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Itâs hard to figure out how much CBD to take, as it is not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and there are no official recommendations. Itâs best to speak with a doctor to get an idea of the right starting dose for you.
Youâve probably heard about the health benefits of CBD, but how much should you take to feel those?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of over 60 active compounds in the cannabis plant. These active compounds, known as cannabinoids, affect your body in many different ways.
CBD isnât psychoactive â meaning it wonât get you âhigh.â Instead, research suggests that it may help:
CBD has been the subject of a lot of discussion and research over the past few years.
As this 2017 review shows, a great deal of research has found that itâs a relatively safe treatment. The studies analyzed in that review didnât show that thereâs one universal dosage of CBD that everyone should take. Instead, it underscored the fact that different people (and, in the animal studies, different animals) respond to different dosages of CBD. Most of the human studies use dosages anywhere between 20 and 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day.
Itâs worth remembering that thereâs still a lot about CBD that we donât know. As the cannabis industry grows, researchers will likely conduct more studies on cannabis, including marijuana and hemp, and its derivatives.
The amount of CBD you should take depends on a range of factors, including:
your body weight
the condition youâre treating
your individual body chemistry
the concentration of CBD in each pill, capsule, drop, or gummy
In other words, there are a lot of variables that go into deciding how much CBD to take. Before trying CBD, be sure to talk to your doctor about an appropriate dosage and any potential risks. If your doctor tells you how much to use, stick to their recommendation. This is especially important if youâre taking a prescription medication that contains CBD, such as Epidiolex, a form of seizure medication.
If your doctor doesnât provide a recommendation, itâs best to start with a smaller dosage and gradually increase it. This could mean starting with 20 to 40 mg a day. After a week, increase this amount by 5 mg. Continue this until you feel that itâs effectively treating your symptoms.
For example, you might start off with 40 mg to treat severe pain. You can take 40 mg on days when youâre in a lot of pain. After a week, you increase it to 45 mg, and after a second week, you use 50 mg. At this point, you might feel that your pain is bearable.
It might be wise to keep track of how much CBD youâre taking and whether your symptoms are getting better. Write it down on paper or in a notes app on your phone.
Summary
Start with a small dosage of CBD and increase slowly until you reach your desired effect. Your ideal dosage of CBD depends on a lot of factors, like your body weight, body chemistry, the condition youâre treating, and the concentration of CBD in the product youâre using.
How to calculate dosage
Some products, such as CBD gummies, capsules, or pills, tell you how much is in a single serving. For example, the packaging on a bottle of CBD capsules might indicate that there are 5 mg of CBD per capsule.
If youâre using CBD oil, itâll likely come in a dropper bottle. The packaging might specify how much CBD is in a single drop. From there, you can figure out how many drops you need to use.
Sometimes itâs harder to figure out how much CBD is in one drop because the packaging specifies the total amount of CBD in the entire bottle, but not the amount that will be in a single drop.
One drop is about 0.05 milliliters (mL). That is, not a full dropper â just a single drop.
This means that a 10-mL bottle of CBD oil contains 200 drops. And if the packaging for that 10-mL bottle says that the bottle contains 1,000 mg of CBD, each drop will contain about 5 mg of CBD.
So, to have 20 mg of that type of CBD oil, you should take four drops.
A 2011 review on the safety and side effects of CBD found that continuous use of CBD, even in high doses like 1,500 mg a day, is tolerated well by humans.
A 2017 update to this review also confirmed this. However, a 2019 study done on mice did raise some safety concerns about CBDâs potential for liver damage and its interactions with other medications.
If youâre currently taking medication and would like to try CBD, itâs essential to discuss this with your doctor.
There are very few known side effects of CBD. When side effects do occur, however, they may include diarrhea, appetite changes, and fatigue.
Possible side effects
fatigue
diarrhea
changes in appetite
changes in weight
If youâre looking for a quick and easy way to buy CBD, you can find many CBD brands online. But make sure you research each brand before purchasing. While pure, genuine CBD is considered safe, fake and low-quality products can be dangerous.
CBD isnât regulated by the FDA, so itâs up to you to make sure that youâre only using high-quality products. Look for products from a reputable brand with third-party testing, and avoid companies that have a history of inaccurate labeling.
A 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that 52 Utah residents had bad reactions to certain CBD products. It turned out that most of them used products that included synthetic CBD. Some products contained no information about the manufacturer or its ingredients.
When it comes to working out which dosage of CBD you should use, talking to your doctor is your best bet. While not all doctors will be able to provide information on CBD â depending on the laws in your state â some may be able to help recommend dosages or high-quality brands. Speak with your doctor before trying CBD, especially if youâre currently taking any medications.
Want to learn more about CBD? Click here for more product reviews, recipes, and research-based articles about CBD from Healthline.
Is CBD legal? The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the legal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. This made some hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC legal at the federal level. However, CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC still fall under the legal definition of marijuana, making them illegal at the federal level. Some states have legalized CBD, so be sure to check state laws, especially when traveling. Also, keep in mind that the FDA has not approved nonprescription CBD products, and some products may be inaccurately labeled.
Sian Ferguson is a freelance health and cannabis writer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Sheâs passionate about empowering readers to take care of their mental and physical health through science-based, empathetically delivered information.
How we reviewed this article:
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Horth RZ, et al. (2018). Notes from the field: Acute poisonings from a synthetic cannabinoid sold as cannabidiol — Utah, 2017–2018. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6720a5
Iffland K, et al. (2017). An update on safety and side effects of cannabidiol: A review of clinical data and relevant animal studies. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1089%2Fcan.2016.0034
Sales AJ, et al. (2019). Cannabidiol induces rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects through increased BDNF signaling and synaptogenesis in the prefrontal cortex. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-018-1143-4