If you’ve been struggling to find clear information on how to use CBD products, the tips in this guide will help you find the most effective ways.
You'll get a step-by-step user's guide for:
- oils and tinctures,
- gummies,
- capsules,
- flower, and,
- vape products,
By using the tips in this guide, you'll maximize the benefits CBD has to offer.
We will also cover some lesser known tips like a guide on how to determine how much THC you're ingesting.
When it comes to CBD products, knowing how much THC you're ingesting is important. This way, you can avoid impairment and side effects like anxiety.
Keep reading.
Table of contents:
How to Use CBD Oil
Step 1: shake your bottle first
With CBD oils and tinctures it's very important to shake your bottle before using it.
Here's why:
Different compounds inside CBD oil have a different weight.
For example:
If you have a full-spectrum oil, THC tends to concentrate at the bottom of the bottle.
If you got a full-spectrum oil, you want to make sure you're ingesting small amounts of THC with every dose.
If you let all the THC concentrate at the bottom of the bottle, not only will you miss the benefits of combining CBD with THC, while finishing the first half of your bottle…
But once you get to the last part of the bottle, you will ingest way more THC than you expect. This can lead to unwanted side effects like:
- feeling ‘high',
- anxiety, or,
- paranoia.
So always shake your bottle of CBD oil before using it.
Step 2: take CBD oil on a full stomach
Make sure that you take the oil in a ‘fed' state.
This means you should have eaten food maximum 1-2 hours before taking the oil.
CBD is fat-soluble. This means it's significantly better absorbed when it's taken on a stomach filled with fats (1, 2).
So taking CBD oil on a full stomach is the first step to increase bio-availability. But if you want to improve its absorption even further, make sure you ate food with a substantial amount of fats.
Step 3: use the right dose
Drop either the recommended dose, or the dose you know works for you, under your tongue.
Most CBD oils come in 30ml bottles and 1ml droppers.
You always know the total milligrams of CBD inside a bottle.
Usually, the manufacturer also discloses how much milligrams of CBD is inside a 1ml dropper.
Example:
This bottle of Receptra Naturals oil is 30ml. It has 25mg CBD per 1 milliliter, and it's clearly stated on the bottle.
If you know you get good effects with 50mg of full-spectrum CBD, you would have to take 2ml or two full droppers from this oil.
If not, assuming you have a 30ml bottle, simply divide the total amount of milligrams by 30.
Example:
This bottle of Populum oil is 30ml. It doesn't disclose the amount of CBD per 1ml. But you can easily calculate this by dividing the total amount of CBD by the total amount of milliliters.
In this case, it would be 1000mg CBD divided by 30ml = 33.33mg/ml CBD.
For more information on dosing CBD, click here.
Step 4: dropping the oil under your tongue
Before swallowing CBD oil or tincture, you should always keep it under your tongue for at least one minute. If you feel comfortable with 3-5 minutes, that would even be better.
The mucous membrane beneath your tongue stands in direct connection with your bloodstream. Any substance that dissolves in saliva can be taken sublingually. This way, active compounds can directly diffuse into the bloodstream.
CBD at least partially, passes through the mucous membrane beneath your tongue.
This way, you avoid the breakdown of at least a part of the CBD , that would've otherwise broken down inside the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
But you'll also feel some of the effects a bit quicker compared to just swallowing CBD.
Step 5: swallow the oil
After you have kept the oil under your tongue for 1-5 minutes, you can swallow it.
There's no special technique involved here. Just make sure you do it on a full stomach.
Avoid taking CBD oil on an empty stomach at all times.
How To Use CBD Gummies
Step 1: take CBD gummies on a full stomach
Whatever form of CBD you ingest…
Whether it's oil, gummies, or capsules…
The CBD-molecule is the same. Unless you have a specially manufactured water-soluble CBD product, CBD is always fat-soluble.
To enhance absorption, fat soluble compounds should always be taken on a full stomach, preferably a stomach with a lot of fatty acids.
So always make sure you take CBD gummies on a full stomach, preferably with a substantial amount of fatty acids.
Step 2: determine your dose
With CBD gummies it's very important that the manufacturer discloses how much CBD (in milligrams) you get per gummy.
Most brands will disclose this information. If not, it's better you avoid those specific gummies.
If a gummies manufacturer doesn't disclose the amount of CBD per gummy, you have no clue what you're ingesting.
With gummies, it's also very important to know if they're full-spectrum or purified products.
Here's why:
Gummies can also legally contain 0.3% THC. But 1000mg CBD in the form of gummies has way more mass than 1000mg in the form of an oil.
For example:
Both this oil and jar of gummies contain 1000mg CBD. Let's assume that both products have 0.2% THC.
The gummies are 4.2-times heavier.
If you take 100mg CBD with the oil, you will ingest 3ml oil. 0.2% THC in 3ml of this oil equals approximately 1.9mg THC/ml. So if you ingest 3ml of this oil, you would ingest 5.75mg THC.
If you take 100mg CBD with the gummies, you will ingest 4.2-times more mass than with the oil. This also means 4.2-times more THC. 0.2% THC inside these gummies would equal 24.14mg THC.
24.14mg THC will for sure get you high, make you feel weird, make you feel anxiety or paranoia.
So if you have full-spectrum gummies, you really have to know how many milligrams of THC you ingest per gummy as well.
Otherwise, you can experience unexpected side effects of THC.
If you have a certificate of analysis (COA) you can calculate how much THC you're ingesting.
Example COA of gummy:
If you know how much CBD you get per gummy, by knowing the CBD- and THC-percentage, you can calculate how much THC is inside a gummy.
Let's assume a gummy has 25mg CBD.
Next, we need to know the CBD-to-THC ratio.
We calculate this by dividing the CBD-percentage by the THC-percentage:
0.76 / 0.03 = 25.
So for every 1mg of THC, you get 25mg of CBD.
The CBD-to-THC-ratio is 25:1.
So a gummy with 25mg CBD has 1mg THC.
Step 3: swallow your gummies
No special techniques here, just swallow your gummies.
One question we often get asked is whether CBD gummies work sublingually. And the answer is we don't know for sure, but probably not.
My theory is that since most gummies are solid and infused with CBD, it will have a significantly harder time to dissolve in saliva than oil, which is liquid.
In any case, I never use gummies sublingually and still get good effects from them.
Step 4: wait for the effects
It takes much longer to experience the effects from gummies compared to oils/tinctures, or vape/smoke products like CBD flower.
It can take up to 2-4 hours.
So just patiently wait for the effects, after ingesting the gummies.
How to Use CBD Capsules
Step 1: take CBD capsules on a full stomach
As with any oral CBD, CBD capsules should always be taken on a full stomach.
This way, you improve the absorption-rate. To enhance absorption even further, make sure your last meal had a substantial amount of fats.
Step 2: if you want quicker effects, pierce them in your mouth so the oil can flow under your tongue
All CBD capsules that we tested were simply oil encapsulated.
While CBD capsules are meant to be swallowed, if you want to experience quicker effects, you can pierce them and let the the oil com out.
This way, you turn the capsules into regular oil/tincture that can be used sublingually.
To recap the benefits of sublingual absorption:
Part of the CBD will directly go into your bloodstream. When you swallow CBD, a large part gets broken down by the gastrointestinal tract and the liver, before it enters your bloodstream.
Step 3: determine your dose
With capsules, the manufacturer should always disclose the amount of CBD you get per capsule.
In the case of full-spectrum CBD capsules, it's important to know how much THC you're ingesting.
But here's the problem:
Most brands don't disclose the amount of THC you get per capsule.
So using the certificate of analysis, you have to calculate yourself how much THC you're ingesting.
An example calculation below:
The best way to calculate how much THC you're ingesting with every capsule with a certificate of analysis like this, is by determining the CBD-to-THC ratio.
And the formula for this is simple:
CBD-percentage divided by THC-percentage. 4.71 / 0.16 = 29.42. So there's approximately 30-times more CBD inside a capsule than THC. So the CBD:THC-ratio is 30:1.
If one capsule has 30mg CBD, it has 1mg THC.
But here again, is an important caveat:
In our experience, after reviewing many CBD capsule/softgel brands, we came to the conclusion that capsules can have widely differing cannabinoid-concentrations.
For example:
One capsule from the same brand, can have different effects than another capsule from the same brand.
Oils seems to be more consistent in effects than capsules.
In case there comes a day you feel a bit weird after taking the same capsules, just keep this mind.
Step 4: swallow the capsules
No special technique involved here.
Just make sure you do it on a full stomach.
Step 5: wait for the effects
If you pierced the capsules and let the oil flow under your tongue, you can expect some effect within 30-45 minutes.
If you swallowed the capsules without piercing them, you can expect effects within 2-4 hours.
How to Use CBD Flower
Step 1: make sure you have high CBD, low THC-flower
CBD flower doesn't look any different than regular cannabis flower.
Regular cannabis flower is usually high on THC and low on CBD. If you're looking for CBD, this isn't what you want.
High-CBD, low-THC flower usually is called ‘hemp'.
Hemp can only have a maximum THC-percentage of 0.3%.
While this is enough to give a slight buzz for some people, it usually isn't enough to really get you high or cause anxiety and paranoia.
Step 2: get a dry herb vaporizer
Today, there's no reason to smoke CBD flower.
By using a dry herb vaporizer, you can extract all the cannabinoids and terpenes inside the flower, while significantly reducing your exposure to harmful by-products.
It's hard to put an exact number on the amount of toxins you're avoiding with vaping compared to smoking.
But one study found that cannabis smoke has over 100 toxic byproducts that are absent in cannabis vapor (3).
Step 3: set the right temperature
The temperature of most vaporizers can be adjusted in 1-degree increments.
The problem:
Your temperature can be high enough to extract THC, but not high enough to extract most of the CBD.
THC has a boiling point of 315°F(157°C).
CBD has a boiling point of 320°F( 160°C) – 356°F(180°C).
But one study found that that the higher you go above 356°F(180°C), the more CBD you extract (4).
That said, we recommend that you don't go above 392°F(200°C). Above this setting, you will start inhaling significantly more benzene. Benzene is a carcinogen.
Step 4: inhale until you feel benefits
Once your temperature is set and your vaporizer heated up, it's time to inhale the goods.
You will inhale more than just CBD. Because CBD flower is as full-spectrum as it gets.
And the main benefit is that you'll experience the effects much quicker than with oral methods of consumption.
So you can just take 3-4 inhalations, wait 5 minutes, see what you feel. And if you don't feel any benefits yet, simply take another 3-4 inhalations. Continue this process until your desired effects are achieved.
You don't have to worry too much about determining the exact dose when you vape CBD.
How to Use CBD Vape Juice
Step 1: get a low heat/low volt/low wattage MTL vaping device
CBD vape juice can be used in any vaping device suited for regular vape juices.
But for best effects and least amount of toxin-exposure, you should get a device that works with low temperature/low voltage/low wattage settings.
The optimum watt settings we've found for CBD juice is around 20 watts.
Your coils should be around 1 ohm.
Vaping devices that fit these requirements are called ‘mouth-to-lung' or MTL devices.
If you use too high of a temperature, watts, or volts, you will not only get harsh vapor…
But you will destroy a large portion of the CBD before it reaches your lungs.
Step 2: set your device at the right temperature, volts, or watts
As explained, if you have an MTL device, you should be fine and don't need to think much about the right setting.
The average MTL device is well-suited to vape CBD juice.
But if you have a multi-functional device, for example:
- A box mod with multiple possible tanks,
then you should make sure you use a tank that works well with the following settings:
- 20 watts,
- around 3.3 volts, or,
- 392°F(200°C).
Step 3: inhale until you feel benefits
As explained with CBD flower, vaping gives (close to) instantaneous effects.
I recommend taking a few puffs, wait 5 minutes, see how you feel. Then, if you don't feel any beneficial effects, take a few more puffs, wait 5 minutes, see how you feel. And just keep continuing this process until you feel beneficial effects.
You don't have to worry too much about determining the exact dose when you vape CBD.
The Benefits of Taking CBD Sublingually/Orally
To take CBD sublingually, you put a few drops of tincture under your tongue and leave them there for at least 60 seconds.
The mucous membrane beneath your tongue stands in direct connection with your bloodstream. Any substance that dissolves in saliva can be taken sublingually. This way, active compounds can directly diffuse into the bloodstream.
CBD at least partially, passes through the mucous membrane beneath your tongue.
There are two main benefits of this method
1. First Benefit: Avoiding the ‘First-Pass-Effect'
In theory, the main benefit of taking CBD sublingually is the following:
You partially avoid the ‘first-pass effect’.
The first-pass effect refers to the metabolization of compounds in the digestive tract and liver. The liver and digestive tract metabolize compounds like CBD before they reach the bloodstream. For example if you ingest 100mg CBD, only 9-30mg will get absorbed into your blood stream.
Theoretically, by taking CBD sublingually, you would need a smaller dose to achieve the same effects, compared to swallowing CBD.
But studies show there's no difference in blood concentrations when taking CBD sublingually compared to immediately swallowing it (5).
However:
There's less variability in blood concentrations when taking CBD sublingually, or in the form of an oromucosal spray.
Less variability in blood concentrations means less variability in effects.
CBD may not be better absorbed when taken sublingually. But you'll get more predictable results when taking it sublingually.
2. Second Benefit: Quicker Effects and More Consistent Results
Another benefit of taking CBD sublingually is that you'll feel the effects quicker than simply swallowing it.
If CBD has to go through the digestive tract and liver, the time before it reaches your bloodstream can be up to 4 hours.
Studies found taking CBD sublingually has faster effects than when it's simply swallowed (6).
But both methods were slower than smoking/vaping (7). One way to speed up the effects of oral CBD, is by taking it in a pro-nanoliposphere formulation (8). By breaking CBD down in nanoparticles, you can increase its absorption-rate.
Any time you increase the absorption-rate of CBD, you decrease the amount of CBD need to achieve a specific effect.
Theoretically, by using nano-emulsified CBD, you can decrease the dosage.
Keep in mind that when taking CBD oil sublingually, you should still swallow it after.
Sublingual absorption isn't 100% effective.
By swallowing, you ensure that:
- you also absorb CBD that wasn't absorbed with your mucous membranes, and,
- you get the benefits of all the compounds inside your CBD oil.
Not all compounds inside your CBD oil can be absorbed with the mucous membranes.
You also need to absorb compounds that aren't easily absorbed by the mucous membranes.
Methods for Increasing CBD's Bioavailability When Taken Orally/Sublingually
When you take CBD orally, there are ways to increase its bioavailability and potentially reduce the dose needed to achieve a desired effect.
With these tips, you'll get stronger effects from the same dose. Or you'll be able to use a smaller dose to achieve your desired effect. In both cases, you'll get more value for your money.
1. Dietary Lipids Increase Bio-Availability of CBD Taken Orally
Most CBD oils have a carrier oil. This helps with the absorption of CBD. But for even better absorption, take your CBD oil with even more fats. For example, some nuts or some peanut butter.
Here's why:
Research shows that CBD has a higher absorption-rate when taken together with fats (9).
2. Taking CBD Orally in a Fed-State Increases Bio-availability
One phase 1 clinical trial found that taking CBD orally in a fed state compared to a fasted state increased both (10):
- CBD blood concentrations, and,
- the time CBD stays in the blood.
For best effects, you should take CBD after eating a big meal that contains at least some fat.
3. Unheated CBD Has Better Uptake and Metabolism vs. Heated
One study found that CBD blood concentrations were 4-times higher when CBD was combined with its acidic form, CBDA (11).
The unheated extract contained:
- A much higher concentration of CBDA than the heated extract, and;
- A lower CBD concentration than the heated extract.
In other words the CBDA:CBD ratio was higher in the unheated extract.
CBDA is the precursor of CBD. It's the acidic form. And although CBDA is associated with health benefits as well, 95% of research is about CBD and NOT CBDA. The health benefits associated with CBD don't automatically extend to CBDA.
When talking about CBD oils, unheated extracts are very rare, but cold-ethanol-extracted and subcritical CO2-extracted CBD oils sometimes are sold in their unheated form.
Other names for this type of product are ‘raw CBD oil', ‘raw CBD extract'.
The Benefits of Vaping CBD
First, it's important to mention:
Although some CBD oils can be vaped, most edible oils are not suitable for vaping.
When you inhale edible oils over an extended period, you risk getting exogenous lipid pneumonia (12). This is an inflammatory lung disease that in some cases causes severe damage to your lungs.
That’s why when you want to vape CBD, you have to make sure that your product can actually be vaped.
In general, unless explicitly stated that your CBD vape oil is edible as well, I don’t recommend ‘eating’ it. It may be filled with chemical compounds not suited for human consumption.
The First Benefit: Immediate Effects
The main benefit of vaping CBD is that you’ll feel the effects very fast and sometimes even immediately. Compare this to taking it orally, which can take 4 hours before you feel any effect.
The Second Benefit: Higher Bioavailability
Another benefit of vaped CBD is that it more bio-available than orally consumed CBD. This means you’ll need fewer milligrams to feel the same effect.
However:
CBD is more potent taken together with all the other hemp-derived compounds. CBD vape oils rarely have these other hemp-derived compounds in high concentrations.
The Third Benefit: Discreetness
Another benefit of vaping CBD is that it’s discreet. When you vape with a regular vape pen, no one will associate your vaping with CBD use.
Vaping has become somewhat of a socially accepted behavior. And CBD doesn’t have a particular smell, which means you can easily stay under the radar while you’re vaping CBD.
The Downsides
The main downside of vaping CBD is that there aren’t many vape products that contain other hemp-derived compounds in high concentrations.
These other hemp-derived compounds make CBD more potent, plus have uniquely beneficial effects of their own.
Another downside is that vaping produces quick effects, but they don't stay as long.
For our current recommended CBD vape oils, check out the article below:
What's Next…
Go to our CBD Hub to learn more about CBD-related topics.
Scientific References
- Zgair, A., Wong, J. C., Lee, J. B., Mistry, J., Sivak, O., Wasan, K. M., Hennig, I. M., Barrett, D. A., Constantinescu, C. S., Fischer, P. M., & Gershkovich, P. (2016). Dietary fats and pharmaceutical lipid excipients increase systemic exposure to orally administered cannabis and cannabis-based medicines. American journal of translational research, 8(8), 3448–3459.
- Stott, C. G., White, L., Wright, S., Wilbraham, D., & Guy, G. W. (2012). A phase I study to assess the effect of food on the single dose bioavailability of the THC/CBD oromucosal spray. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 69(4), 825–834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-012-1393-4
- Gieringer, D., St. Laurent, J., & Goodrich, S. (2004c). Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic Compounds. Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, 4(1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1300/j175v04n01_02
- Solowij, N., Broyd, S. J., Van Hell, H. H., & Hazekamp, A. (2014). A protocol for the delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) and combined CBD and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by vaporisation. BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-6511-15-58
-
Millar, S. A., Stone, N. L., Yates, A. S., & O’Sullivan, S. E. (2018). A Systematic Review on the Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol in Humans. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 9. Published. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.01365
-
Guy, G. W., & Robson, P. J. (2004). A Phase I, Double Blind, Three-Way Crossover Study to Assess the Pharmacokinetic Profile of Cannabis Based Medicine Extract (CBME) Administered Sublingually in Variant Cannabinoid Ratios in Normal Healthy Male Volunteers (GWPK0215). Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, 3(4), 121–152. https://doi.org/10.1300/j175v03n04_02
-
Devinsky, O., Kraft, K., Rusch, L., Fein, M., & Leone-Bay, A. (2021). Improved Bioavailability with Dry Powder Cannabidiol Inhalation: A Phase 1 Clinical Study. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Published. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2021.08.012
-
Cherniakov, I., Izgelov, D., Domb, A. J., & Hoffman, A. (2017). The effect of Pro NanoLipospheres (PNL) formulation containing natural absorption enhancers on the oral bioavailability of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in a rat model. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 109, 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2017.07.003
- Zgair, A., Wong, J. C., Lee, J. B., Mistry, J., Sivak, O., Wasan, K. M., Hennig, I. M., Barrett, D. A., Constantinescu, C. S., Fischer, P. M., & Gershkovich, P. (2016). Dietary fats and pharmaceutical lipid excipients increase systemic exposure to orally administered cannabis and cannabis-based medicines. American journal of translational research, 8(8), 3448–3459.
-
Stott, C. G., White, L., Wright, S., Wilbraham, D., & Guy, G. W. (2012). A phase I study to assess the effect of food on the single dose bioavailability of the THC/CBD oromucosal spray. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 69(4), 825–834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-012-1393-4
-
Eichler, M., Spinedi, L., Unfer-Grauwiler, S., Bodmer, M., Surber, C., Luedi, M., & Drewe, J. (2012). Heat Exposure ofCannabis sativaExtracts Affects the Pharmacokinetic and Metabolic Profile in Healthy Male Subjects. Planta Medica, 78(07), 686–691. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1298334
-
Marchiori, E., Zanetti, G., Mano, C. M., & Hochhegger, B. (2011). Exogenous lipoid pneumonia. Clinical and radiological manifestations. Respiratory Medicine, 105(5), 659–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2010.12.001
