It can be tricky to figure out your ideal CBD dose.

Because everyone has different bodies, different needs, and different tolerances for CBD, there’s no standard dose.

Finding your best CBD dosage requires a bit of patience and following these rules of thumb.

1. Start low and go slow

Start with a low dose and wait until the onset time. Different types of CBD products have different onset times. For instance, you might feel the effects of inhaling CBD in 1-5 minutes, but it might take 15-30 minutes for you to feel the effects of a tincture. Check out our Ways to Use CBD article to find the onset time for the product you’re using.

If you’ve waited and still don’t feel the effects, you can take another dose and repeat the process.

A good place to begin with your starting dose is taking 1-5 mg of CBD per 10lbs of body weight, always beginning on the lower end of that spectrum.

2. When treating a chronic issue, stay consistent

If you’re turning to CBD for relief from chronic pain or illness, maintain the same dose everyday for a week before increasing it. This will allow your endocannabinoid system time to adapt to the CBD intake. We’ve found that the best way to treat chronic issues is to take a small but consistent dose long term.

3. When treating an acute issue, try a tincture

If you’re working with an acute issue, like a migraine, try starting with a tincture rather than a capsule or edible. Tinctures take effect more quickly than ingestibles, so it’s easier to notice if it’s affecting you.

Start with 5-10mg under the tongue and wait 30-45 minutes. If you’re not feeling the desired effects, add another 5-10mg. Repeat this process until you find your “sweet spot,” then use that dosage moving forward.

4. Less may be more

When it comes to dosing CBD, more is not necessarily better.

The “Goldilocks Zone” is the phenomenon where taking too much CBD is actually less effective for treating certain conditions.

When treating conditions like epilepsy, a high dose may be needed to treat seizures. But for conditions like anxiety, a moderate to low dose will actually be more effective than a high dose.

Note: If you’re using a CBD isolate product, you may need to increase your dose by 3-5x to get the same results as you would with a full spectrum product.

That’s because full spectrum products contain the full range of beneficial compounds from the hemp plant, which work synergistically with one another in a phenomenon called the entourage effect. Learn more about the differences between isolate and full spectrum products.

5. Practice and Patience

Like other forms of medicine and supplements, your ideal dosage of CBD may change over time. There are two reasons why your ideal CBD dosage may fluctuate.

1. In the first scenario, you need less CBD because you’ve given your ECS the boost it needs. Your body’s balancing system can now optimally function, without needing CBD to supplement it.

2. In the second scenario, you may need more CBD because the surface level symptoms have been treated and the CBD is now balancing the ECS at a deeper level, taking care of imbalances you may not have previously been aware of.

Whether increasing or decreasing your dosage, the important thing is to be patient with your body and listen to what it needs.

Tune into your body, pay attention to how it responds, and then adjust accordingly. We understand that this process can seem intimidating, but it’s no different than the protocol with any other medication. Just like you would with a new prescription, take note of how CBD is making you feel and report any positive progress or adverse side effects to your doctor. Check out our Free Downloads page for a printable tracker!

If you think CBD might help you find balance, but you’re not sure where to start, our Self-Care Quiz is a great place to begin.

Did you learn something new? Please remember to share it with someone you care about!

References

1. Cadena, A. (2019, March 19). What's the Best CBD Dosage? Retrieved from https://medium.com/cbd-origin/whats-the-best-cbd-dosage-81ec4f95503b.

2. Sandro, P. (2019, March 29). CBD Oil Dosage – How much CBD should I take? Retrieved from https://thehempoilbenefits.com/cbd-oil-dosage-cannabidiol-application.

3. Kaplan, J. (2017, December 19). CBD's Goldilocks Zone. Retrieved from https://neurokaplan.com/2017/12/19/cbds-goldilocks-zone/.

This article was written by Kira Gresoski and published on October 4, 2019. Copyright ©2019 Hempsley, All Rights Reserved