People will often take CBD for the first time and sit there wondering whether or not they feel its effects and how long they have to wait before they experience all the benefits listed on the packaging. First of all, the onset of CBD depends on several factors, including genetics, experience with CBD, consumption method, and the strength of the dose.
CBD can take anywhere from 45–90 minutes to feel their effects, & may last up to 6 hours. It is absorbed through your body 20 minutes after consumption.
CBD is active in your system for 6 hours, but can remain in your system for days. The elimination half-life of edible CBD is roughly 1- 2 days [6].
The half-life of a drug is the measure of how long it takes for an active compound in the body to be reduced by half of the starting dose. That means if you took 40MG of CBD, the next day you'll have 20MG, and you'd have about 10MG of CBD the following day.
The active effects of CBD may have worn off after 6, but CBD is stored in fat cells and can remain in your body for up to a week unless you're a frequent user.
Does CBD Actually Do Anything?
CBD is short for cannabidiol. It's one of the main active compounds harvested from cannabis plants to support a healthy lifestyle.
CBD has a long list of wellness benefits that make it appealing for people looking for a natural and gentle approach to support their health. There truly is more to CBD than snake oil, but it's important to separate its actual benefits from exaggerated marketing.
The CBD industry is a bit of a Wild West right now. There's a lot of money to be had and very little regulation to hold companies accountable for what they're selling and how they market their products to consumers.
You'll find brands claiming their CBD oil is a cure-all for everything from skin conditions, immune deficiencies, cancer, and even hair loss. As a general rule, if a product sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Distinguishing hyperbolic claims from reasonable uses for CBD can be difficult through all the noise, especially with limited research available to the public. Try to keep a healthy sense of skepticism when reading the marketing claims and uses for CBD oil. The research on CBD is still quite young, and we're still discovering the intricacies that CBD and other cannabinoids have on the body.
How Does CBD Interact In The Body?
The cannabis plant is a remarkable source of cannabinoids, which are lipid-based messengers that interact with receptors in a unique regulating system in the body called the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS is present in all animals with a central nervous system. Its principal role is to maintain homeostasis (balance) for systems integral to our survival: sleep/wake, metabolism, stress, endocrine, memory.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is most abundant in hemp strains, and has a unique interaction in the ECS. While it's not the best at binding to the cannabinoid receptors, it inhibits the release of enzymes that breakdown internally produced cannabinoids (endocannabinoids). Higher levels of cannabinoids in the system improve the feedback system that the ECS controls to maintain balance. Other cannabinoids such as CBG and THC interact directly with endocannabinoid receptors to exerts their effects.
Stressors, both internal and environmental, can throw a number of our systems out of balance. Our body's ability to counteract some of these influences to their optimal point is critical to our survival.
The Top Benefits Of CBD Oil Backed By Science:
- CBD helps to support a healthy inflammatory response [1]
- CBD helps to support a healthy stress response [2]
- CBD helps to support a more comfortable recovery [3]
- CBD helps to support healthy brain function [4]
- CBD helps to support healthy hormone function [5]
How Long Does It Take For CBD To Take Effect?
It can take anywhere from minutes to an hour to feel your CBD. The way you consume CBD will have the biggest impact on how long you can expect the CBD to kick in and the duration of the effects.
Factors Affecting How Long It Takes CBD To Work
CBD doesn't work the same for everyone. There are several factors at play that can determine your CBD experience.
For example, your genes can influence how long it takes for you to feel the effects and how long it stays in your system. Some people may feel little to no effect from CBD use, while others are more sensitive.
Your gut health is also a critical factor in your ability to efficiently absorb plant-based cannabinoids. The population and health of the microbes in your gut are critical to your overall wellbeing. An unhappy gut can mean that less CBD is efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream.
Some brands will add additional ingredients to their CBD product to speed the onset of effects. For example, you might find a CBD muscle rub with capsaicin (the compound responsible for the heat in peppers) to stimulate the pain receptors while allowing the CBD to penetrate the skin.
Another factor that can influence how long it takes for you to feel CBD is the dose.
What Can You Expect When Taking CBD?
If you're taking CBD oil for the first time, we must reiterate that the effects and potency of CBD will differ from one person to the next.
Contrary to a lot of what the marketing out there says about their CBD product — there is no cure-all for any ailment.
It's important to keep a realistic expectation from your supplements in mind. CBD is an excellent compound that supports your overall well-being. Still, it likely won't be the solution to all your problems.
You may start to experience the full benefits of CBD after regular use, so try to take your doses around the same time every day. If you don't feel anything from your initial dose, you can wait an hour before taking more, or you can increase your initial dose the following day until you start to feel your desired effects.
So, How Long Does CBD Take To Work?
This was all to tell you in as much detail (backed by science) that the effects and how long it takes for CBD to work depend on the individual and the ingestion method. Genetics and lifestyle are also huge factors in your sensitivity to the active cannabis compounds.
The factors that you do have control over are your ingestion methods and the strength of doses.
Smoking CBD will give you the fastest onset of effects while edible CBD tends to have the lowest bioavailability and can take over an hour to feel — but it can last a lot longer.
CBD is highly personalized and does take a bit of experimentation to get right.
Resources:
- Burstein, S. (2015). Cannabidiol (CBD) and its analogs: a review of their effects on inflammation. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry, 23(7), 1377-1385.
- Bergamaschi, M. M., Queiroz, R. H. C., Chagas, M. H. N., De Oliveira, D. C. G., De Martinis, B. S., Kapczinski, F., ... & Crippa, J. A. S. (2011). Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in treatment-naive social phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(6), 1219-1226.
- Leung, L. (2011). Cannabis and its derivatives: review of medical use. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 24(4), 452-462.
- Schurman, L. D., & Lichtman, A. H. (2017). Endocannabinoids: a promising impact for traumatic brain injury. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 69.
- Vemuri, V. K., Janero, D. R., & Makriyannis, A. (2008). Pharmacotherapeutic targeting of the endocannabinoid signaling system: drugs for obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Physiology & behavior, 93(4-5), 671-686.
- Millar, S. A., Stone, N. L., Yates, A. S., & O'Sullivan, S. E. (2018). A systematic review on the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans. Frontiers in pharmacology, 9, 1365.
- Jiang, R., Yamaori, S., Takeda, S., Yamamoto, I., & Watanabe, K. (2011). Identification of cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for metabolism of cannabidiol by human liver microsomes. Life sciences, 89(5-6), 165-170.
- Millar, S. A., Stone, N. L., Yates, A. S., & O'Sullivan, S. E. (2018). A systematic review on the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans. Frontiers in pharmacology, 9, 1365.
Disclaimer
The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your health care professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.
