A guide to correct CBD dosages
If you’re considering introducing CBD into your health and wellness plan, one of the most important tasks you’ll need to complete is working out your ideal CBD dosage.
Due to the unique way that cannabinoids interact with our bodies, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach you can take to dosing. It’s very likely that your friend’s optimal dose of CBD will be different from your ideal dosage, even if you buy the same brand of CBD and hope to achieve the same therapeutic benefits.
In this article we’re going to share some general dosage guidance and then explain why it’s so important to get your personal CBD dosage right, before helping you work out exactly what that is.
CBD dosage chart
| Body weight | Low dose | Moderate dose | High dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| For mild symptoms & starters | For moderate to serious symptoms | For more intense symptoms | |
| 100lbs | 10-20mg | 25-45mg | 50-60mg |
| 120lbs | 12-24mg | 29-55mg | 60-72mg |
| 140lbs | 14-28mg | 33-65mg | 70-84mg |
| 160lbs | 16-32mg | 37-75mg | 80-96mg |
| 180lbs | 18-36mg | 41-85mg | 90-108mg |
| 200lbs | 20-40mg | 45-95mg | 100-120mg |
| 220lbs | 22-44mg | 49-105mg | 110-132mg |
| 240lbs | 24-48mg | 53-115mg | 120-144mg |
| 260lbs | 26-52mg | 57-125mg | 130-156mg |
| 280lbs | 28-56mg | 61-135mg | 140-168mg |
Working Out Your Ideal CBD Dosage
Other supplements come with recommended daily amounts, but your optimal dosage of CBD is more difficult to work out. As you can see from the weight and dosage chart, there is still a huge range in the number of mg’s that might work best for your weight category.
Firstly, your ideal CBD dosage may depend on several environmental factors, such as your body weight and metabolism, but it’s thought that, most importantly, the amount you need may depend on how efficiently your endocannabinoid system is working.
The more we learn about the endocannabinoid system, the more scientists believe that endocannabinoid deficiencies are at the root of all human disease. If your body isn’t producing enough endocannabinoids, then your body is unable to achieve or maintain homeostasis, a steady physical and chemical balance of all our body’s processes that ensure its ability to function optimally.
Many of CBD’s therapeutic benefits are thought to be a result of boosted levels of endocannabinoids in our brains and bodies. People with lower endocannabinoid levels may benefit from a slightly higher dose of CBD than those with naturally higher endocannabinoid levels.
Tips on Dosing (More Isn’t Always Better)
When working out how much CBD you need in order to achieve your desired effects, you should always start with lower doses and gradually increase your dose until you have achieved your desired effects.
The reason it’s vital to start with a lower dose, is because taking more CBD doesn’t necessarily mean better effects. Why, we hear you ask? Well, there are two main reasons:
1 – Different Doses Elicit Different Effects
Firstly, moving from a low dose of CBD to a larger dose of CBD can completely change the effects of the compound. For example, low doses of CBD are usually associated with feelings of focus, energy, and motivation, whereas higher doses of CBD can have more of a sedating effect.
The last thing you want to do is to completely miss your CBD sweet spot!
Your ideal daytime dose of CBD should prove to be a lot smaller than your ideal nighttime dose (if needed). And if you’re only taking CBD to help you sleep, then you should start experimenting with slightly larger doses straight away.
2 – Bell-Shaped Response Curve (Isolates Only)
The other reason you shouldn’t automatically start taking CBD in higher doses applies to those taking pure CBD or CBD isolates. If you don’t have a broad or full-spectrum CBD-infused product, then you should expect any effects you achieve to have a ceiling on them.
It has been proven in clinical trials that pure CBD elicits a bell-shaped response curve, which means that at a certain dose the compound peaks in the effects it can achieve, before tapering out again. The bell-response curve means that taking a strong dose of pure CBD could actually have the same effect (none) as taking no CBD at all.
Full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD products contain all of the naturally occurring compounds in the hemp plant it was extracted from, including all of the other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. When CBD is administered in this way, the ceiling (the top of the bell-shape) disappears and more enhanced and effective results are achieved. Scientists have named this synergistic behavior of the compounds “the entourage effect”, in which the sum of the whole plant is much more than any one of its parts.
How to Work Out Your Ideal Dosage
Below we explain how to find out your optimal dose of CBD using CBD tincture or oil drops placed under the tongue every hour for several hours. You need to hold the drops under your tongue for at least 90 seconds (the longer the better), to allow the CBD to enter your bloodstream via capillaries under your tongue.
This method of administration usually allows you to start feeling the therapeutic effects of the CBD anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes after dosing, which is important for this particular exercise as you will be monitoring and altering your own dosage every single hour during the trial.
Have a piece of paper and a pen handy, so you can keep note of your hourly dosage increases, as well as make a quick note on how you’re feeling, including any beneficial and adverse effects you notice. The easiest way to do this is to rate your symptom relief on a scale of one to 10, as well as how you feel on a scale of one to 10.
Step by Step Guide
Step 1 – Take a 1mg dose of CBD and after one hour make a note of how you feel
Step 2 – If you feel the same, take a 2mg dose of CBD, and after another hour has passed, make a note of how you feel
Step 3 – If you still feel the same, take a 3mg dose of CBD and again, after one hour, rate how you feel
Step 4 – Continue increasing your dose each hour, until you start to feel your desired effects
Step 5 – Once you hit your sweet spot, add up the total milligrams of CBD you’ve taken in the last four hours
When you take CBD sublingually, it usually stays in your system for around four hours, so the number of milligrams you took in the last four hours should reflect your optimal dosage of CBD.
Always remember: If you are taking any other medication, then you should speak to a healthcare professional before starting to take CBD due to potential drug interactions. Due to the lack of human studies, you should avoid taking CBD while pregnant or nursing.