CBD has taken the world by storm in the last several years. For many users, it presents the best of both worlds: an opportunity to get healthy without getting high. But CBD’s effects can be so subtle that they’re easy to miss. And when that happens it’s easy to get discouraged.
The only thing is…getting CBD to work for you is usually pretty simple. It typically comes down to the right product, the right timing, and the right dose. Here’s more info.
- Why CBD Can Be So Subtle
- Step #1: Find Your Reason Why
- Step #2: Find Your Favorite Product
- Step #3: Find Your Ideal Dose
- Step #4: Make A Daily Ritual
Why CBD Can Be So Subtle
CBD didn’t work for me, you might hear a friend or online customer saying. I just didn’t feel anything!
Now, that might really be the case. It’s possible that a small percentage of the population is just CBD non-responders.
Possible…but unlikely. What’s more likely is that a person tried taking CBD, didn’t pick up on any immediate perceptual changes, and didn’t stick with it for long enough to experience lasting biochemical changes either.
Why is CBD so subtle? Largely because of the type of receptors it sends its messages to. We’ve touched on that concept before, but there’s also another factor involved. CBD’s psychoactivity — i.e, how much one mentally feels from it — can vary from person to person. This likely relates back to a person’s endocannabinoid tone and unique biochemistry.
If you’re one of those people who don’t feel much from CBD, don’t be concerned. You have a few options: you can accept that it’s probably working behind the scenes to promote homeostasis regardless, or you can opt for a product with a little more THC.
Not sure how to decide? Well, then it might be time to find your way.
Step #1: Find Your Reason Why
People use medicinal plants and their derivatives for all sorts of reasons. Cannabis to relax, wine to socialize, psilocybin to break through, tobacco to calm down.
If you haven’t already, we’d encourage you to take some time to figure out why you’re taking CBD. What do you hope to get out of it? Better sleep, reduced anxiety, improved energy…all of the above?
Depending on your current health status — and your future health goals — you may decide to approach CBD differently. Also, if there’s a big gap between where you are and where you want to be, you might decide to take a more aggressive approach.
Step #2: Find Your Favorite Product
There are all sorts of CBD products out there: edibles, capsules, tinctures and oils…and that’s just the start. Each type of product has slightly different effects. Edibles and capsules kick in slower, just like what you’d expect with THC-rich cannabis products, while oils kick in faster and make dosing easier.
Depending on your health goals, some products may work better than others. Those with IBS or other gut health issues often like an edible CBD product because its cannabinoid content can easily reach the digestive tract. Those with anxiety, on the other hand, tend to prefer CBD vape pens because they kick in nearly instantly (getting absorbed through the lungs and all).
We know…lots of options. Feel free to experiment with several products to find what’s best for you. After all, the very best CBD product is the one you enjoy taking consistently!
Step #3: Find Your Ideal Dose
Dosing is another variable that really does vary from person to person. Some people find they need 10, 20, 50, or even a hundred milligrams of CBD per day, while others feel great taking just a few drops. This is another thing that goes back to one’s endocannabinoid tone.
Here’s a general rule of thumb: the healthier you are, the less CBD you’ll need; the less healthy you are, the more CBD you’ll need.
Another way to think of things? The farther you are from biological balance, the more help your endocannabinoid system might need with the balancing act.
Practically speaking, we’d recommend finding your ideal through a technique called titration. Simply start with a very low dose of your preferred CBD product (say, 3-5 milligrams a day) and slowly increase by a few milligrams every few days until you begin feeling better. Common initial effects include better sleep and reduced anxiety. Interestingly enough, people with diabetes often notice it’s easier to keep their blood sugar under control.
You might wind up honing in on a daily dose of 10, 20, or 30 milligrams a day. The ideal dose should have you feeling good without any side effects — so if you start feeling lethargic or drowsy, you can take things back down a little bit. That is unless you’re taking CBD specifically for sleep, in which case you’ll want to harness its biphasic effects by taking a little more than you actually need shortly before bed.
Step #4: Make A Daily Ritual
So…you’ve got the right CBD product and the right dose. What next? Just stick with it!
Research from the field of neuroscience implies it takes between 21 days and one month to form lasting new habits. To ensure your CBD intake stays consistent for that long, you might just need to incorporate it into a daily ritual.
If you’re already taking other supplements, adding CBD into the mix is easy. Just take it when you take everything else — there’s no real downside. Or maybe you’re used to enjoying a cup of bulletproof coffee every morning. It wouldn’t be hard to stir a dropper or two of THC-free hemp oil into your drink. The concept here is simple: see if there’s an easy way to incorporate CBD into the healthy routine you’re already practicing.
Here’s to taking CBD, enjoying the journey, and investing in your health and wellness in the long run.