Taking Cannabinoids Safely

While cannabidiol, or CBD, can assist with certain medical issues, there is always the question of “how much?” For the most part, doctors don’t know how much CBD to prescribe to a patient, because most medical schools don’t cover cannabidiols in their courses. However, that is slowly changing, as science takes a closer look at medical marijuana, it’s extracts, and how cannabinoids can be safely used.

1) Formats for CBD

Unlike recreational marijuana, which is usually smoked (or eaten), CBD can be consumed in a variety of ways, including: capsules, edibles (such as candy or gum), liquid drops or sprays, liquid oil, paste, salves, and vapors.

2) Administration Vectors for CBD

These formats break down into four major ways to administer cannabinoids to the human body:

• via inhalation (usually via a vaporizer);
• via topical application (in the form of a cream, lotion, or salve, or via a moisturizer, shampoo, or soap);
• via sublingual (in which concentrates, oils, and tinctures are placed under the tongue);
• and via ingestion (in which concentrated CBD oil is consumed as a candy or capsule, added to food, or placed in a beverage. CBD oil can also be added to baked goods, juice, and salad dressing.

3) Recommended Amounts of CBD

According to CBDOILReview.org (COR), the COR Serving Standard is 25 mg of CBD to be taken twice a day. In addition, the Mayo Clinic has suggested CBD dosages based on the disease or issue to be treated. A rough guide is as follows:

For an increase in appetite in cancer patients, administer 2.5 mg of THC orally for six weeks. You can also include 1 mg of CBD is desired.

In order to treat chronic pain, administer 2.5-20 mg of CBD orally for an average of 25 days.

In order to treat epilepsy, administer 200-300 mg of CBD orally each day.

In order to treat glaucoma, administer a single 20-40 mg dose of CBD under the tongue. Warning: a dose greater than 40 mg may actually increase eye pressure and worsen the patient’s condition..

In order to treat movement issues generally associated with Huntington’s disease, administer 10 mg of CBD per kilogram of patient’s weight orally for six weeks.

In order to treat symptoms generally associated with multiple sclerosis, administer a 2.5-120 mg combination of CBD/THC orally for 2-15 weeks. This is commonly delivered via a spray, which may contain 2.5 mg of CBD and 2.7 mg of THC out of a total dose of up to 120 mg. The spray is administered eight times over three hours, with no more than 48 spray over any 24 hour period.

In order to treat schizophrenia, administer 40-1,280 mg of CBD orally each day.

In order to treat sleep disorders, administer 40-160 mg of CBD orally.

4) Ways to Consume CBD Oils

If you need to use CBD oils to treat a medial condition, there are various ways to administer it. The most basic is a capsule, however, you can go beyond this method and enjoy more creative formats.

a) As noted, CBD oils can be used in an inhaler and vaporizer. This allows for near-instant delivery of CBD into the bloodstream

b) By placing CBD oils under the tongue, the user will gain instant relief as well. The remainder is swallowed, which allows for long-term benefits as well.

c) There are numerous edible formats, such as chocolate bars. But it doesn’t stop there. CBD oils can be added to beer, butter, drawn butter, popcorn butter, cheese, coffee, olive oil, smoothies, and Greek yogurt.

d) Topical formats, such as creams, allow for localized pain relief. With this form of CBD application, the cannabidiol doesn’t enter the bloodstream.

5) Risks Associated With CBDs

It should be noted that clinical trials and testing of CBDs is limited. There is little to no information on the side effects (if any) of long-term CBD usage. And there no studies involving children. However, some studies have been performed and they do indicate that adults can tolerate a wide-range of doses. In addition, high dosages of CBD doesn’t appear to have any significant side effects on the central nervous system.

The most common side effect related to CBD usage was one of tiredness. In some cases, users have reported suffering from diarrhea, a change in appetite, and changes in weight.

6) Final Thoughts

As with any medical drug, it is highly recommended you speak to your doctor, or to a qualified cannabis physician before taking CBD oils in any amount. While there is no established lethal dosage of CBD, you need to read over any materials that come with a CBD product carefully, to ensure you are taking the correct amount. At this time, the FDA has only approved the use of CBD in the treatment of two rare forms of severe epilepsy (and those drugs do have known side effects). Other drugs do not have CBD approval and may have unknown ingredients and/or properties not listed on the packaging.

Finally, the use of marijuana itself has been linked to issues with fetal development if taken during pregnancy. Also, the use of recreational marijuana among teens has been linked to behavior, intelligence, and memory issues.