Cannabidiol is a naturally occurring plant compound with tons of scientifically proven healing and therapeutic effects. Products derived from it such as CBD tinctures, gummies, vapes, creams, and oils have become an integral part of the wellness routine for millions of Americans.
Thanks to the 2018 farm bill, buying CBD from reputed and well-tested online brands like Colorado Botanicals is now completely legal. CBD works great for providing relief from pain, anxiety, stress, and sleep troubles.
It’s non-addictive and hardly has any side effects, which has made it popular among people from all walks of life. However, some people fall to marketing strategies and assume that CBD will immediately provide them relief.
Well, that’s not true. It’s a slow process and requires regular dosing over some time to experience the best effects. Right after taking it, you might have to wait for 10-30 minutes or even more, depending on the method of consumption and individual body chemistry. Well, let’s try to understand this in detail.
Source:Cobocbd.com
What exactly is CBD?
There are many people who have heard about CBD at some point in their lives but don’t actually have a full understanding of it. Let us break it down in simple words. CBD stands for cannabidiol. It’s a plant compound that is scientifically known as a cannabinoid.
Just like CBD, there are over 110+ cannabinoids in cannabis sativa plants. However, CBD is the most studied, widely used, and well cannabinoid. Another cannabinoid with similar popularity is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).
However, THC is intoxicating, it can make a user high or trippy, whereas CBD is completely opposite and doesn’t cause any such effect. That’s why as per the 2018 farm bill, only industrial hemp plant-derived CBD products can be legally sold in the industry because hemp has only trace amounts of THC.
The limit of THC in CBD products is capped at 0.3%, which is quite low and is simply not enough to produce psychoactive effects. You can also purchase broad spectrum or Isolate CBD products which don’t have even trace amounts of THC. Fun fact, CBD is the only cannabinoid used for making an FDA-approved cannabinoid-based medicine for seizures called Epidolex.
In various states, experts believe that CBD can be a good alternative to opioid-based pain medications. It’s also being studied for its potential in the treatment of neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. It’s also good for skin health and can be applied topically for relief from itchy skin and dryness.
How Does CBD Work?
So here’s the thing, you’ll notice that CBD products are gaining popularity among pet parents as well. That’s because both humans and mammals like cats and dogs have an endocannabinoid system in their body.
This Endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining a state of balance in the body by modulating various physiological functions like stress levels, anxiety response, metabolism, appetite, memory, sleep rhythm, and more.
CBD simply makes the functioning of this endocannabinoid system better by improving the interaction between body endocannabinoid receptors ( CB1, CB2) and neurotransmitters ( Anandamide, 2AG).
These receptors are spread throughout the body, that’s why we feel our body getting relaxed and comfy after taking CBD. One more thing, other cannabinoids, and CBD products also have other healing compounds in them such as flavonoids and terpenes.
So cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids all work in synergy to provide a holistic effect.
You can apply it on your skin, mix it in your food, put it directly under your tongue, and even smoke it using vapes.
Depending upon your method of consumption, you’ll start to feel its effects within a few minutes to some hours. The experience can vary from one person to another because all of us have different body chemistry, hence body will react in different ways.
How long will CBD take to work?
There are many factors at play here, but the main impact is caused by what product you use. Let’s start with oils and tinctures. When you put a few drops under your tongue, it gets dissolved right away. This leads to a faster mixing of cannabinoids in blood bloodstream, and you’ll start feeling better after 10-15 minutes of consumption. The bioavailability of this method is as high as 20-30%.
Next, we have edibles like CBD infused gummies, cookies, or capsules. This is a slow-release method because CBD first passes through your digestive system before getting metabolized.
The whole process can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours. Bioavailability is lower than oils, sitting at just 13-19%. Best for those who have sleep troubles can be taken with dinner a few hours before bed.
Next, we have vapes, this is perhaps the fastest way to experience the effects of cannabinoids. However, it comes with risks like lung irritation and addiction to vaping habit. You may experience effects just after 10-15 seconds of taking a few puffs.
Bioavailability for this method is highest at more than 31%. Lastly, we have creams and lotions which can be directly applied to your skin. This will provide just targeted relief in the area of application and may take 40-50 minutes or even more.
Other than this, factors like your dosing frequency, tolerance level, past medication history, body composition, and diet can also impact the overall onset time. So it’s best to try different methods of consumption, products, and routines till you find the perfect dose for the best impact.
Our Final Thoughts
To sum it up, CBD is not effective immediately. It takes some time to work, and the exact duration will depend on factors like metabolism, body weight, consumption method, tolerance levels, and underlying health conditions. Edibles may take an hour or two, whereas tinctures can work in 15-20 minutes.
To improve the absorption of cannabinoids in the body, it’s suggested to take them with food, especially fatty ones like avocados and nuts. As a beginner, you must start with a low dose of 10-15mg CBD every day, and gradually increase it over time till you find your sweet spot. Lastly, make sure to buy CBD only from reputed and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals.