One of the top questions we get at Farmer & Chemist is, “How much CBD oil should I take?” The answer largely depends on a number of factors when determining the best dosage for CBD oil. These are the top eight considerations you need to take into account when deciding how much CBD oil you should take:
How Much CBD Oil Should I Take? 8 Factors to Consider:
- Body weight
- Sensitivity
- Symptoms
- Sex
- Health condition
- CBD concentration
- Side effects
- Other medication
These are the basic factors we use to determine How much CBD oil you should take. Below, we’ll take a look at each factor in a broader perspective to give you a better idea of the optimal dose for alleviating your symptoms and providing pain relief. Knowing the ideal CBD dosage is crucial to experience the desired and optimal effects of CBD oil.
A Quick Overview of CBD Oil
CBD refers to cannabinoid, the non-psychoactive compound that comes from the cannabis plant or CBD flower, also known as hemp or marijuana. While marijuana has largely been associated with “getting high,” it is another compound inside the plant entirely—tetrahydrocannabinol or THC—that causes the psychoactive effects.
Over the years, there has been extensive medical research to prove the benefits and applications of CBD oil, which is one of the most effective ways to administer the wonder drug. CBD can be administered in many different ways, including as a CBD tincture, CBD gummy, CBD face masks, CBG gel caps, CBD balm, and other types of CBD topicals.
No matter which form you prefer to take, CBD is known for alleviating the negative symptoms associated with many physical and mental ailments. In fact, many mental health practitioners recommend CBD for conditions like anxiety or PTSD, as well as chronic pain. CBD tends to calm your nerves, which makes it an attractive alternative to prescription medication.
How Much CBD Oil Should I Take?
Before delving into the guidelines, we want to say that it is always recommended that you use a CBD product under the supervision of a doctor or therapist. They are the best suited to determine if CBD oil could be beneficial to your health.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take an in-depth look at each factor that affects CBD oil dosage recommendations:
1. Body Weight
Body weight plays a major role in determining ideal CBD dosage. There is a correlation between weight and dosage, and generally, people who weigh more than others need to take a higher dosage due to metabolism differences and body concentration levels. Many health practitioners will refer to a CBD dosage chart when making CBD oil dosage recommendations. This chart is generally broken down by weight. People with a lower weight will generally get a lower recommended dosage, while people who are overweight will be prescribed more.
2. Sensitivity
Although CBD oil is highly beneficial for a number of symptoms and conditions, not everyone’s body reacts to it the same way. This is referred to as the sensitivity of the body, and it also plays a major role in how much CBD you need to relieve your ailments. If you are taking CBD oil for the first time and haven’t consulted a doctor, then it is wise to start with a small dose.
This way, even if you experience side effects or feel ill, you can stop taking it and get in touch with your doctor to find out how much you should be taking. A lower dose will either allow you to experience the desired effect, or it won’t work—which may mean that CBD isn’t the best treatment option for you or that you require a higher dose to have a therapeutic effect.
3. Symptoms
To determine how much CBD oil you need to treat an ailment, it is important to know what symptoms need to be treated. CBD can be used to treat many different health conditions and mental ailments, while also providing pain relief to patients suffering from chronic conditions.
When it comes to mental health, CBD oil has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia. This is because of CBD’s ability to react with the brain’s serotonin and dopamine receptors, which are responsible for regulating mood and behavior.
CBD can be used to treat muscle and joint aches and pains. CBD is an excellent anti-inflammatory. When applied locally to achy joints and muscles, CBD works quickly to relieve pain and inflammation.
On a more surprising note, CBD can also be beneficial for reducing acne. This is due to the oil’s anti-inflammatory properties, and its ability to reduce the production of body oil.
4. Sex
Males and females have different biological components, so they sometimes have different responses to the same types of medications and compounds. Recent studies have suggested that female bodies could be more sensitive to CBD oil, but there are other factors that influence this study too, including body weight and sensitivity levels.
5. Health Conditions
Health conditions are another important factor to consider when determining the ideal CBD dosage for symptom treatment. Conditions that affect your blood pressure, glucose level, cholesterol level, immune system health, etc. can affect how your body processes CBD oil, and subsequently your recommended CBD dosage. Some conditions may make your body more sensitive to CBD, and thus require a lower dose, while others may make your body more tolerant of CBD, requiring a higher dose.
There are also rare but significant drug interactions associated with CBD. You should speak with your pharmacist or doctor to see if any of the medications you are taking negatively interact with CBD, including blood thinners.
If you have questions on how a health condition may affect your recommended CBD dosage, talk to your doctor. They will have the information that is necessary to determine the proper dose of CBD oil to manage your symptoms while minimizing any potential side effects.
6. CBD Concentration
CBD concentration—that is the amount of CBD extract inside the oil that you are using—is also taken into consideration when determining your optimal CBD dosage. CBD concentration is also referred to as strength, and it is often calculated in milligrams. For instance, if you buy a 1,000mg CBD oil, it may contain anywhere between 2.5-3mg per drop, or 33mg per mL, which is a suitable amount. Generally, more potent CBD oils have higher concentrations of CBD within the oil.
If you are prescribed ½ to one mL, or dropper full, per day, that means you may be taking anywhere between 15 to 30mg in a single day. Likewise, if your doctor recommends 50mg every day then you need to take more than one dropperful every day, or buy a higher potency CBD oil.
This is why it is crucial to know the CBD concentration of the product you are buying, as well as the ideal CBD dosage per day or week.
7. Side Effects
Like many medications, CBD oil does have a few side effects associated with it.
If you purchase a CBD product that contains a small amount of THC, you may experience more intense side effects. And if you buy CBD products with pure CBD only, there is a slight chance you may experience side effects such as nausea, fatigue, fever, or irritability. Other health factors may also contribute to these side effects, such as being overweight, having high blood pressure, etc.
CBD oil is also known to increase the level of Coumadin, a blood thinner that is present inside the blood. Moreover, it may also intensify the effects of other medications in your bloodstream, which is why you must be careful while taking it with other medicines. Talk to your pharmacist if you ever have questions or concerns about the side effects of CBD oil.
8. Other Medication
Last, but not least, if you are already taking a prescription medication, you will need to consult your doctor before taking CBD oil or CBD in any other form. It’s not often, but sometimes CBD oil can interact with certain medications and affect its effectiveness. Your doctor will know if you are on one of these medications, or they can certainly reach out to our pharmacists to find out.
Can You Take Too Much CBD?
If you start with a lower dose of CBD oil, there are two possibilities: either you will feel the effects of the CBD dose, or you won’t feel anything. However, taking a high dose of CBD can have the opposite effect, and it may amplify the side effects you experience. You can breathe a sigh of relief, though, as it isn’t possible to overdose or become addicted to CBD products. If you take too much CBD oil, more than likely you will just feel a little lethargic or sleepy.
There have been many studies to determine how much CBD you should take per day. According to some researchers, you can safely take up to 600 mg of CBD oil per day, while other scientists take this figure up to 1,500 mg per day. However, there is no conclusive research, which is why caution is always advised. Even when it comes to the health benefits of using CBD oil, scientists still have a lot to learn about the potential applications and benefits.
It is highly recommended that you consult with your doctor if you have questions about using any CBD product. If you are looking to try CBD oil without consulting a doctor, start with a lower dose. If you aren’t sure how much you should start with, We recommend starting with 25 mg per day.
Taking more than the optimal recommended dosage won’t necessarily make the healing process faster, nor will it add to the benefits of CBD oil that you are experiencing. But if you aren’t feeling anything from your current dosage, you might try to change the type of CBD product you are using or ask your doctor or pharmacist about trying a higher dosage.
Is it Safe to Use CBD Oil Every Day?
CBD experts say that it is nearly impossible to overdose or get high on CBD oil or any other CBD product. Therefore, you can safely take a daily dose of CBD oil if it alleviates your symptoms without additional side effects or complications. Moreover, the cannabinoid receptors in your body bond with the CBD inside the oil, causing it to replicate over time. This means that the CBD oil maintains its potency and provides many health benefits with continued use.
Like other prescription medications that get metabolized through the liver in your body, CBD oil is similar and takes time for the body to absorb. If you are using broad spectrum CBD products, then it is wise to start with a lower dose and see how your body responds over time.
How to Calculate the Ideal CBD Dosage?
As you are trying to determine the right dose of CBD oil that you should take, there are a number of steps that you can take in the process. These steps include:
Start with a Small Dose
Although we have mentioned this many times in the above sections, it is very important that if you are just trying CBD for the very first time, you should always start with a lower dose. Most CBD users have reported that they started with as low as five to 10 mg of CBD oil, two times per day. This also allows you to get used to the taste and flavor of the CBD oil, as it has a certain “not so sweet” taste”.
When starting with a small dose of CBD oil, it may take a few days before you start to feel the effects of the CBD, since your cannabinoid receptors need some time to bind to the compounds in the oil. This doesn’t mean that you should immediately start increasing the dosage if you don’t feel anything. Ideally, keep taking the five to 10 mg of CBD oil drops for a few days, and then adjust upwards if needed.
Slowly Increase the Dosage
If you have started taking a small dose of CBD oil and don’t feel any change or relief in your symptoms or discomfort, then you can slowly start increasing the dosage. Make sure to give your increased dosage a few days, then increase it by three to five mg. Otherwise, you risk taking too much CBD oil. Although this doesn’t have any severe effects, you will definitely feel the sleepy side effects.
Starting with a lower dose and slowly working up to the right dose is a concept known as “microdosing.” The benefits of microdosing are that you get to find the lowest dose that is still effective for treating your condition.
Gradual Adjustment in Dosage
The important step in determining the right dose of CBD oil is to make slow and gradual changes, instead of drastic increases. Even if you are consulting a doctor, they might start you off with a smaller dose and ask you to continue taking the CBD oil in the prescribed amount for a few days, weeks, or until your next appointment—at which point they’ll evaluate and recommend accordingly.
Using a CBD Dosage Calculator
Some CBD users will use a CBD dosage calculator to determine how much CBD oil they should take. You can easily find one with a simple internet search. These calculators take the input values and tell you your optimal dose. For the calculation, you need to know the size of the CBD oil bottle in milliliters, the CBD concentration in milligrams, and the number of drops per ml. The calculator will take all the values into account to tell you the amount of CBD oil you should be taking in both ml and number of drops
When Should I Take CBD Oil Every Day?
Most CBD users take CBD oil drops two times a day, morning and evening. You can determine your optimal time of use according to your symptoms or illnesses as well. For instance, if you are looking to take CBD for anxiety or depression-related insomnia, then it would be wise to take a few drops of CBD oil before you sleep.
If you take CBD oil early in the morning, you may be able to spend a peaceful day without the discomfort or pain caused by your illness. Moreover, if you are required to take 30-50mg of CBD oil every day, you can spread it out throughout the day for easier and long-lasting consumption.
Find Your Optimal CBD Dosage Today!
There are many factors that go into determining how much CBD oil you should take. Things like weight, sensitivity, sex, and health conditions can affect how you react to CBD oil, while things like side effects and medications may limit the amount you can take.
When you first start taking CBD oil, it’s always recommended that you start with a low dose. If the low dose is not effective, slowly increase the dosage by three to five mg. It can take a few days to get the full effects of CBD, so always give it a few days before adjusting the dose.
There are many different ways to consume CBD oil, including CBD tinctures, CBD gummies, CBD soft gels, CBD balms and more. No matter your consumption preference, there’s no better choice for CBD products than FarmerAndChemist.com. We have a wide range of high-potency CBD products and solutions, and if you have any questions, our pharmacy technicians and pharmacists are only a phone call away!