CDB Oil, so how much should I take?
HOW MUCH?
I often get asked by my patients using CBD oil, what dose or strength is right for them. No matter what condition you are trying to treat with CBD, giving yourself the correct dosage is key, or it might not work for you. As it stands, there are no official ‘recommended dosages’, and the amount you should take depends on a number of factors.
- Your body weight.
- Other medication you may be using. (Remember, that when you are on any kind of chronic medication, always chat to your doctor to see if CBD would still be safe to use).
- The type and severity of the condition you are treating.
- Your individual body chemistry.
- The concentration of CBD in each drop.
The first thing to consider when using a dropper-based product is to look at the amount of CBD (in milligrams), and the volume of liquid (in milliliters). Using the Oil Science 300mg CBD oil, which has a total volume of 30mls (or 600 drops), means that each ml will have 10mg CBD in it. One drop is equal to about 0.05 milliliters, and so each drop will contain about 0.5mg of CBD. So, in order to have 5mg of that type of CBD oil, you should take 10 drops.
There are loads of CBD starting dose calculators available online, but its important to note that there is still no ‘one size fits all’ approach, and I generally use my own, unique method to get patients on the right dosing track.
Step 1: Know what you are aiming to treat with the CBD oil, and how often you would like to take it.
Step 2: Score your symptoms impact or severity on your body, at the moment (without CBD oil) out of 10. (with 10 being unbearable and 0 being no impact).
Step 3: Start with just two drops, at a time you feel best suited to you and your symptom severity. For some, this may be morning, evening, lunchtime, a combination of the above, or just when needed.
Step 4: The effects of CBD oil should start to take an effect within 20 minutes. Over a 4-hour period, score your symptom improvement out of 10. Some patients find it handy to keep this grading system on their phone or in a note book. Base your increase in dose (drops), as well as the frequency you require it, on where you place yourself on the symptom improvement score. Stronger doses will be required for people with severe pain, as well as those with a relatively high CBD tolerance.
CBD is not toxic, and gradually increasing CBD dosage does not carry any known side effects, so ramping up one’s dosage as required is safe and beneficial to the consumer. I find that incrementally increasing the dosage is the best way to achieve the desired effects of CBD. It’s also important to try and hold the drops under your tongue for approximately 60 seconds for best results, as this allows for maximum absorption through the mucus membranes, before the oil hits your stomach and gets mixed in with all those juicy contents.
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME – CAN I GET ADDICTED TO CBD OIL?
Based strictly on chemistry, the answer is no. Cannabidiol is not physically addictive in the same way that substances like Heroine, Cocaine, Alcohol and Opiates can be. Further, CBD cannot produce any physical withdrawal symptoms, in and of itself, on cessation of use. Those who take CBD daily to relieve their symptoms may find that the symptoms return shortly after missing a dose. This is no different from one’s headache returning once the effects of Ibuprofen have worn off, and this does not signify addiction. It is merely the bodies’ physiological response to an interruption in its homeostasis. Rest easy, knowing that CBD oil is not physically addictive.
LASTLY, KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT OVERDOSE ON CBD.
There is no established lethal dose of CBD, and high doses of up to 1500mg per day have shown to be well tolerated by humans. Simply put, you could ingest a whopping 5 bottles of 30mls of CBD oil PER DAY and still have no adverse effects.
