the answer to the question you probably came here to find out the answer to, which is "how much CBD should I take?"
CBD Oil Dosages
Oils infused with CBD that are meant to be taken by mouth are considered to be the most medicinally versatile methods for taking CBD. The benefits are two fold: the oil can be absorbed through mucous membranes in the mouth, allowing for very quick effects should the need arise, and the oil can also be swallowed so it can pass through the digestive system and provide long term relief at the same time.
This is the method of choice for parents of children with epilepsy, as the oil can be administered even in the throes of a seizure and gently massaged into the gums. No other method can be employed safely to a child who's currently having a seizure, nobody is giving their kid a gummy or a vape pen while they're convulsing.
CBD oil occasionally requires some math to properly figure out how much is in a dropper full, much like vaporizers. While most manufacturers now tell you exactly how much is in a full dropper filled to the mark, it is still occasionally required that you do a quick calculation. A 150ml bottle containing 1500mg would mean that each milliliter has 10 milligrams of cannabidiol.
Dosing with oil requires a mixture of the principles of dosing by inhalation and the principles of dosing by eating. If the oil is held under the tongue for some time, it will reach the blood stream very quickly and effects will be felt within half an hour. If the oil is swallowed completely without much time to be absorbed, it will have to be digested before the effects can be felt. Splitting a dose to be half digested and half taken sublingually can make for the best of both worlds: quick relief and all-day relief.
Starting small and working your way up until you find the best dose for you is how individuals get the most help from CBD oil. For instance, starting at 5mg/3 times per day and moving up to 10mg/3 times per day all the way up to about 20-25mg/3 times per day is how 90% of people find their desired dose. Once you reach a dose where the side effects become too much, simply scale the dose back to the dose that was working before it and that is how much you should be taking.
Dosing With Inhaled CBD
Since the new "it" cannabinoid comes from a commonly inhaled plant, it only makes sense that a multitude of vaporizers and smoked CBD crystals would be on the market.
The greatest benefit of inhalation as a route of administration is that the effects are felt within five to ten minutes, it is the best choice if immediate relief is necessary and having to re dose isn't an issue. With the amount of flavors of e-juice available now, opting for low-dose CBD and an enjoyable flavor can be a good way to keep the desired effects going all day while also enjoying vaporizing, if that's your bag.
Inhaled cannabidiol is without a doubt the hardest to properly dose. This is because a "puff" is far from what anyone would consider a consistent unit of measure. Plus, unless you're buying a disposable vaporizer that clearly states the CBD content in a full pen, you'll have to do some math to figure out how much CBD is in a single tank.
For, if you have 15ml of e-juice that has a total of 100mg of CBD, each ml contains 6.66mg. To semi-accurately keep track of how much you've consumed, it's required that you remain mindful of how many milliliters you've put in the vaporizer and how much you've gone through.
To actually dose using this method, it's a bit less exact than any of the other methods. Three to five "puffs" should be taken from the average vaporizer pen. At this point, it's best to wait 5-10 minutes before deciding if more CBD is required. Repeat as necessary, but note that your first few tests should be done on days where things like dry mouth and possible drowsiness won't be an issue, as it's likely you'll take it too far before understanding how much vapor works best for you.
Edible Dosages
CBD edibles are a novel way to get long lasting effects from a dose of cannabidiol. My personal favorites are hard candies or caramels infused with CBD, but gummies come a close second.
The choices in CBD edibles are too numerous to count: nearly every food in existence has a cannabinoid filled counterpart now.
Edibles are a spectacular choice if long-lasting, whole body relief of general pain/inflammation and anxiety is what you're after. The only aspect worth mentioning for edibles vs other delivery methods is that it takes some time before the effects are felt as the CBD must be properly digested before it can reach the bloodstream. Depending on the individual as well as other factors like stomach fullness, it takes about half an hour to two hours for CBD edibles to reach their full potential.
Edible CBD tends to last very long, with some people satisfied with a single dose with breakfast, while most opt for twice a day and re-dose once the first dose appears to be losing efficacy. For management of chronic conditions, edibles are the way to go.
When the substance is taken by mouth, it is released into the bloodstream slowly as it is metabolized, so taking more milligrams than you would in a single dose of more immediate routes of administration is recommended.
You should be purchasing edible CBD from a reliable source that clearly prints the amount of active ingredient right on the package. Some companies opt for single chews or gummies with enough to last the whole day and some are smaller so you can either enjoy eating more at a single time or slowly take your dose over the day for a more extended-release type effect.
If you are treating inflammation/pain, somewhere in the realm of 10mg-45mg daily should suffice, but all individuals vary. It will most likely be a matter of trial and error to find a good dose, with most people settling somewhere between 25-50mg per day. If you aren't getting the desired results after dosing up to 75-100mg throughout the day, it's fairly safe to say that CBD is not suitable for your particular brand of pain. Not all pain is due to the same reasoning, this is why some might choose Tylenol over Ibuprofen for instance.
Start low and start working your way up for most conditions, those trying to treat sleep disorders will most likely end up falling somewhere at the higher dosage range while other conditions tend to fall somewhere in the low to middle range.
Treatment of epileptic seizures requires a much higher dose of CBD than usual. Most adults with the condition slowly work their way up to 100-300mg per day to keep epilepsy at bay. For children, it is recommended to start at 0.5mg/kg/day split into two doses and then 1mg/kg/day with the target dose being 2-10/mg/kg/day. Stop increasing the dose when treatment of seizures is at acceptable levels or when side effects become too much to bear.
Dosing Topicals
Topical CBD refers to any CBD product that is intended to be applied directly on the skin by manual application. While directly applying CBD oil to the skin was how it was done when topicals were in their infancy, the marketplace offers nearly any common topical product infused with CBD. These include but are not limited to: salves, ointments, creams, lip balms, moisturizers, lotions, and even shampoo and conditioners.
Why choose topical CBD? Well, do you have a kink in your neck never seems to go away? Or maybe you're like me and have a bad shoulder or other sports related injury. In this case, cannabidiol is perfect to soothe inflamed muscles and promote relaxation of localized parts of the body. In fact, I'm personally waiting for a CBD-infused product that work in conjunction with antibacterial agents that I can rub on an open wound to both sanitize it and help me not think about it all day thanks to CBD's ability to relax the area.
Topical CBD is in my opinion the easiest kind of cannabidiol to dose, the absorption isn't dependent on the ingredients reaching the bloodstream or passing through the digestive tract, absorption is simply dependent on how well the particular ointment can penetrate the layers of the skin. Since the bloodstream is more or less avoided, the possible side effects from taking things too far are functionally zero.
To dose topical cannabidiol, you first need to locate exactly the source of the discomfort. Is your sore leg because of muscles in your calves, thighs, or hips? Alleviating a headache might not require application to the forehead, but instead application to sore jaw muscles or somewhere on your head with a lot of pressure on it (ie a ponytail worn all day). Since topicals only work where they are applied, it's extremely important to make sure you're applying them where the desired effects will be most pronounced.
Once you've figured out where you want to apply the cream, all that is required now is to make sure the area is clean and dry and then apply the cream to the area in a circular motion. Apply a reasonable amount of the topical and massage it into the skin slowly and then wait a few minutes. If you feel that after waiting a few minutes there's more CBD could be doing more for you, repeat the application process until you feel a fresh and soothing sensation in the affected area.
Things To Consider
All of this information might seem very inexact to you, and that's because it is. There isn't a one-size-fits-all method and I doubt there ever will be for this substance, everyone's endocannabinoid system varies slightly and how much CBD you need to get exactly the effects you seek will also vary.
Factors like age, pre-existing exposure to cannabinoids (ie marijuana smokers), and weight will factor in to what dose you will end up settling on. Trial and error is essentially a prerequisite to getting the most effective dose.
Always keep in mind that this substance isn't a cure-all, there might be a ceiling to how much CBD will help your particular condition, so don't dose recklessly in the hopes that a huge amount of CBD is the only thing stopping you from "living symptom-free." CBD is best used to help manage conditions, not necessarily cure them or make them entirely unnoticeable.
Parting Words
Hopefully, there is something for you to gain by choosing CBD.
What route of administration you choose is entirely dependent on whether you want long lasting relief or something more immediate, and also just personal preference. If you really can't decide, go for CBD oil as it is easily digested and can be administered sublingually as well.
If you end up overdoing things, there are some side effects you may feel. Take note of how much you took and be sure to scale things back should you try again.
About the Author Taylor
A marijuana enthusiast, vaporizer connoisseur, a frequent user of CBD and he's also the founder of iMarijuanit.com.