A Beginner’s Guide To CBD

Dosage: How Much CBD/THC?

If you have read our blogs on CBD & THC, their benefits, and how to take them, you may be eager to start incorporating them into your daily routine. However, determining the proper dosage can be challenging. The question becomes, “How much CBD/THC should I take?”

Now, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Each person is unique, with their own physiology, height, weight, metabolism, and tolerance levels. These factors all play a role in determining the appropriate serving size of CBD/THC, also known as the Goldilocks dosage.

There are also other factors to consider. Before discussing how to find the perfect serving size of CBD or THC, it’s important to have a quick refresher on the topic. This will ensure that you have a better understanding of how to find the right dosage for your individual needs.

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What is CBD vs. THC?

When we talk about gummies, oil tinctures, vapes and all other products, we sometimes lose track of the fact that CBD and THC are fascinating and complex compounds with unique and exciting benefits.

CBD – Hemp

CBD is a natural compound of the hemp plant [¹], part of the group of compounds known as cannabinoids. Out of the over 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis hemp, CBD is one of the two major cannabinoids, the other being THC [²].

THC – Cannabis

THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the compound in marijuana that causes the psychological effects or “high.” Marijuana refers to cannabis plants with a THC content of over 0.3% [³].

Cannabis plants with THC below 0.3% are referred to as hemp plants, and CBD products are derived from such plants. Since hemp-derived CBD has no THC and CBD itself has no psychoactive effects, these products do not cause intoxication.

Both CBD and THC have numerious potential benefits for daily wellness, as they interact with our body’s endocannabinoid system to help regulate our mood, memory, appetite, sleep, pain, and inflammation [⁴]

Our body already produces small amounts of cannabinoids naturally, but due to stress and hardships in life it can at times become deficient in the necessary cannabinoids to maintain a balanced state of wellness.

This is why taking CBD & THC daily can help, as we are supplementing our deficient supply of cannabinoids to help get our minds and bodies back to a balanced state of wellness.

 

    What is Bioavailability?

    Now that you understand what CBD & THC are, the next step is to know its absorption rate, known as “bioavailability.” Different bodies react differently to CBD a& THC, and other factors like delivery method also affect bioavailability.

    For instance, vaping results in higher absorption than an edible, which must go through digestion. However, edibles stay in the system longer.

    Topicals and sublingual forms like tinctures have varying absorption rates. Generally, vaping and sublingual use act faster than edibles and capsules but have shorter effects. Understanding the bioavailability of your CBD and THC product helps determine the ideal amount to take.

    Other factors impacting CBD absorption include product potency (check the active ingredient mg per serving on the label) and type of CBD/THC (Full-Spectrum, Isolate, Delta-8 or Delta 9).

    Knowing these details, especially when switching between products, helps provide a clearer expectation.

    Can You Overdose from CBD or THC?

    Before addressing the question of CBD dosage, it’s important to determine the maximum safe intake. The World Health Organization states that a daily intake of up to 1500mg of CBD is safe [⁵].

    Most single doses range from 25 to 50mg, so reaching this limit would be difficult and excessive. Additionally, even if excessive, CBD is non-toxic and the only result would likely be a strong desire to sleep. Though, it is always important to consider discussing with a doctor before using CBD as it can interact with certain medications.

    As for THC, while it may not be a good idea to take very high doses of THC, a fatal dose is unlikely as it can require as much as 1g of THC/kg. So for a person weighing 70kg that would mean taking a dose of 50g of THC or about 5000 times the amount it takes to get high.

    Instead, taking a very high dose of THC may at worse cause a very intense state of confusion, hunger and restlessness lasting a day or two. So with THC, it may best to really consider the level of effects you want before consuming it.

    Finding The Right CBD & THC Dosage for You

    Now that we’ve covered, how CBD & THC is absorbed by the body, and what is a safe dosage, we come to the ultimate question: What’s the right CBD intake for you?

    Ultimately, it all depends on you. Everyone is different in ways such as height, weight, body mass, tolerance, etc. and how each person reacts to supplements, including CBD & THC.

    Our advice is to begin with the average dose and to adjust from there. For example, the recommended dose for our CBD Gummies is one gummy per serving or 20mg of CBD or THC. If you’re trying our Oil Tincture for the first time and the recommended starting amount is 1mL.

    Trying this dosage for a day or two and observe how you feel. From here you can either increase your dosage if you are not feeling the effects you desired, or you could even decrease your dosage if it too strong for you.

    Note that CBD labeling requirements are not standardized, so be aware of the specific dose you need for the desired effect. Pay attention to the package size and amount of CBD/THC per dose, usually in milligrams, when choosing between products such as oil tinctures and gummies, which offer easier dosing than topical products.

    It’s important to be patient and understand that CBD and THC are not magical cure-alls. While they amazing natural wellness compounds, it’s good to have reasonable expectations to understand that some it may require a full week of usage before you may truly feel the effects of CBD or THC.

    If you are not feeling it after a day or two, it is quite safe to increase your dosage though. With our products, there is no reasonable concern of overdosing, as the dosage are not that way as to cause you harm. Even taking an entire package or gummies or a whole bottle of oil should at worst only have you feeling either really sleep (with our CBD products) or really high (with our THC products).

    We hope this article was helpful on your CBD journey. Check out some of our blogs. If you have any questions, reach out to our customer service team, who are always ready to assist you in having the best experience.

    1. Felton, Kathleen. “Every Question You Have About CBD—Answered.” Health.com, https://www.health.com/condition/chronic-pain/what-is-cbd. Updated 12 December 2019.
    2. Holland, Kimberly. “CBD vs. THC: What’s the Difference?” Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-vs-thc. Updated 20 July 2020.
    3. Ferguson, Sian. “Hemp vs. Marijuana: What’s the Difference?” Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana. 27 August 2020.
    4. Zou, Shenglong and Kumar, Ujendra. “Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Central Nervous System.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/3/833. 13 March 2018.
    5. “World Health Organization Reports CBD Oil Is Generally Safe.” Resources to Recover: Gateway to Mental Health Services, https://www.rtor.org/2019/07/05/who-report-on-cbd-oil/. 5 July 2019.