CBD dosing can vary from one individual to the next and is impacted by a number of factors. However there are a number of general rules of thumb we would recommend, both for finding a good starting dose and adjusting the dose accordingly as required.

Before we get to that its worth discussing the various formulations and how they affect the CBD delivery to your system.

Oil tinctures are the most common CBD product. They contain the cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant extract and are placed in a carrier oil. We use MCT(medium chain triglycerides) derived from coconut oil. This improves stability and shelf life of the product and has the added benefit of improving bioavailability of the CBD, making it more easily absorbed by the body. The required dose is administered by placing the amount of drops relative to your dose under the tongue. For example, our 5% strength 10ml tincture contains 2.5mg per drop. So if you were taking a 20mg dose, that would be 8 drops under the tongue. Its important to let the oil sit in under the tongue for at least a minute. This allows the CBD to pass through the oromucosal route directly into the bloodstream. Onset of action is around 30 minutes.

For those more familiar with tablets/capsules we offer our specially formulated soft-gels. Any ingested CBD must undergo first pass metabolism as it passes through the digestive tract. A drawback of this is a significant loss of the dose as it is metabolised. This is because CBD is fat soluble. As our body is made up mostly of water, the rate of absorption of CBD is poor although this can be improved by taking CBD with a high fat meal. To get around this absorption issue, we offer specially formulated soft gels that use a nano-emulsion to coat the CBD molecules. The end result is water soluble CBD that that is much more readily absorbed as it passes though the gut. Onset of action is around 90 minutes.

Although we don't currently offer them, topical applications such as creams or balms are a useful formulation for site specific delivery. They are absorbed directly onto the applied area, as such they do not need to be metabolised. This is ideal for people taking medicines that might interact with CBD. We will be discussing this in a different post at a later stage.

To calculate your starting dose we recommend the following formula: 25% of your body weight where each kg corresponds to 1mg of CBD. Lets take the following example;

Jim weighs 75kg. Multiplying his body weight by 0.25 (i.e.25%) will give you 18.75. This can be rounded up to 20 for ease of dosing. So Jim's starting dose is 20mg. Please bear in mind dosing is different for everyone, some people might need a bit more, some a bit less. However this is a useful method to work a starting dose which can be adjusted in time.

Another useful rule to keep in mind is that, initially, regular dosing consistently is superior to a large dose for a short duration. It's a good to wait at least two weeks before any dose change. The beneficial effects of CBD generally take anywhere between 2-4 weeks to kick in. This is because it is acting upon our endocannabinoid system to boost levels of our own circulating endocannabinoids, specifically anandamide. It takes our bodies some time to acclimatise to these changes, hence the delayed effect. It is through these endocannabinoids that much of the benefits are achieved. See our section on the endocannabinoid system for more information on this. Doses can then be adjusted in 2.5mg or 5mg increments depending on response. However it is important to leave at least a week between any dose change to allow the body to acclimatise. It also has the added benefit of making your CBD last longer.

I hope this helps you make an informed decision regarding your CBD and if you any questions don't hesitate to get in touch with us, if we can help, we will.