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How Often Can You Take CBD Oil? CBD Dosage (2023 Updated)
Updated on
- Written by Jennifer Anyabuine, Former Health Writer
Medically reviewed by
Kimberly Langdon, MD
You have probably heard of cannabidiol, CBD oil, a wonder supplement purported for its numerous health benefits. It is no wonder you are probably thinking of trying it too. But how do you get started? How much CBD oil and how often can you take CBD oil? Let us find out.
How Often Can You Take CBD Oil?
Epidolex[1] is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CBD-based prescription drug. It is often prescribed as 2.5 mg/kg body weight doses twice daily as a starting dose. If you are using other nonprescription CBD products, you could also take your doses once or twice daily, or when needed.
How Often Can You Take CBD Oil & Other CBD Supplements?
Epidolex is often prescribed as 2.5 mg/kg body weight doses twice daily as a starting dose. If you are using other nonprescription CBD products, you could also take your doses once or twice daily, or when needed.
If you are on prescription CBD medication, your doctor could increase your doses. Your diagnosis and response to current therapies help your doctor make such decisions about your proper CBD dosage.
Other CBD products on the market are outside FDA regulations. Therefore, there are no standard doses. You could start taking your CBD oil supplements once each day and then increasing them to twice daily if you do not have any adverse reactions.
Taking your CBD supplements might be necessary for specific conditions such as chronic pain. If you do not want to take your CBD daily, that is fine too. For instance, if you take CBD to deal with post-workout soreness, you might not want to commit to daily intake. You could decide to limit your CBD use when necessary to maintain optimal effectiveness.
You should begin to feel its effects about 20-30 minutes after taking it. The effects of using CBD might last for a few hours. If you are worried about how long CBD stays in your body, it could last for a few weeks.
How Much CBD Should You Take?
If you are on prescription CBD medication, you will have to follow your doctor’s orders. However, if you are using alternative CBD products, consider starting with a low dose at the beginning of your CBD journey and increasing it as you get more comfortable.
If you have a rare seizure disorder, your doctor might start you on a low dose of CBD medication, Epidolex, of 2.5mg/kg body weight twice daily. However, they might increase your dose soon enough to meet your needs.
How much CBD medication your doctor recommends for you will depend on your medical condition.[2] Low doses of CBD might be sufficient to manage specific conditions while others might require higher doses.
For instance, your doctor’s CBD prescription to treat epilepsy might be higher than you would need to manage anxiety disorders.
Your weight plays a role in your right CBD dosage prescription. Following calculations, you might need higher doses if you weigh more.
Other lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption and medication might affect your CBD potential treatment. Alcohol and other medications that affect your central nervous system might increase CBD’s potential sedative effect. Therefore you might need to reduce your CBD intake significantly.
If you are moving forward with alternative CBD products, it is best to discuss them with your medical professional. That is especially important if you are already on other medications or you might mix alcohol with it.
In clinical studies, researchers use varying amounts of CBD medication. Researchers used anywhere between 100-1500mg[3] of CBD daily depending on the subject of study.
When you take CBD supplements, consider starting with a low dose of about 5mg two to three times daily.
Observe how your body responds to the supplement and discontinue if you notice an adverse response.
If your body responds well to low doses, you can progressively increase your dose each week. However, try not to exceed 70mg of CBD oil dosage each day.
You will need to pay close attention to the product you are using so that you can note any updates to the product by the manufacturers.
The type of CBD product you are on also affects how much CBD you are taking. CBD concentration in various forms of CBD products varies, for instance, you could get CBD tinctures, CBD capsules, CBD gummies, or CBD oils.
Choosing the right CBD product for you depends on the condition you are hoping to improve. Hence, if you are looking to improve your sore muscles or deal with inflammation, applying CBD creams might be better.
Your skin absorbs the CBD directly so that it acts on your aching muscles directly. Edible forms of CBD might act slowly.[4] Digestion and metabolism in your liver leave a fraction of the CBD you have ingested to work.
The greater the concentration of the CBD product you are using, the less amount you will need to feel its desired effect. Consider going for higher-quality products without additives or fillers.
If you are switching from one CBD product to another, you should take care to read the label carefully to ensure you are still taking the proper dosage of CBD.
Changing Your CBD Dose
So, what do you do if you do not notice any changes from taking CBD?
Do not be in a hurry to up your CBD dosage. Take at least a week to observe how CBD affects you before considering a higher dose.
If you are on prescription CBD medication, you should stick to your doctor’s prescription. To calculate CBD dosage, several factors such as your age, sex, weight, and health status are considered, which all contribute to your recommended CBD dose from your doctor. If you have concerns with your medication, discuss them with your physician.
Your doctors might decide to adjust your medication.
If you are using CBD supplements without getting your desired results, you could consider switching to more potent CBD products. Oils are typically more potent.
You will need to follow the instructions closely if you decide to make the switch.
How To Take CBD?
A simple internet search will reveal the numerous types of CBD products available on the market. You could choose from a wide variety of oils, capsules, tinctures, gummies, ointments, and beverages containing CBD.
You could take edible forms of CBD with food or drinks such as coffee, treats, cocktails, cookies, and smoothies.
Spraying your CBD tincture oil under the tongue allows the rich capillary network to absorb it directly.
CBD capsules can help you ensure that you are getting the correct dosage of CBD daily.
You can also take CBD by applying it directly to your skin like lotions, balms, or creams.
The rule of thumb is to start low and increase your dosage with time as you get more comfortable.
With or without food? Taking your CBD before or right after a hearty meal[5] might help with absorption. Therefore, you might feel a greater impact. CBD is fat-soluble therefore it binds easily to lipids. The natural fat present in your meal might boost CBD absorption.
When you should take your CBD supplements might not be as relevant as you might think.
Some people have the personal preferences to take their CBD supplements at the start of the day to enjoy their benefits for the rest of the day. Coffee and CBD oil drops anyone?
You could also take your CBD supplements midday, right after your workout to help you manage soreness and for pain relief.
Taking CBD products at the end of the day is also an option especially if you want to improve your sleep disorders.
Since the World Anti-Doping Agency[6] removed CBD from its list of banned substances, its use among athletes and in sports has increased exponentially. CBD oil could have surprising benefits for muscle recovery.
Conclusion
If you are on prescription medication, you should stick to your doctor’s prescription and report your complaint to them.
However, for CBD supplements, there is no official universal dosage. Consider starting with low doses of about 5-10mg of CBD once or twice daily.
Depending on your body’s response you can increase your dose slightly each week as you become more comfortable till you find a middle ground.
You can take your supplements at any time of the day you wish. Taking your edible CBD supplements with a hearty meal could help with absorption and is worth considering.
Always discuss the safety and side effects of any supplement you intend to use with your doctor including CBD.
+ 6 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- Office (2020). FDA Approves First Drug Comprised of an Active Ingredient Derived from Marijuana to Treat Rare, Severe Forms of Epilepsy. [online] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-drug-comprised-active-ingredient-derived-marijuana-treat-rare-severe-forms.
- Larsen, C. and Jorida Shahinas (2020). Dosage, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol Administration in Adults: A Systematic Review of Human Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, [online] 12(3), pp.129–141. doi:https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4090.
- Iffland, K. and Franjo Grotenhermen (2017). An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, [online] 2(1), pp.139–154. doi:https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2016.0034.
- Bruni, N., Carlo Della Pepa, Simonetta Oliaro-Bosso, Enrica Pessione, Gastaldi, D. and Franco Dosio (2018). Cannabinoid Delivery Systems for Pain and Inflammation Treatment. Molecules, [online] 23(10), pp.2478–2478. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102478.
- Birnbaum, A.K., Ashwin Karanam, Marino, S.E., Barkley, C.M., Remmel, R.P., Roslawski, M., Gramling-Aden, M. and Leppik, I.E. (2019). Food effect on pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol oral capsules in adult patients with refractory epilepsy. Epilepsia, [online] 60(8), pp.1586–1592. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16093.
- Lachenmeier, D.W. and Diel, P. (2019). A Warning against the Negligent Use of Cannabidiol in Professional and Amateur Athletes. Sports, [online] 7(12), pp.251–251. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7120251.
Written by:
Jennifer Anyabuine, Former Health Writer
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
