Each CBD product comes with its own dosage and instructions on how to use it, but one of the biggest influencing factors is CBD’s method of consumption.
CBD is one of the most popular compounds for wellness and beauty products, even if it remains very mysterious. Although CBD doesn’t get you high, it does affect your body in relaxing and therapeutic ways, reducing inflammation, anxiety, stress and more. Depending on how you consume it, the compound can take different amounts of time to kick in.
One of CBD’s main problems is that it’s not FDA regulated, meaning that there’s not a lot of scientific research in progress or an official standard dosage. Without this, it’s hard to judge how the compound will affect people and how long it’ll take to kick in.
Each CBD product comes with its own dosage and instructions on how to use it, but one of the biggest influencing factors is CBD’s method of consumption. Real Simple spoke with Boris Shcharansky, COO of Papa & Barkley cannabis company, who said that how you consume CBD is key for determining when it’ll affect you.
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Here’s how long the compound takes to kick in depending on how you use it.
Topicals
Lotions, creams, balms, ointments and all of those types of products should be the fast acting. Once applied, relief should kick in within 15 minutes.
Edibles
This category encompasses a larger branch of products. Tinctures, capsules, gummies, chocolates and candies are all consumed orally and have different ways of affecting you. Sublinguals like tinctures are applied under the tongue and should kick in within 15 minutes. Products that are digested, like gummies and capsules, take longer, kicking in within a 45 minutes to two hours time frame.
Always be careful and start off slow
While CBD is a safe product to consume, you should still be wary of doses, avoiding overdoing it and consuming more than you should. Overdosing on the compound won’t cause anxiety bouts or paranoia, but it might make you feel very drowsy. The first time you use a CBD product you should start off slow and see how your body responds, waiting patiently until you notice the effects.
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It’s also important to remember that many of CBD’s benefits are cumulative. Jesse Stanley, founder of Charlotte’s Web, says that CBD should be considered a supplement instead of a one-off product people consume whenever they need relief. While the positive change might not be immediate, after several weeks of use you will start to notice improvements.