CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the many active compounds in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, CBD isn’t psychoactive, meaning that it won’t get you high. Research suggests numerous benefits for taking CBD supplements, including help with pain, anxiety and depression. However, as of today, the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency) hasn’t released any dosage guidelines for most uses of CBD.
Since there aren’t any official recommended daily intakes for CBD supplements, you might be wondering how much CBD you can take. Whilst CBD is not an all-size-fits-all kind of thing, there are some factors you should consider to find your ideal dosage. You should also remember that like any other supplement, CBD products can have side effects.
Read below to learn about what factors you should consider to calculate your CBD dosage and potential side effects of taking CBD.
What factors affect CBD dosage?
Concentration of CBD in your chosen supplement
With so many CBD products available in the market, it is easy to get confused about different CBD concentrations and dosages. However, the concentration of CBD is one of the main factors that affect your CBD dosage. For example, taking 1 drop of a 2000mg CBD oil per 30mg bottle volume will affect you more than taking 1 drop of a 500mg CBD oil per 30mg bottle volume. So make sure to take note of the concentration of CBD in your chosen supplement when calculating your cannabidiol dosage.
Your body weight and height
We all have different heights, weights and body compositions, meaning that different people will feel CBD effects differently. Therefore, it is important to consider the impact of your height and weight on dosing CBD. A rule of thumb is that the more you weigh, the more CBD you’ll need to consume to feel the compound’s effects.
On top of this, we all have different body chemistries. As a result, even if 2 people had similar body compositions, they would still respond differently to consuming the same amount of CBD. So whilst it is important to consider your height and weight when dosing CBD, make sure to take note of how much CBD you take and how it affects you and your symptoms, so that you can tweak your CBD dosage until you find your optimal dosage.
Existing Medical Conditions
As we discussed above, there are many variables that go into determining how much CBD you should take. Considering any pre-existing conditions you have is one of the most important factors you need to think about carefully. If that’s the case, you should ideally ask your doctor or pharmacist for a recommended dosage. This is also especially important if you’re taking a CBD prescription medication. If you’re just taking a CBD supplement to help with a mild condition, it’s usually best to start with a smaller dose and gradually increase it. However we always recommend consulting with a healthcare professional before using CBD for the first time.
How to start your CBD dosage
After considering the key factors above to determine how much CBD you should take, it is crucial to consider some rules to estimate your initial dosage.
The most important rule is to start small and slowly increase your CBD dosage gradually. This is generally good advice for any supplement you take for the first time. If your doctor or pharmacist doesn’t provide you with a recommendation, start with the lowest dosage possible for your weight and condition. After a week, if you feel no side effects, you can start gradually increasing your CBD dosage until you feel it’s just right or until you feel a positive effect. .
Another rule of thumb is to take CBD before bed, especially if it’s the first time you take this supplement. This allows your body to adapt to CBD without affecting your daily routine and it might actually help you have a great night’s sleep!
The final rule to calculate your dosage is to consider the CBD supplement type you’re using. Different CBD products will be dosed differently. For example, if you take CBD capsules, you can easily find out how much CBD each capsule contains and you can dose it effectively too. With CBD oils, it might be trickier to calculate your optimal dosage since you need to know how much CBD approximately exists in each drop and then find your ideal dosage gradually.
At Fourfive, we have designed dosing-friendly CBD products to help you find your optimal CBD dosage more efficiently. Our CBD oil products are presented in spray bottles, making it simple, easy and quick to dose CBD and take it throughout the day at your convenience. You can find in each product page the approximate CBD quantity in milligrams per spray. Once you know how much CBD you want to take per day, you can easily calculate how many sprays you need to take.
How much CBD should I take: Calculator
Since it can be challenging to determine the exact dosage of CBD to take daily, many consumers use CBD calculators to find their optimal dosage. These calculators can be found online easily. However, you should be cautious with these websites as they are not regulated by any healthcare or government agency and therefore their recommendations might not be right for you.
If you decide to use an online calculator to determine your CBD dosage, it is recommended that you check first for dosage instructions on your chosen supplement or that you consult a healthcare professional. Trusting unregulated websites that tell you how much CBD you can take represents a risk to your health.
A safer approach to determine your CBD oil dosage would be to follow our recommended steps below.
6 Steps to Calculate your CBD Oil Dosage
- Consider your chosen CBD supplement type and how easy it is to dose it
- Check the CBD concentration in your chosen supplement
- Check for the recommended dosage in the product information or ask your doctor
- Start with a small dose and gradually increase it
- Keep records of your daily dosage and how it makes you feel (including if your symptoms have improved or if you have any side effects)
- Based on your records, tweak your dosage gradually until you feel it’s just right
fourfive CBD Dosage Chart
Possible CBD Side Effects
Whilst there aren’t many known side effects of CBD, it is important to be aware of possible side effects. If you get any of these symptoms when you start taking CBD, it might be a sign that you’re taking too much cannabidiol without giving your body enough time to adapt.
Some of the possible CBD side effects include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Changes in appetite
- Changes in weight
