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    FRIDAY2020

    How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work?

    Advice
    |
    5 min

    CBD oil has drawn a lot of attention over the last few years as the new kid on the block in the health and wellness space.

    With a whole host of potential uses and a growing user base, it seems there is an ever-growing list of questions about how CBD oil works and the ways in which it interacts with our bodies.

    One question we often get asked is: how long does it take for CBD Oil to work?

    Let’s take a closer look...

    What Is CBD Oil?

    First of all, let’s make sure we’re clear about what CBD oil is and, more importantly, what it isn’t.

    CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of over a hundred cannabinoid compounds found inside the Cannabis Sativa plant, which is also known as the hemp plant.

    CBD oil is produced by processing the flowers, stalks and leaves of the hemp plant and combining the extract with a carrier oil such as MCT oil or hemp seed oil.

    Because it comes from Cannabis, many people often assume that it will produce the same “high” that users get from recreational cannabis use, but that’s not the case.

    The psychoactive compound responsible for the high we associate with cannabis is called THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) which is present in very high quantities in the cannabis recreational users smoke.

    The hemp used to create CBD products is naturally low in this THC, and by the time the plant has been refined and processed there are only very small trace amounts of the compound left.

    This leaves us with a fantastic non-psychoactive supplement that is filled with CBD and hundreds of other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that is incredibly useful for supporting a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

    Though research is still ongoing on the subject of CBD and its full effects on the body, the WHO concluded that it was safe to use, is well tolerated by the majority of people and has very few mild, if any, side effects.

    How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work?

    While many people report being able to feel the effects of CBD quite quickly - sometimes in a matter of hours - realistically the best way to get the maximum benefit and allow the compounds to have a benefit is to take CBD consistently for at least 8-12 weeks. 

    However, there are lots of factors that can affect the time it takes for CBD to work and how effective it is.

    For example, someone who uses CBD oil regularly may feel that it takes less time for it to work than someone who has never used CBD before.

    It’s tough to give a definitive answer because there are so many things that can impact the time it takes for CBD to work.

    What Can Impact The Time It Takes CBD To Work?

    The time it takes CBD to work can be affected by a number of factors including your expectations, your age, the CBD dosage, your metabolism, your body weight, the quality of the CBD, and much more.

    CBD interacts with the body through the endocannabinoid system (ECS) which is a molecular system of receptors and transmitters that is intertwined with our central and peripheral nervous systems.

    These nervous systems are responsible for balancing and regulating the body through a process known as homeostasis.

    The ECS was only discovered in 1992, so there is still a lot to learn about how it functions and the ways in which it can affect our bodies.

    What is clear is that our bodies need and use cannabinoids, and we can support them by using CBD as a supplement in a similar way to the way we take a multivitamin to ensure it has everything it needs to function at its best.

    Let’s take a closer look at 4 of the biggest factors that can affect the time it takes for CBD to work.

    How You Take It

    The time it takes CBD to start working in your body can vary depending on your method of consumption.

    This is because of something known as bioavailability, which refers to the amount of CBD that enters the bloodstream and is able to have an active effect on the body.

    The bioavailability for some of the most common ways of taking CBD are:

    • Water Soluble CBD: 99% (if using liposomal water-soluble CBD, this is much less)
    • Topical CBD: ~40%
    • Vaping: ~30%
    • CBD Oil Drops: 10-12%
    • CBD One Hatcha: 10%
    • CBD Gummies & Capsules: ~3%
    • CBD Bath Bombs: <1%

    One of the fastest ways to get CBD into your system is by inhalation, with something like a CBD vape, where the CBD can be absorbed into the bloodstream by the lungs.

    However, vaping only has a bioavailability of around 30%, so there’s still a lot of the CBD going to waste. As a health and wellbeing company, we’re also advocates of other methods as smoking is unhealthy and is not something we would recommend as there are healthier and more effective ways to consume CBD.

    Taking CBD oil drops sublingually (under your tongue) usually only has a bioavailability of around 12%, but the CBD is absorbed straight into the bloodstream so it can get to work incredibly quickly.

    We’d always recommend starting with CBD oil if you’re trying CBD for the first time.

    Liquids, like our Hatcha hemp powder, and edibles, like CBD capsules and CBD gummies, will take longer to be absorbed into the bloodstream as they have to travel through the digestive system, so it will take longer for any effects to be felt.

    Capsules and gummies both have a very low bioavailability, meaning that most of the active CBD is destroyed in the body, so despite their popularity, we wouldn’t advise using these.

    By contrast, water-soluble CBD like our Absorb range has a nearly perfect bioavailability, meaning almost all of the active CBD can be absorbed into the bloodstream and used appropriately by the body. 

    It’s worth noting that our water-soluble technology is very different to the “liposomal” formulations most other brands use - which despite their claims, is not an effective way of taking CBD at all. Download our buyers guide for a more thorough understanding of why this is the case.

    There is also topical CBD, which typically falls somewhere in the middle in terms of bioavailability. 

    Things like CBD creams and CBD patches are a great way to take advantage of topical application, but CBD bath bombs are virtually useless so we’d recommend staying away from those at all costs.

    The Dosage & Potency

    The dosage and potency of your CBD will also play an important role in the time it takes for you to feel any effects.

    The potency of CBD products on the market can vary greatly depending on who you’re purchasing from, but our range of CBD oils is anywhere between 250mg and 2000mg of active CBD content.

    The amount of CBD in your system will be greater if you’re using the same dose from a higher strength oil, so it’s important to factor this in when you’re deciding which CBD oil is right for you.

    The dosage of the CBD oil will also play a role - with someone who is taking CBD 3 times per day being more likely to feel the effects than someone taking it once per day.

    It’s also likely that someone who has been taking CBD oil for a sustained period of time will see better results than someone who only uses CBD oil from time to time. 

    It’s not uncommon for us to hear of people who stopped taking their daily doses of CBD only to notice issues they’d forgotten they’d had starting to reappear, so if you want to try CBD be sure to stick to a routine for at least a few weeks to give it the best chance of working for you.

    The advice we give to our customers is to start with a medium strength CBD oil, as this leaves you the option of increasing or decreasing the strength depending on your experience.

    CBD oil is incredibly safe for human consumption, and the chances of taking too much is incredibly low, but please be sure to always follow the manufacturer’s dosage instructions on your CBD oil for your own safety.

    The Quality Of The CBD

    The quality of the product you’re using also plays a huge role in how long it takes for your CBD oil to work, and even whether or not it’s safe for consumption.

    Cannabis plants are fantastic at absorbing the compounds and nutrients from the soil in which they’re grown.

    While this means that CBD oils made from organically grown plants are bursting with nourishing ingredients, it also means that those grown and used by dishonest sellers could contain toxic contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals and solvents.

    This will not only have a negative impact on the flavour but could also pose a serious health risk to anyone using the oils.

    Any worthwhile CBD manufacturer should be able to provide lab test results that show that their products are free from these contaminants, so be sure to only buy from these suppliers.

    We’d always recommend opting for a full-spectrum CBD instead of a broad-spectrum or CBD isolate as this will allow you to benefit from the entourage effect.

    You should also be sure that the product you’re buying actually contains CBD.

    Believe it or not, there are hundreds of “CBD products” on the market that are being sold as “Hemp Oil” which people think is another name for CBD Oil.

    These are usually nothing more than bottles of hemp seed oil, which means they contain no active CBD.

    To be sure you’re getting the right thing, make sure the oil lists the quantity of CBD in milligrams (mg) on the packaging. If the packaging has anything along the lines of “3000mg Hemp Oil” it means it doesn’t contain any CBD.

    Your Metabolism & Physiology

    The final factor in how long it takes for CBD oil to work is your body’s metabolism and physiology.

    Everyone is different, so the ways in which CBD works and the time it takes can vary greatly from person to person.

    Things like your age, genetic profile, lifestyle and digestive health can all play a factor in the speed at which CBD is processed by your body.

    Someone with a higher metabolism is likely able to process CBD faster than someone with a slower metabolism, meaning it will reach the bloodstream in less time, and be ready for use by the body much more quickly.

    Sadly there’s no definitive advice we can give in this respect, as everyone truly is different, so it’s crucial to be mindful of the impact CBD is having on your body when you begin to take it so that you can find out what works best for you.

    How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System?

    The effects of CBD usually last anywhere between 2 and 6 hours, depending on how it was taken and the way your body processes it.

    Even after these effects are no longer felt it’s still possible for CBD to remain in your system, with it staying in most people's systems for somewhere between two to five days.

    This is why using CBD oil for an extended period of time is much more effective than simply using it from time to time, as it allows you to build up a base level of CBD that’s ready for your body to use whenever it needs it.

    How Much CBD Should I Take?

    As is the case when taking any new supplement, we would recommend starting out with a low dose of a medium strength CBD product to allow you to build up the CBD in your system and monitor how your body responds.

    If you’re not experiencing any immediate improvements or benefits then it’s possible to up your dosage steadily, but it’s worth waiting at least a couple of weeks before trying this.

    Side effects with CBD oil are incredibly rare and are usually very mild if they do occur, so it is safe to experiment a little with the strength you choose or the amount you take.

    As is the case with most things, you can build up a tolerance to CBD, so if you’ve been using CBD for a while and are no longer feeling any benefits then it could be that you need to up your dosage or move to a stronger CBD product, or give your body a break from CBD for a while and restart after your body has had the chance to recalibrate.

    The Bottom Line

    The time it takes for CBD to work can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, but most people will typically feel the effects anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours after use.

    Although it’s impossible to account for all of the biological variations, provided you choose a high-quality CBD product, with good bioavailability, from a reliable manufacturer, and take the correct doses as instructed for an extended period of time, then it’s likely you’ll start to feel the true power the cannabis plant has to offer.

    If you have any more questions about CBD, or you’re unsure if CBD is the right choice then we run a free health advice service with me, Nick, a registered Osteopath with over 15 years of experience in natural health.

    It’s completely free, so you can get the answers you’re looking for by getting in touch here.

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