CBD Dosage: How Much Should You Take and Why it Matters

Since CBD doesn’t have an intoxicating effect, many users tend to overlook the dosage without a second thought. You’re sure to not mistake a 10 mg THC edible with one that’s 500 mg – but why should you care about the strength of a non-psychoactive substance? It turns out that CBD has a sweet spot around a mid-sized dose and different dosages can have different effects. More isn’t always better – interestingly, smaller doses of CBD are shown to increase alertness and mental clarity whereas a larger dose may be more sedating. Here we’ll outline the effects of different dosages and how to find your ideal amount of daily CBD intake.

Medical Doses of CBD

You may have come across an article or two where macrodoses of CBD (in the hundreds of milligrams) are used to effectively treat health conditions such as anxiety, epilepsy, depression, etc. In cases of severe, debilitating illnesses, more CBD may be prescribed in high doses to have a strong sedative effect.

Upon reading these studies, you may be thinking that there’s a huge gap between the clinical and regular dosages that many CBD companies suggest. High amounts of CBD can be helpful for those with chronic conditions but may have the opposite effect for those who’d like to take it for daily relief while still being functional throughout the day

How Much CBD Are You Actually Getting?

It’s important to also note that in many clinical studies, CBD is often taken orally in capsule form – where bioavailability is, on average, less than 10%. Meaning that if an individual is taking a 400 mg pill with 6% bioavailability, they are actually only receiving ~24 mg of active CBD. This is why the route of administration is one of the key factors in determining your ideal dose. Different CBD products will all vary in their bioavailability, with CBD oils and vapes both having a higher bioavailability than products taken orally.

CBD Microdosing

Although the term ‘microdosing’ is more often associated with psychedelics, microdosing CBD has a much different purpose than most people may expect. Since CBD has no psychoactive properties, spreading out your dose throughout the day isn’t to experience reduced benefits. Instead, microdosing CBD can allow you to feel the full benefits of CBD throughout the entire day.

Taking frequent microdoses, promotes balance to your endocannabinoid system and stabilizes it slowly and evenly from morning to night – boosting functions such as mood, sleep, metabolism, immunity, etc. You would feel the same benefits by taking a full standard dose all at once, but the effects might seem to fluctuate and wear off more quickly.

How to Microdose with CBD

To calculate your microdose, simply divide your daily CBD dosage by 5 and take each microdose throughout the day – once in the morning, at lunch, mid-afternoon, with dinner, and before you sleep. One of the best ways to microdose is with CBD oil as you’re able to precisely measure and adjust your dosage according to what feels right to you.

What is My Ideal Dosage?

Everyone’s optimal dosage is different and unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for CBD dosing. With so many variables like body chemistry, weight, product formulation, etc, the dosage is highly individual and can only be determined by your own observations with a little time and effort.

With this in mind, it’s recommended to start with the smallest suggested dose and wait a few hours to observe any effects. Maintain this dosage for a couple of days as CBD takes time to build up and exert noticeable effects on the body. Once a few days have passed, increase your dosage slowly if you don’t feel any differences. In general, a standard dose of CBD can range anywhere from 10-100 mg per day and considerably varies from person to person.

Conclusion

Most individuals taking CBD for relief and relaxation may find that microdosing sufficiently provides them with desired effects. As with many other supplements and pharmaceuticals, benefits can start to diminish once the sweet spot is exceeded.

Microdosing CBD often yields subtle effects that build up over time. This is why patience and consistency are the two key factors to get the most out of your CBD. Though it’s a process that requires careful observation and refinement, finding your routine with CBD means that you can finally reap the benefits of your wellness, recovery, and daily performance.