The world of CBD can a bit daunting: from crumble to tinctures to capsules to edibles – the possibilities seem endless. For many, that endless possibility begins with CBD Oil. Let’s say you’ve finally settled on a tincture at Dr.Ganja, had it shipped to you (free for U.S. orders), you open up the bottle, catch the peculiar but enticing aroma of the oil and… now what?
How Much CBD Oil Do I Take?
This is sort of a complex question, but there are definitely guidelines to stick by. It’s important to note that when it comes to CBD dosing, there is no one size fits all. Take these recommended CBD dosages from the esteemed Mayo clinic for example:
For epilepsy: 200-300 mg by mouth daily.
For sleep disorders: 40-160 mg by mouth.
For schizophrenia: 40-1280 mg by mouth daily.
As you can see, these dosages range wildly; in fact, one of the few research studies covering CBD dosage for anxiety found pre-clinical results with anywhere from 150 to 600 mg of CBD a day. I don’t know about you, but 150-600 mg of CBD and 40-1280 mg of CBD leaves a little too much open for interpretation.
So why is this?
Reason Why Dose Varies So Much
CBD, as well as THC and the other cannabinoids, are something called “biphasic.”. This means that different doses produce different effects. Alcohol is an example of a biphasic compound: lower doses tend to produce energetic effects while higher doses produce sedation and incoordination.
Additionally, CBD works by affecting our endocannabinoid system; namely, our CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors are some of the most widespread receptors in the entire body, so it’s no wonder CBD has such an all-encompassing and powerful effect. But if you think back to that first time you cut open a frog during dissections in 8th grade Biology, you’ll recall how everything wasn’t exactly the same as in the textbook. Some arteries seemed to be in some weird places, the spleen looked a little funky…
This holds true for our endocannabinoid system (and basic anatomy) too. Everyone’s system is slightly different and so it makes sense that the same chemicals, AKA CBD, affect people in different ways. What might be a low dose of CBD for your friend who has been taking CBD for a long time may be an extremely high dose for you or a new user.
CBD Oil Dosage Guidelines
Fortunately, there are some basic guidelines that can ensure that you’re on the right path to relief:
1.) Start small. As discussed above, CBD is biphasic, so in this case it’s best to underdo it, than overdo it. A good starting point is 20-25 mg twice a day. Gradually increase each week if you’re not getting the results you want (if the CBD is for severe circumstances such as epilepsy, consult a doctor).
2.) Don’t expect instantaneous results. While some users experience benefits from the first use, your endocannabinoid system is an extremely complex system and long term results take exactly that: a long term.
3.) If you experience heavy sedation with your starting dose and that’s not the effect you’re looking for, try cutting your dose in half.
4.) When placing CBD oil in your mouth, don’t swallow it right away. Let it rest under your tongue for about 30 seconds to a minute before you swallow. This will increase the bio-availability (how much CBD gets into your system to have an effect).
Measuring out your dose
So now that some ground rules have been laid down, you might wonder, how exactly do I measure out, say, 20-25 mg of CBD oil?
It’s pretty easy. The dropper in almost all tincture and oil bottles is about 1 mL. You just divide the amount of CBD in the bottle by the mL content of the bottle and that will tell you how much CBD you’ll get with each full dropper.
For instance, take one of Dr.Ganja.com‘s popular CBD isolate Tinctures, Lazarus Natural’s CBD Isolate Tincture. At 750 mg of CBD and a 15 mL bottle, 750/15 = 50 mg of CBD per mL. So each full dropper contains 50 mg of CBD. If you’re looking for a 25 mg dose, you’d take exactly half a dropper. Now take Dr.Ganja’s heavy hitter, CBDistillery’s Full Spectrum Extra Strength 2500 mg CBD Tincture. At 2500 mg of CBD in a 30 mL bottle, 2500/30 = 83.8 mg of CBD per mL. For a 20-25mg CBD dose, you’d need to take a little less than 1/3 of the dropper.
We hope this helped you in determining the right dose, or a good starting point, for your CBD needs. One of the wonderful things about CBD is its safety, so if you do get too strong of a dose, don’t worry, as the side effects are mild and range from feeling tired to an upset stomach.