Today, we can safely state that CBD oils are no longer an exotic commodity, and public awareness of their health-promoting properties is only growing in strength. Science has repeatedly confirmed that cannabidiol is a safe, non-invasive substance that can help us fight epilepsy, chronic pain, inflammation, insomnia, and even premenstrual syndrome or acne. There is no doubt about the action – the problem, however, is the dosage of CBD oil. Cannabinoids are still relatively new (CBD has been classified by the European Commission as the so-called “novel food”). This, in turn, means that cannabidiol dosage standards are not set top-down. Fortunately, however, there are a number of experts and reliable sources that we can use for advice.
There is no universal dose
The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing the right dose of CBD is that it will be different for everyone. In the case of cannabidiol, there is no universal dose, because – as suggested by numerous scientific studies – the body’s responses to this cannabinoid are individual [1]. Still, there is a range of doses at which CBD has a proven track record. Doses between 20 and 1,500 mg (milligrams) per day are usually used in human studies.
The correct dosage of CBD oil depends on a number of factors [1], [2]:
- body weight;
- CBD concentration in particular oil;
- effect we want to achieve or disease we want to treat;
- individual reactions of our body, its biochemistry and even genetics.
To find out if the dose is right for you, use it for at least a few days (about a week) and observe your body’s responses. If the dose is too low, after this time you can increase it by 5 mg and repeat the observations. Just how do you determine your starting dose?
Dosage of CBD oil depending on the condition
Certainly, in the case of CBD oils, higher oil concentrations (e.g. 30%) should be reserved for more serious ailments – such as epilepsy, extensive inflammation, pain associated with cancer therapy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, etc. If CBD oil is taken to relieve acne, PMS symptoms, stress or simply improving mental well-being – it is worth starting with lower concentrations (5, 10, 15%) and possibly increasing the dose.
The same goes for the number of drops. As a rule, we start with small doses and gradually increase them until we achieve the desired results. Some suggest that basic supplementation start from 2.5 mg [3], others recommend 20 mg once a day [1]. For example, let us suppose the latter option (which appears quite often in the literature). How do you calculate this from a dropper bottle? For 5% oil, it will be 8 drops (on average, in a standard 10 ml bottle, there are 200 drops – if 5% of 10 ml is 500 mg, then 500 mg/200 drops is 2.5 mg per drop). Similarly, for 10% oil it will be 4 drops, for 20% two and 30% one (well and ⅓ the other). Calculating and measuring the dose as to the milligram, however, does not make much sense due to the inaccuracy of droppers and – as we have already mentioned – the lack of an ideally, top-estimated dose.
Of course, in the case of more serious ailments, it is better to start dosing CBD oil with a higher dose (e.g. 40-50 mg / day) [1]. In this case, it is better to buy 30% oil and take three drops a day rather than 5% and take 20 of them. Bottle with higher concentration will be enough for us for longer and will be less onerous to take.
Many sources, many suggestions
The above guidelines are just one option. Other equally reliable sources [2] suggest that CBD oil dosing should start at 25 mg twice a day. However, this is quite a high dose for beginners. It is better to stay at a bit lower.
Despite all uncertainties, some try to define general principles that could help calculate the dose. Following this idea, specialists from Daily CBD [3] created a general rule according to which with mild symptoms 0.2 mg CBD should be taken per 1 kg of body weight, with medium symptoms 1 mg/1 kg, and with strong symptoms 1.5 mg/1 kg.
The American network of Mayo Clinic medical centers has even developed specific CBD doses for specific diseases [2] (of course – again – these are indicative doses):
- chronic pain: 2,5-20 mg daily;
- motion problems associated with Huntington’s disease: 10 mg per 1 kg of body weight once a day for 6 weeks;
- sleep disorders: 40-160 mg per day;
- schizophrenia: 40-1.280 mg per day;
- epilepsy: 200-300 mg per day (although the dosage of Epidiolex, an epilepsy medicine based on synthetic CBD, is 2.5 mg/1 kg body weight twice a day [4]);
- glaucoma: a single dose of 20-40 mg.
Although it is thought that there are too many variables to create a CBD dose adjustment tool, a cannabidiol dose calculator is available for everyone willing to give it a try. This is certainly not a faultless and infallible tool, but it can be used to help you find the right initial dose.
What if you choose the wrong dose?
Choosing the perfect dose of CBD is, as we have already mentioned, an individual matter, requiring time to recognize the needs of your own body. No wonder, then, if the dosage of CBD oil in the beginning causes problems. Fortunately, cannabidiol is a safe substance even after exceeding the recommended dose. When overdosed, its side effects usually come down to dry mouth, mild headache, drowsiness and changes in appetite [5]. Sometimes there is diarrhea – and that’s basically it. Compared to other drugs used to treat conditions similar to those treated with CBD, cannabidiol has a much better side effect profile.
In turn, if we take too little oil – it just won’t work. In such case, the dose should be slightly modified. Of course, when choosing a CBD dose, always remember that more is not better. So it’s good to start with a small dose and stop at the minimum, after which we feel the therapeutic effects.
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The article is purely informative and is not a professional medical advice.
Sources
- [1] Ferguson S., 2019: CBD Dosage: Figuring Out How Much to Take. Healthline [received 25.05.2020].
- [2] CBD Oil review, CBD Oil Dosage: General Tips to Assess How Much CBD to Take [received 25.05.2020].
- [3] Cooke J., 2020: Beginners Guide to Dosing CBD Oil. Daily CBD [received 25.05.2020].
- [4] WebMD: Cannabidiol [received 25.05.2020].
- [5] Iffland K., Grotenhermen F., 2017: An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2, 1, 139-154.
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