How Much CBD Should I Take the First Time?

Find Out How Much CBD to Take

CBD has received a lot of attention from the press and media lately. More and more potential health benefits are being discovered for this amazing compound.

How much CBD should I take?

The FDA has even approved it for the treatment of several intractable seizure disorders that affect mainly children.

Called Epidiolex and released in 2018, it contains pure, pharmaceutical-grade CBD and has transformed the lives of many seizure patients who had had little success with prior standard treatments.

What is CBD exactly?

CBD is short for cannabidiol. It’s one of the dozens of known compounds in the hemp and marijuana plants. CBD can help relieve pain, reduce anxiety and depression, treat certain types of colitis and improve acne. It has anti-seizure activity.

Other possible benefits include possible protective effects on the heart and nervous system. It may help to fight cancer and relieve symptoms related to chemotherapy.

CBD oil contains little to no THC and cannot cause intoxication. THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, and CBD work on two different parts of the human ECS, or endocannabinoid system.

This is a network of cell receptors located throughout the body’s nervous system. There are two main receptors: CB1 and CB2. CBD acts primarily on the CB1 receptors in the peripheral nervous system and in the skin.

These receptors are not associated with any intoxicating effects. THC strongly activates CB2 receptors, most of which are found in the brain, and that is what causes someone to feel high.

Hempseed Oil and CBD

How Much CBD Should I Take the First TimeCBD is typically obtained from hemp plants. By law, these plants cannot contain more than 0.3 percent THC, not near enough to cause intoxication.

In contrast, a marijuana plant can contain much more than that, with the average plant having a THC content of about 12 percent. Hemp oil is derived from hemp seeds and contains little to no CBD at all. On the other hand, CBD is obtained by extracting it from the whole hemp plant.

Hemp oil will not have the same effects as CBD, but it’s rich in healthy oils and fatty acids. It may have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, which may be helpful for certain skin conditions:

  • Psoriasis
  • Eczema
  • Acne

It may also help to manage symptoms of PMS and menopause. It’s an excellent moisturizer for both skin and hair. It also contains vitamin E, protein, and magnesium.

Forms of CBD and Choosing the Right Product

Now that you know the difference between hemp oil and CBD, this article will focus on how to choose a good CBD product, how to dose it, and how much to take. First of all, you should be familiar with some common forms of CBD:

  • Flower
  • Oil
  • Tincture
  • Edibles
  • Capsules

There are also topical products for external use on the skin. The flower form of CBD looks like tiny flower buds, and that’s exactly what they are. It can be smoked or vaped, added to tea, baked goods, and cooking oils. It can also be used in homemade beauty products like soap and bath bombs.

However, flower CBD is inactive unless it’s first heated. Heat is necessary to activate the flower’s cannabinoid compounds.

CBD oils are very popular. There are both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum oils. Full-spectrum means that all of the original plant compounds are present in the oil in the correct ratios.

These compounds all work together to provide the best benefits. This is called the entourage effect. Broad-spectrum oils are similar, but they contain no THC.

CBD tinctures are highly concentrated liquid preparations of CBD oil dissolved in alcohol. They come in dropper bottles that make it easy to take a precise dose. Some are flavored with citrus, cinnamon, or vanilla.

CBD is also available in candy form, usually a gummy in various fruity flavors. Capsules containing an exact CBD dose are another option.

CBD Labels

Read product labels carefully. Look for the method of extraction. If it says C02 extraction method, that’s a sign of a pure, quality product.

Then look for a COA, which stands for Certificate of Analysis. This means that the product has been analyzed in a lab for strength, purity, and the absence of heavy metals, bacteria, and other contaminants.

How Much CBD to Take

If you’re taking CBD for the first time, you will want to keep your initial dosage low and work up from there at weekly intervals of about five milligrams.

Like any medication, the right dosage for you will depend on your body weight, your sex, your individual chemistry, and the condition you’re treating. Before taking any new medication or herbal remedy, it’s best to consult with your physician.

Ask him or her for their starting dose recommendation. If they don’t have one, a good place to start is the 20 to the 40-milligram daily range. This should be taken in two or three divided doses to help keep CBD blood levels as equal as possible at all times.

Figure Your Dose

To figure the dose, consult the label. If it’s a gummy or capsule, the exact CBD amount for each will be stated there. If it’s a liquid product, such as oil or tincture, the CBD content may be listed per drop, per ml, or for the whole bottle.

There are 20 drops in an ml or milliliter, so if it says 100 milligrams per ml, for example, just divide 100 by 20, which gives you five milligrams per drop.

If the whole bottle contains 200 milligrams of CBD and the total volume is 10ml, divide 200 by 10. This will tell you that each ml contains 20 milligrams of CBD. Each drop would then contain one milligram.

The bottle’s dropper will have markings that allow you to measure out an ml or part of an ml with precise accuracy.

Wrap-Up

If you’d like to try CBD oil, use the information you read here today to help you get started to see if CBD can make a difference in your life.