Whenever you incorporate CBD into your daily routine, some users are surprised to not notice anything different at first. In fact, weeks can sometimes go by before they ever actually feel something from the CBD. So, that begs the question: how long does CBD take to work? Today, we want to clear some myths out of the way. We hope we can get you on the right path to a routine that involves CBD.
How Long Will CBD Take to Work?
Generally, depending on many variables, it can take anywhere from a few seconds, to a few minutes, to a few hours to start taking effect. It depends largely on the factors we’ll talk about next.
Before we do, though, we want to make one thing clear. Because CBD is non-psychoactive, it can take longer to “feel” it working.
Let’s use melatonin as an example. It’s a natural supplement our body produces. Taking melatonin won’t knock you out like it’s a hard sleeping pill. It’s something our body is already naturally producing. Instead, if you allow it, it can ease you into a deeper, more restful sleep.
Our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids that CBD mirrors. Essentially, our bodies take in CBD thinking it’s an endocannabinoid. This is how CBD interacts with the body – by using our endocannabinoid system.
When you take a serving of CBD, it will eventually start interacting with your endocannabinoid system, or ECS. If your ECS is not regulating endocannabinoids at all, it might take some time. Users that add CBD into their daily routine notice it start to help after consistent use.
To put it simply, users experience much more intense, noticeable results after 4 weeks of consistent use compared to the first day trying it out. CBD builds up in your system and works better over time.
How Long Does CBD Take to Work? 6 Factors
The most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone is different. As a result, CBD will affect everyone differently. It’s also going to depend on quite a range of factors. From the products you choose to your age, let’s go over the most common variables in play.
1. CBD Product Quality
Where are you getting your CBD from? Is it from a reliable hemp brand? Or is it from your local gas station? There’s likely going to be a difference in quality at these two locations.
What standards does the CBD brand have for its products? How are their products safe and effective? For example, we make an effort to be as transparent as possible about every step in our process. We also provide lab results with each product, so you can always feel confident about our products.
2. Consumption Method
The type of CBD product you choose will play a role in how quickly it will affect you for each session. Are you eating a CBD edible? Applying a CBD salve to your skin? Dropping a CBD tincture under your tongue?
Think over your consumption method. A tincture is going to affect you faster than an edible, but slower than something you smoke.
The time it takes to onset and the duration will also differ depending on the product you choose. For example, a tincture, or sublingual, takes anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes to start, but it lasts 1 to 4 hours for most users.
Take a look through this chart to see what we mean about the differences.
3. Body Composition
Every human body has a unique makeup. The amount of bone, fat, water, and muscle in the body is what makes up your body composition. This composition will impact how quickly your body processes CBD. Likewise, it’ll help determine how much CBD will be your ideal serving.
4. Metabolism Speed
Your metabolic rate is essentially the speed at which your body breaks down compounds. How fast your metabolism is will determine how long CBD will affect you. It plays a role in how quickly it’ll take effect and how much of a serving you need.
5. Body Weight
Not just with CBD, but your body mass has an impact on how your body consumes any type of substance. How long CBD takes to work as well as how much you need depends partially on your body weight. The more you weigh, the more you need per serving.
6. Tolerance Level to Cannabinoids
Finally, you may already be familiar with other types of cannabis products. Some users require more CBD per serving because of their tolerance to cannabinoids in general. This is different for every user, so just keep this factor in mind.
How long does CBD take to work?
Consistency is key when it comes to CBD. Really, consistency is key when it comes to any sort of habit or routine. It’s kind of the point of a routine. It’s just important to note that CBD will have more effective results the longer you use it.
In the long-term, we recommend at least 4 weeks of use to really gauge if you like it or not. By 4 weeks, most users can feel its daily effects. By then, you can decide if it’s something you want in your routine. Many users find it helps them in more than one way, so continuing a routine with it is effortless.
Wrapping Up
So, how long does CBD take to work in the long term? Unfortunately, there’s just not a universal answer to this question. Each person is unique, so there’s simply no dosage size that’s ideal for everyone.
Start with a small serving and work your way up from there. Take CBD at the same time every day. Increase the strength of it once a week if you think you need to. Then, trust the process and let consistency work its magic.
Bonus: Estimated CBD Serving Sizes
We don’t want to leave you with zero numbers just because everyone is different. There are some ways you can calculate a CBD serving size to start with.
Use 1 to 3 milligrams of CBD product for every 10 pounds of body weight. Base the range on the intensity of any symptoms you have, like pain, inflammation, or anxiety.
So, if you’re hurting after a hard day at work and weigh about 180 pounds, your starting serving size would be 18 to 54. You might start low at 20 or 30 milligrams and work your way up from there.