CBD Dosing: What’s Right for You?

What’s the perfect dose of CBD for you? Unfortunately, science is yet to answer this question. And with no official regulations in place, you might feel confused about how much CBD to take. Luckily, there are guidelines to help you get started or fine-tune your dose for a better experience.

The key principle is to find a dose that provides a therapeutic effect and is well-tolerated. Doing this successfully depends on understanding several variables. So let’s break it down into simple steps to find the perfect dose for you.

How Sensitive Are You to CBD?

The first step is to understand how your body will interact with CBD. In general, it’s recommended to start low and slow and increase weekly to your point of comfort. Keep in mind that the same dose of CBD can have very different effects on different people. A 10mg dose can be barely perceptible, or more than you need. That’s why you need to take your own body type into account to plan your dose.

Start by considering your weight and constitution. People who are smaller and lighter will probably be more sensitive to the effects of CBD than those who have more body mass. If you’re 6’4” and weigh 300 pounds, it’ll probably take a different amount of CBD to have the same effect as someone who's 110 pounds and 5’5”. That said, if you take two people of the same size and weight, it’s normal for them to react differently to CBD too. Weight and size are just two of the factors to consider.

Another point is your sensitivity to other herbs you’ve taken in the past. That can be a clue to how your body might react to CBD. For example, if you notice your eyes getting heavy after half a cup of chamomile tea, you might consider starting with an even lower dose of CBD than is recommended for the average person. On the other hand, if you’re someone who has a strong tolerance and physical resilience to external influences, then you may feel comfortable starting at the average dose and increasing at slightly larger intervals to find the right fit. You know yourself best, so listen to your body. And remember, the time it takes until you see a result will also vary. You may require days or weeks of consistently taking CBD to start seeing results.

It’s also important to consider whether you’re taking any medication, or plan to take any soon. In such cases, speak to your doctor. They can help you understand whether the CBD could affect your treatment and help consult you about your dose.

What Can Change the Impact of CBD?

Keep in mind that not all CBD works the same. Let’s say you decide to try a CBD dose of 5mg. CBD comes in many forms and they can each be absorbed differently by your body. You can get CBD in oil form, alcohol tinctures, gummies and so much more. 

Think about it like this - when the product has to pass through your digestive tract, it’ll generally be less bioavailable than if it went right into your bloodstream. For that reason, it’s not just the amount that matters but the method through which it’s delivered.

Likewise, your experience of CBD can change not only between product-types, but also between brands and forms of CBD. For example, a full-spectrum extract can feel different than a CBD isolate, even when you take a similar dose. That might be because of the entourage effect, which suggests cannabinoids may have an increased therapeutic benefit when they work together.

Another point to consider is when you take your dose. The time of day may have an effect on the way your body experiences CBD. You might find that an evening dose is too stimulating, while your best friend may feel it’s the best solution she’s ever found for winding down. Also, do you take it all at once, or do you space it out throughout the day? This is also a matter of personal preference and needs to be discovered with some experimenting. Some people will benefit from splitting their dose to AM and PM, while others are better served with one dose per day.

Where Should You Start?

There are a lot of suggestions for how to comfortably ease into the right dose of CBD for you. You might hear some people say to start at a dose of 10mg, while others recommend starting lower. We tend to agree that somewhere around 5mg-10mg is a good starting point for most people. But remember, it’s really up to you.

As you get your bearings with CBD dosing, try not to compare yourself to others. Some people start and stay on a 5mg dose, while others will find themselves working up to the higher end of the spectrum with eventually as much as a 50mg dose. Many people end up in the 10-25mg range. It’s essential to listen to your own body as you discover your ideal dose.

How to Measure Your CBD Dose

Let’s say you’ve decided on your intended dose. Now you wonder, how much of your particular CBD product do you take? If you’re eating gummies it can be pretty straightforward, as they come in easy-to-use servings. But if you’re using a dropper, some clarification can be helpful. That’s because CBD is measured in milligrams (mg), but your oil or tincture will be measured in milliliters (ml). It can be easy to get these mixed up at first, so let’s clear up any confusion.

The first step is to understand that you can have two products with the same number of milliliters, but different milligrams of CBD. If you look at our best selling full spectrum hemp extract, you’ll see that’s the case. One option has 1000 mgs and the other has 1500 mgs of CBD. Yet, they both come in a 30ml bottle. This is because the extract in these products have different concentrations, but the same number of servings.

The easiest way to measure your dose is to first look at the serving size on the bottle. For instance, on our 1500mg bottle, you’ll see that 0.25ml contains 12.5mg of CBD. By contrast, the 1000mg bottle shows that 0.25ml contains 8mg of CBD. We try to make measuring these doses easy by providing calibrated droppers. Simply draw the ml of CBD extract that corresponds to your desired dose.

If you plan to take a mild dose of CBD, you can get a product with less potency. However, if you plan to take a very strong dose, it may be more convenient to get a high-potency product to reach your intended dose more easily.

How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

Even though the effects of CBD may wear off in a few hours, it stays in your system longer than that. But since most tests are focused on THC, there’s not a lot of research yet on exactly how long CBD stays in your body. We do know that it depends on several variables, which include your personal metabolism, the frequency and amounts of CBD you’ve used, how you consumed CBD and more.

CBD gets stored in your body’s fat cells. From that perspective, it’s been suggested that your BMI may affect how quickly it gets metabolized and can leave your body - with those with a higher BMI seeing it stay longer. That said, the amount of time that CBD stays in your system is personal, and there appears to be quite a bit of variation. Although there’s no conclusive data on how long CBD will stay in your body, studies suggest it can range anywhere from hours to weeks.

As we mentioned, CBD isn’t commonly tested for, unlike THC. However, small amounts (<0.3%) of THC are often contained in CBD products. So if you’re concerned about test results, it’s worth keeping this in mind.

Take your time to explore the ideal CBD dose for you, and don’t pressure yourself to find the perfect amount once and for all. Your CBD dose isn’t something to set-and-forget. It may continue to evolve and be influenced by changes in your health, lifestyle and body. For that reason, we recommend tracking your CBD consumption and its effects in a journal. For an easy way to do that we’ve created a printable CBD Wellness Log you can download here.

Now that you're armed with all the information you need to figure out your ideal CBD dose, grab some high quality, full-spectrum CBD and dial in your wellness routine.