How to Take CBD

clear glass bottle with yellow lid

When it comes to using CBD product, your option will be limited to the following four:

1. Sublingual Absorption

• What It Is: Many of the CBD brands people know are products which are consumed sublingually. The CBD will have an alcohol or oil base and packages in tincture bottles. The user will squeeze a few drops of the oil into their mouth using a dropper.

• How It Works: You will place a few drops of the CBD under the tongue and hold it for some minutes instead of swallowing immediately. Alternatively, you can switch it around in the mouth for a minute, known as buccal absorption. The mouth has a vast mesh of blood vessels that will absorb the CBD into the bloodstream. Click here to see a more scientific explanation into how CBD works.

• Why Choose It: The CBD will take effect faster since it is absorbed into the bloodstream directly, and this can be felt in the entire body with the effects lasting up to six hours. Moreover, it will provide cumulative support for an extended period.

• Why Not: All the CBD will not dissolve for quick absorption. Furthermore, you will wash it down or swallow, meaning some of it will be taken through oral ingestion. When you consider that it will have to sit in the mouth, you might prefer taking flavored CBD, including refreshing orange or mint options.

2. Oral Ingestion

• What It Is: With oral CBD products, all are edible because you must swallow them. They can range from CBD chewy candy, CBD edibles in capsule form, CBD chocolate, and CBD-infused foods and drinks.

• How It Works: After ingesting the CBD, it will pass through your digestive tract, be metabolized, and absorbed into the bloodstream. It is the method used for most medicines, and it’s most effective when consumed on an empty stomach. That way, the CBD metabolizations is fast as it is broken down and dissolved in lipids and fats.

• Why Choose It: Oral ingestion is the easiest way to get CBD into your system, with effects that can last nearly six hours affecting the entire body systematically while providing extended cumulative support.

Oral ingestion is also excellent when it comes to CBD products meant for pets. For instance, you might have a tough time trying to put 20mg/ml of our formula under your pet’s tongue. But this might be easier if you opt for the edibles.

• Why Not: When you ingest the CBD, the effects will last longer since the body metabolized the CBD slowly – taking around 45 – 90 minutes. Since metabolization occurs in the liver, some of the CBD you consume will be inactive before reaching the blood, which is known as the first-pass metabolism. You also must consider alcohol or drug use and how these substances interact.

3. Topical (Dermal) Absorption

• What It Is: It means the CBD will be used outside your body, often in the form of salves, creams, balms, ointments, or lotions. You also might find novelty products like CBD-infused lip balms and bath bombs.

• How It Works: The body will absorb the CBD through the skin, creating a localized effect. However, negligible amounts of cannabidiol will find its way into the bloodstream.

• Why Choose It: CBD in this topical form can be used to manage irritated skin, allergies, inflammations, tenderness, and aches. CBD in this form blends often include other calming elements mixed with essential oils. For instance, our cream contains aloe vera, camphor, and lavender. On the flip side, pet topicals are an excellent way of giving your pet some relief from issues such as abrasions.

• Why Not: To realize the effects of the CBD infused product, you must opt for a high-concentration product, applying it liberally. However, this comes at a cost compared to conventional relief topicals. Conversely, not everyone can contend with the greasy-feel of topicals made from oil. And you will not experience a cumulation effect or body support.

If you have any other FAQs about CBD – see here.

4. Inhalation

• What It Is: Smoking cannabis to benefit from the cannabidiols has its risks. But you can opt for better options like e-cigs, vape pens with CBD infused e-liquid and vape juice cartridges. Note that the vape juice is different from the CBD. The latter is too thick and cannot turn in vapor when smoked with the vape pen. However, if you are a traditionalist, then unrolled hemp CBD flower or natural CBD hemp blunts are available.

• How It Works: When inhaled, the CBD goes directly to the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream, thus eliminating the first-pass metabolism.

• Why Choose It: In some way, inhaling CBD has the same effect as taking it sublingually, but way better. You will feel the effects in minutes because of the high absorption rate. That means you will absorb much of the cannabidiol. Moreover, you can opt to enjoy a smoke when needing some relief, but the feeling is a bit generalized, like with CBD oral ingestion.

• Why Not: it is a fast passing thus acts quickly, but that also means the effect of inhaled CBD will fade within the hour. Furthermore, it will not provide significant cumulative support when taken on its own. If you are not into smoking or vaping, then this might be an issue. Moreover, keep in mind that the concerns around vaping and smoking will apply. Here are some of the other risks.

If you’re interested – see these tips for buying CBD