Why Nobody Can Tell You Exactly How Much Cannabidiol (CBD) To Take
At Spero CBD, we are always being asked questions about CBD dosages. People are not sure how much cannabidiol (CBD) they should be taking. What seems like a rather straightforward question is one of the most challenging to answer – because there is no single answer.
You cannot take a blanket approach to CBD dosages. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all dosage that will cater to the needs and requirements of each consumer. To receive the optimal benefits of this cannabis-derived chemical compound, CBD dosing needs to vary from person to person. A 10mg dose for one person may be equivalent to a 300mg dose for another.
Tailoring CBD dosing can prove confusing and ultimately frustrating for somebody new to the world of CBD. Naturally, if you’re not following the dosage instructions on the product packaging, you will likely try the same CBD dosage that works for your friends. Although, there are no guarantees that this dosage will work for you.
In this article, we are going to be taking a closer look at CBD dosing to understand why nobody can tell you exactly how much CBD to take. Once you understand more about CBD dosing, you will be able to consider a range of variables that will determine your optimal dosage of CBD. We will be answering the following questions in this article about CBD dosing:
- What is the Recommended Minimal Therapeutic Dose?
- What is the Recommended Maximum Dose?
- What is the Maximum Tolerated Dose?
- How does CBD Dosing compare to other substances?
- Can you overdose on CBD?
From experience, we’ve found that one of the easiest ways to explain CBD dosing is by comparing it to common medications. It’s important to remember that CBD is a food supplement, not medication, but to explain CBD dosing, this is the example we are going to use because the dosing fundamentals are the same.
Everybody reacts to the consumption of supplements, vitamins, and medications differently. After all, no two bodies are the same. Some substances can trigger greater responses than others and this is going to vary considerably from person to person. You might find that you need more or less of a certain substance to experience the same effects as another person.
Whilst researchers will try to establish general guidelines related to the minimum and maximum therapeutic doses of a particular compound like CBD, where you are on the dosage spectrum to receive the optimal therapeutic benefits is going to depend on your personal tolerance levels. To understand more about this concept, we are going to break down a few important factors that you need to consider.
What is the Recommended Minimal Therapeutic Dose?
The recommended minimal therapeutic dose is the general minimal dose needed to provide the desired or specified effects of a substance. As with any normal recommendation, there will be outliers who may require more or less of substance than most people. This all depends on how your body responds to a compound like CBD.
There is a difference between the recommended minimal therapeutic dose and the actual minimal therapeutic dose. The latter is usually specific to the individual. For instance, your specific minimal dose of CBD oil is likely to be different from the recommended minimal therapeutic dosage guidelines. When compared to other people, it is also likely to be different.
What is the Recommended Maximum Dose?
The recommended maximum dose is the general guideline established for the maximum dose that is considered to be safe to administer without unwanted side effects. In the case of CBD products, these side effects typically include drowsiness and fatigue. The recommended maximum dose is a general guideline to follow and does not guarantee that a particular individual will not have unwanted side effects at a dosage less than this.
If you are considering taking a CBD product at a dosage higher than the recommended maximum dose, we would recommend that you consult a qualified medical professional and ask for their advice before moving forward. Exceeding the recommended maximum dose of any food supplement should not be attempted without appropriate consultation.
What is the Maximum Tolerated Dose?
Everybody has their own maximum tolerated dose which is the maximum dosage your body can handle before experiencing unwanted side effects. It should be noted that this is different from the recommended maximum dose. You may start to feel unwanted side effects after taking a food supplement after a lower dose than the recommended maximum dose.
These key terms are essential to understanding CBD dosages. You should now be able to recognize that what is recommended isn’t necessarily going to always apply to you and your circumstances. This means that your optimal CBD dosage is going to be uniquely placed somewhere between the recommended minimum therapeutic dose and your maximum tolerated dose. It’s going to be different for every person.
How does CBD Dosing compare to other substances?
As you can see, the minimum and maximum dosage range for these common substances is anywhere from 8 to more than 50 times the minimum amount, or 800% to 5000%. CBD is no exception to this, and it would be impossible to say exactly what dosage of CBD would work for you. It will depend not only on how your body reacts to CBD but also the type of therapeutic relief you’re looking for, and the delivery method you’re using.
Note: The above dosages were found published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Drugs.com, and Athena Health. You may find varying data from different sources. Regardless of the sources, the overall results will still show major differences in the minimum and maximum dosages.
The question is, where does that leave us with CBD? There has yet to be an established exact minimum effective dosage of CBD. You can find references that vary from 5mg to 25mg as a suggested starting dose. The most common is often around 10mg. However, it’s possible 10mg of CBD won’t have any effect on you. You could end up needing 200mg or more to see any therapeutic benefits. Hopefully, now that 2000% discrepancy doesn’t seem so strange.
Can you overdose on CBD?
You cannot overdose on CBD. This cannabis-derived chemical compound is typically welcomed by the human body with open arms. There has not been a single case of CBD overdosing to date. There is plenty of scientific evidence to suggest that high doses of up to 1,500mg per day have been repeatedly shown to be well-tolerated by humans.
Final Thoughts
There is no definitive answer to how much CBD you should personally take. As we said in this article, it’s going to vary considerably from person to person. If you’re just getting started with CBD, the best that you can do is experiment with the dosage whilst staying above the recommended therapeutic dose and below the recommended maximum dose. This will give you the chance to find your optimal dosage of CBD.