Taking CBD the right way: be sure to avoid these common mistakes
Almost everyday, we hear from people who have had frustrating experiences with CBD. Maybe you’ve had similar experiences, especially if you:
- Took CBD as an oil, gummy, or other edible
- Tried a generic CBD formula
- Quickly stopped using CBD after not seeing fast results
- Chose a cheap, low-quality CBD brand
If that sounds familiar to your experience, you’re in luck! These are common pitfalls that CBD customers often fall into, but there are ways to avoid these issues entirely. Below, we’ll discuss these issues (and more) in detail, why they prevent a fully satisfying CBD experience, and what you can do to make sure you get the full benefits that CBD has to offer.
Problem #1: Using CBD Products with Low Bioavailability
The biggest problem customers face when trying to use CBD products is the lack of bioavailability. In short, bioavailability refers to how easily medicine or other substances (including CBD) can be absorbed into your body. If you’re using a CBD product with low bioavailability, then you may not have had enough CBD absorbed into your body to feel the active effects.
Not sure what impacts CBD’s bioavailability? There are several factors that can increase, or decrease, CBD’s ability to absorb into your bloodstream:
- Method of Use: Patches or inhaled forms of CBD usually have higher levels of bioavailability because in this delivery method, the CBD avoids the digestive system. Ingestible forms of CBD, like oils or capsules, usually have low levels of bioavailability, since your digestive system destroys most of the CBD.
- Product Purity: If your CBD product has ingredient fillers or contaminants, you’re not going to get the levels of absorption you would with pure CBD products.
- Product Design: Certain CBD products may be specifically designed from the beginning to increase bioavailability. This is especially important for ingestible forms of CBD, since it has to survive harsh stomach acids.
Problem #2: Using the Wrong CBD Formula
Another common issue we see customers face is getting the wrong kind of CBD formula. If you don’t get a CBD formula that’s a good match for your health challenge, then you may not get the results you were hoping for. Let’s take a look at the different kinds of CBD formulas that you’ll commonly see on the market.
Products made with full-spectrum CBD contain the entire spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes that were present in the sourced hemp. Full-spectrum CBD products may offer superior effects due to the entourage effect. For customers looking for the most impactful results, full-spectrum CBD is the best choice.
Broad-spectrum CBD is the same as full-spectrum CBD, except the trace amounts of THC have been removed. This may allow customers to still benefit from the entourage effect from other cannabinoids and terpenes present in the products while avoiding THC.
Products made with CBD-isolate will contain only CBD. None of the other cannabinoids or terpenes present in the sourced hemp will be present. This means customers won’t be able to benefit from the entourage effect, and customers will generally pay a premium price, since isolating CBD requires extensive processing.
Many CBD brands create CBD formulas that include other active ingredients to help target specific health challenges. Choosing a CBD product that’s targeted to help soothe anxiety when you’re looking to manage chronic pain might not give you the results you were hoping for.
If you are trying to hone in on a targeted health challenge, a catered, full-spectrum CBD formula is the best choice for maximum results.
Problem #3: Inconsistent or Improper CBD Dosing
This is one of the most common problems we see with customers that say that they felt some effects from CBD but never got the results they were looking for. It’s a confusing issue because most customers will feel CBD the very first time they take it, but they won’t get the best results on the first dose.
To start, your first dose is not likely to be the amount of CBD you take forever. Regardless of what CBD product you use, we usually recommend our customers start with low doses and slowly work their way up as they understand how a specific product will make them feel. Starting with a huge CBD dose can cause uncomfortable side-effects.
Not only do you need to work up to your ideal dose of CBD, but you need to regularly take it to begin to feel the best effects. Usually, this takes up around 10 days of daily CBD dosing of any product you choose. We’ve noticed many customers take CBD for just a few days and quit without giving the CBD enough time to fully saturate the body.
Give yourself time to find the ideal dose and then consistently take that dose for the best effects.
Problem #4: Choosing the Wrong Delivery System
As we mentioned in the previous point, different forms of CBD offer different advantages for customers. Certain delivery methods of CBD are better for helping to manage certain health challenges, and a delivery mismatch can make it feel like CBD isn’t offering the benefits it’s supposed to. Here’s a quick overview of the primary kinds of CBD and what to expect during use:
Forms of CBD that you can inhale will enter your bloodstream the fastest, and since it bypasses your digestive system, the bioavailability of inhaled CBD is generally high (around 30%). This form of CBD is great for sudden, unexpected problems, like acute pain or a panic attack, but the effects don’t last very long compared to ingestible forms of CBD or transdermal patches.
Transdermal CBD patches allow for consistent CBD dosing for up to 8 hours, and with bioavailability levels at 80%, they are perfect for consistent, long-term dosing. However, it can take a while for the CBD to absorb through your skin and reach your bloodstream, which makes patches a poor choice for sudden, unexpected issues.
Also, transdermal patches are not the same as topical CBD lotions. Topical lotions may provide some local relief directly where applied, but they are not designed to deliver CBD into the bloodstream. That means using lotions to help with widespread pain or anxiety will never provide the results you want.
Finally, ingestible forms of CBD, while popular, have notoriously low bioavailability levels. Most ingestible forms only have 6% bioavailability, which means products like oils, tinctures, or capsules need extra potent, consistent doses to be effective. Ingestible CBD tends to have longer effects than inhalable forms of CBD and will usually take effect faster than transdermal patches.
Problem #5: Fraudulent CBD Products
In the UK, the CBD isn’t regulated by a formal government body. That means it’s up to CBD brands to police themselves to provide pure, high-grade products. Some less reputable brands will add fillers to their CBD products (and not disclose it), or they may be lying about how much CBD is in their products.
In the UK, the CBD isn’t regulated by a formal government body. That means it’s up to CBD brands to police themselves to provide pure, high-grade products. Some less reputable brands will add fillers to their CBD products (and not disclose it), or they may be lying about how much CBD is in their products.
This is a common issue. A study performed by the National Institute of Health showed that, from their sampling of CBD products, 26% contained less CBD than advertised, while 43% contained more CBD than advertised. This same study also showed that 21% of these products also contained THC levels above the legal limit, which was “enough to intoxicate children.”
Your CBD product may not have worked because it didn’t have the amount of CBD as advertised.
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Medical Disclaimer: This is not intended for the purpose of providing medical advice.
All healthcare decisions are yours and yours alone.