CBD Q&A

How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work?

How long does it take for CBD oil to work? If you’re new to the world of CBD, this is a perfectly reasonable question to ask. Naturally, you are going to want to know if there are certain things you should be looking out for. Taking CBD oil doesn’t have to feel like a step into the unknown. We want to give you the knowledge you need to have a great experience with this compound.

Every week, new customers are trying our CBD oil for the first time. To help our customers unlock as much therapeutic potential from this cannabis-derived compound as possible, we are committed to delivering a range of educational content, including blog content, to support our customers on their wellness journeys.

In this article, we are going to be focusing on the following question: How long does it take for CBD oil to work? When you try a new food supplement for the first time, there’s always going to be a slight air of mystery. You’re not quite sure what to expect and this can generate feelings of either excitement or anxiousness.

We are on a mission to educate people on how they can bring CBD into their daily wellness routine with ease. With an abundance of CBD products on the market to choose from, there has never been a better time to start consuming this compound. We hope our blog content will help you to learn more about how you can make CBD work for you.

In conjunction with the main question, to offer a well-rounded piece of educational content for CBD beginners, this article will be also be exploring the following questions:

  • Does CBD oil actually do anything?
  • How does CBD oil make you feel?
  • How long does it take for CBD oil to work for joint pain?
  • What happens if CBD doesn’t work?
  • Can CBD oil make you sleepy?
  • What is the best CBD for fibromyalgia?

How long does it take for CBD oil to work?

Scientific researchers are learning more about CBD every day. There’s still a tremendous amount we do not know about this compound. We do know each consumer is going to have a slightly different experience with CBD because no human body is identical. With this in mind, it would be reasonable to suggest that the length of time it takes for CBD to work will vary.

It’s actually less about the human body and more about how you take CBD. Certain products on the market are going to be more fast-acting than others. If you want to get the most out of CBD, you are going to need to put some thought into how you take it. Many consumers are randomly purchasing CBD products without considering their effectiveness.

The truth is, there are CBD products on the market that won’t live up to your expectations. Even if you were to take these products for several weeks in a row, you would only receive very subtle therapeutic benefits. This isn’t about how the CBD products are being produced. It all comes down to how they are being taken and the level of bioavailability they offer.

Let’s take CBD gummies as an example. Like all CBD edibles, CBD gummies are to be orally administered. These can be taken just like any other sweet. The problem is, CBD products are only effective when they can quickly get the compound to your bloodstream. Through this method of taking CBD, much of the compound ends up lost in the body before it reaches the bloodstream. In other words, a significant portion of the CBD you consume is going to waste.

People want to know how long it takes for CBD to work but they often don’t understand where CBD must go in your body to be put to good use. Bioavailability plays a crucial role in determining the therapeutic value of a CBD product. If you’re consuming products with poor bioavailability, you’re missing out on the therapeutic potential of the CBD you’re taking.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, bioavailability, this is the proportion of a substance that enters the circulation when introduced into the body. CBD can only be effective when it is circulating around the bloodstream. For this reason, you need to be taking CBD products with good bioavailability and these can be found by looking at particular types of administration.

CBD oil is regarded as having exceptionally high bioavailability because of how it is designed to be taken. CBD oil should be taken sublingually. This involves placing a few drops of the oil under the tongue and waiting up to 30 seconds for the oil to diffuse through the tissues in your tongue and enter the bloodstream.

You need to think of CBD products as vehicles carrying a precious compound to a certain location in your body: the bloodstream. The longer the route to the bloodstream, the more chance you will lose some of this precious compound along the way. Using sublingual administration, CBD oil is the perfect vehicle for the fast and effective delivery of CBD to the bloodstream.

The quicker CBD enters the bloodstream, the faster you will be able to experience the therapeutic effects associated with this compound. CBD oil is likely to be more fast-acting than CBD gummies because it offers a quicker route to the bloodstream. This is worth considering if you are looking for a fast-acting CBD product.

Sublingual administration could potentially provide relief in as little as 10 to 15 minutes. This will most likely be the case for those who already have CBD in their system. When you already have CBD in your system, the build-up effect of the compound could make the therapeutic effects more profound. We encourage our customers to use our CBD oil for several weeks before expecting to see profound therapeutic results.

If you are new to the world of CBD and have never consumed CBD oil before, you are going to need to have some patience with the compound. You cannot expect instant therapeutic results. When people ask about how long it takes for CBD oil to work, it’s important to understand their expectations of this compound.

They want CBD oil to work, but to what extent? Are they looking for dramatic therapeutic results overnight? Do they only intend on using the product on an occasional basis? There are so many factors that come into play. This doesn’t even include things like weight, age, dosage, and the strength of the endocannabinoid system.

Does CBD oil actually do anything?

Scientific and anecdotal evidence has been incredibly supportive of CBD oil’s potential to boost your overall wellbeing. The compound can create a sense of calm, giving you clarity of thought and feelings of relaxation. As we navigate the hecticness of modern life, CBD can bring balance to your body and ensure everything is working optimally to face the day’s challenges.

The relationship between CBD and the endocannabinoid system is rather interesting. We all have our own endocannabinoid system, consisting of cannabinoid receptors located throughout our bodies. These are responsible for regulating the core functions of the human body, making sure everything works in harmony by triggering cascades of homeostasis to targeted areas.

There is still much we do not know about the endocannabinoid system, particularly when it comes to how the system works with CBD to promote homeostasis. Most cannabinoids bind directly to either CB1 or CB2 receptors in the body to trigger homeostasis. CBD, however, does not bind directly to either of these cannabinoid receptors. From our current understanding, CBD is able to influence and enhance cannabinoid receptors without directly binding to them.

In terms of the therapeutic effects, CBD might do one thing for you and something completely different for your friends. Sometimes, it will depend on the quality and type of product you are taking. In other cases, it will simply come down to the strength of your endocannabinoid system and its ability to promote homeostasis in the body.

It’s tricky to measure the strength of your endocannabinoid system before taking CBD. However, if you have an effective immune system, it’s possible that you also have a strong endocannabinoid system. Regardless of how effective your endocannabinoid system currently is, once you start taking CBD products, this will potentially boost the effectiveness of the ECS.

How does CBD oil make you feel?

As we say time and time again, CBD oil will do different things for different people. Based on anecdotal evidence, some people have reported feelings of calm and relaxation in the evening. While others have experienced slow-releasing energy after taking the products in the morning. The time of day you take CBD oil could play a big role in how it makes you feel.

If we circle back to our main question of how long it takes for CBD oil to work, you might not experience the full therapeutic benefits of the compound until some time after taking the oil. We also encourage our customers to experiment with dosages, along with the time of day you are taking the oil. This will help you to understand how your body interacts with the compound.

It’s important to note that dosage experimentation should only be done within the confines of the product-specific dosage guidelines. It’s not possible to overdose on CBD. However, if you take too much CBD, you might end up with some mild side effects, such as fatigue and drowsiness. Different products include varying  strengths of CBD. Avoid taking a blanket approach to dosing and always refer to product-specific guidance.

How long does it take for CBD oil to work for joint pain?

There is some anecdotal and scientific evidence to suggest that CBD, particularly in the form of topical products, could provide some sense of therapeutic relief to those suffering from joint pain. Products like CBD oil should not be used with the sole aim of treating specific ailments. CBD oil is marketed and sold as a food supplement for general wellness.

Medical professionals are showing a great deal of interest in CBD oil, but it is rarely being prescribed for the treatment of specific ailments. As we start to learn more about the therapeutic potential of this compound, we expect to see more medical professionals consider CBD oil to treat specific ailments, if there is substantial evidence of it being beneficial.

Those who are suffering from joint pain should book an appointment with their doctor. They will be able to offer professional medical advice and potential treatment options for your joint pain. Unless there is a specific medical reason why you cannot take CBD oil, you could consider taking CBD oil for general wellbeing as you explore joint pain treatment options.

What happens if CBD doesn’t work?

Not getting the results you hoped for? It’s time to switch things up. When you’re not getting the therapeutic results you hoped for, you can go down several different paths. We would not recommend giving up on the compound altogether. Many people give up on CBD far too quickly without exploring other administration methods or CBD products on the market.

The first thing you should do is look at the amount of CBD you are taking. Could you increase the dosage while staying within the product-specific dosage guidelines? Increasing the dosage over several days will give you the chance to see whether it heightens the therapeutic benefits. Any negative side effects are a clear indication that you should immediately stop increasing the dosage.

After experimenting with the dosage, if there is little to no change in the therapeutic benefits, you should consider exploring other CBD products on the market. As an example, if you have been taking CBD gummies and are experiencing no real therapeutic benefits, now might be the time to start looking at CBD tinctures.

These changes to how you are taking CBD could make a big difference to the overall therapeutic benefits. We want consumers to feel confident about switching between different CBD products and experiencing different forms of administration. You cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach to CBD. Choosing the right food supplements is an incredibly personal decision. What might work for someone else may not be best for you.

Can CBD oil make you sleepy?

When people ask whether CBD oil can make you sleepy, we often feel the question has been incorrectly framed. CBD oil makes many people feel calm and relaxed. If the oil is taken on an evening, feelings of calm and relaxation are inevitably going to make it easier for someone to fall asleep. On a morning or afternoon, these feelings of calm and relaxation would help you to keep any anxiety you may be suffering from at bay, rather than make you sleepy.

In other words, CBD isn’t directly going to make you feel sleepy. Although, it may create feelings of calm and relaxation that could support sleep. We are yet to see clinical evidence of CBD oil being successfully used as a sleeping aid. You could certainly try taking CBD oil on an evening for relaxation purposes and this may or may not result in you feeling sleepy.

CBD oil could make some people feel slightly sleepy at times when they don’t want to. In a case like this, you might be able to explore taking the oil at a different time of day and seeing whether it makes a difference. You could also consider lowering the dosage or switching to another type of CBD product. There are lots of different paths to consider.

What is the best CBD for fibromyalgia?

If you have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, you are likely to be in a considerable amount of pain regularly. Upon consulting with your doctor, they should be able to help you craft a suitable chronic pain management plan. If they believe CBD oil could potentially help you to manage your chronic pain, this is certainly something to explore further.

CBD oil is a food supplement for general wellness. It is not designed to be used to treat specific ailments like chronic pain. Those who are suffering from chronic pain should speak to a qualified medical professional who can suggest potential pain management strategies.

How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work? Final Thoughts

We hope this article has helped you understand the many different variables that determine how quickly CBD oil will start to work in your body. Usually, you can expect to see some therapeutic effects after 15 minutes of taking CBD oil. Although, as we discussed, you may need to let the compound build up in your system across several days.

Dr. Jordan Talley

Dr. Talley is a Physician Anesthesiologist who completed his medical residency at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Physiology & Biophysics from Georgetown University. He completed his medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM - Bradenton Campus). During his Anesthesiology training at Johns Hopkins he completed rotations in Chronic Pain Management and continues to manage acute and peri-operative pain for his patient as a private practice anesthesiologist in Virginia.