How Long Do the Effects of CBD Last? CBD Onset and Duration

Over recent years, CBD has been steadily gaining interest among healthcare professionals and wellness enthusiasts. Despite the promising developments, a considerable number of people are, however, yet to understand CBD. Questions remain: How does CBD affect the body, and how long do CBD effects last? This article aims to answer these and a few more burning questions.

What Is CBD?

While most people might already be familiar with THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive component of a cannabis plant, CBD (Cannabidiol), is another cannabinoid extract of the cannabis plant.

The difference between CBD and THC is that CBD isn’t psychoactive. This difference means that it does not get you high. Though CBD will not alter your state of mind when you use it, it still has specific effects on your body.

How Does CBD Affect the Body?

Your body produces two receptors; CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are found throughout your body, most of them in your brain. They are responsible for coordinating thinking, movement, emotion, mood, memories, pain, and other functions. CB2 receptors are mostly found in your immune system, and they mainly affect pain and inflammation.

All cannabinoids interact with these cannabinoid receptors, producing specific effects in your body. While THC attaches itself to CB1 receptors, CBD stimulates them, causing your body to create its own cannabinoids, referred to as endocannabinoids. This production reduces inflammation and pain and helps your body relax.

Though CBD produces a calming and relaxing feeling without any mind-altering effects, how CBD can affect you will vary depending on the type of extraction. For instance, unlike hemp-derived CBD, marijuana-derived CBD could contain THC that would intoxicate you.

You could also choose between full and broad-spectrum CBD. Full-spectrum CBD has a range of cannabis plant compounds like terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoids, and THC content. Alternatively, broad-spectrum CBD only contains non-intoxicating compounds such as flavonoids and terpenes, among others. Broad-spectrum CBD begins as full-spectrum, undergoing an additional process meant to eliminate the intoxicating compounds.

How Long Do CBD Effects Last?

CBD effects offer people relief from pain, anxiety, stress, and several other conditions. How long CBD effects last, however, varies considerably. That’s because several different factors determine the duration of CBD effects, as explained below.

Dosage

The larger the serving size or the higher the dose you use, the longer CBD will stay in your system, and the longer you will feel its effects. We, however, do not recommend using high doses if you are new to CBD.

Until you know how different CBD products impact you, always proceed with caution, taking things slow. Start by taking the lowest recommended dosage stated on the CBD product you are using then, if need be, steadily increasing your serving size.

Frequency

How often you use CBD products is another factor that determines how long CBD effects last. The more you use it, the longer CBD stays in your body. After continued use, the buildup of CBD could cause its effects to last longer. If you use it occasionally, however, it will clear your system quickly.

Also, while with other substances, continued use causes your body to build up a tolerance for them and reduces their effects, CBD is different. Some users could experience reverse tolerance, needing increasingly smaller doses to achieve the effects they desire.

Your Body

Everyone’s body is unique, and it is why different CBD products affect people differently. Your weight, for instance, is a crucial factor, as it impacts your metabolism. Furthermore, CBD is fat-soluble, meaning it is stored in your body’s fat cells.

That means if your body has less fat, it will not store as much CBD and allows you to process the substance faster, which would reduce the duration of its effects. Alternatively, suppose you have a high body fat percentage. In that case, you will likely experience longer durations of CBD effects because it would take more time for your body to process the larger amounts of CBD stored in the fat cells.

Your body’s water content and body mass index are a few other things that can also determine how long CBD effects last.

Your Lifestyle

Besides your body fat, your lifestyle also impacts how long the CBD effects will last. This is because your lifestyle affects your metabolism. If you have a more active lifestyle, your metabolism will be higher, meaning your body will process the CBD you consume faster. So, the more active your lifestyle, the shorter the effects of CBD will last.

Food

the amount of food you eat and what you eat will also matter. Consuming CBD products on a full stomach will impede your body’s ability to process the substance. This could cause its effects to last longer.

Method of Use

The different ways you can consume CBD is the largest factor that influences how long its effects will last. Each method of use you choose will offer different timings for onset and how long the effects will last. We’ve listed the common forms of use, along with their effect durations.

CBD Boosters

CBD boosters include a wide variety of CBD products such as vape oils, e-liquid, vape juice, tablets, mints, and chewing gum. CBD boosters have the shortest onset time, only taking minutes before you feel their effects because your body absorbs them directly. For instance, when you vape, the CBD enters your lungs and is immediately absorbed.

Though boosters take effect quickly, those effects also leave your body quickly. Typically, the impact of CBD boosters lasts between two to four hours.

CBD Oil Topicals

CBD oil topicals are products that you directly apply to your skin to provide you with pain relief in the affected area. Many people use them to treat external conditions like joint pain and muscle spasms. Some also use them to treat certain skin conditions like acne.

Additionally, some topical contain additional natural ingredients and nutrients that provide you with a concoction of moisturization properties.

Topicals include salves, lotions, balms, and creams that usually come in tubs containing one to four ounces. For such products, the onset is longer than those you experience with boosters as it takes some time for your skin to absorb the substances.

It usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes for you to feel their effect, and it takes at least five hours for those effects to die down. On some occasions, the onset of CBD oil topicals could take up to two hours. Sometimes you could continue feeling their effects for a few days as the topicals leave your system.

It can be challenging determining the right dosage because the CBD content tends to vary per tub. The best way to determine the correct dose for you is to listen to your body and understand its needs.

CBD Tinctures

CBD tinctures are made using a mixture of alcohol and water to extract the desired compound from the cannabis plant. However, there are certain times where the extract will be created using oil, glycerin, or vinegar instead, though these solvents don’t offer the same level of potency as the water-alcohol extract.

They come packed in glass bottles and contain a dropper, which you use to conveniently and accurately control the dose you consume. CBD tinctures are taken by applying them under your tongue—a method referred to as sublingual administration.

In doing so, the substance is absorbed by the tissue underneath your tongue, meaning it doesn’t go through your digestive system. This method significantly shortens the onset time, with the effects felt within 30 minutes.

Their effects typically last anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, and they offer a great option if you are looking for quick relief. They are well-known for their ability to reduce pain.

Tinctures are considered to be highly potent, with many advising against taking more than two or three teaspoons of the substance in a day.

SUPA Naturals offers both Full-Spectrum CBD Tinctures, as well as THC-Free Water Soluble CBD Tinctures. Water soluble CBD tinctures offer a higher bioavailability. And what does Bioavailability mean? Bioavailability is a way to measure how well CBD absorbs into the body and bloodstream. The higher the bioavailability, the better the CBD can be digested and absorbed.

CBD Edibles

Though the term is usually used to refer to baked goods such as cakes and brownies, edibles can also refer to other CBD-infused snacks. From chocolates to hard candy, CBD edibles can come in a wide variety of forms.

Gummies have become a popular edibles option. They are proving to be an effective solution to treating and managing depression and anxiety. Depending on your condition, you may find varying doses more effective.

If you want to achieve strong effects, we recommend going for 31mg to 45mg of CBD per 230 pounds. However, you can opt for something stronger or weaker if you find that this dosage doesn’t give you the desired results. The best approach would be to start with smaller doses, gradually building it up over time.

Similar to certain boosters such as tablets, edibles also pass through your digestive system. Because your digestive system has to metabolize the edibles, it takes a while to realize their effects.

Though their onset duration is long, taking up to an hour after you consume them for you to feel their effects, they can last in your system for 12 to 24 hours. You may continue to feel their impact even several days later as the edibles leave your body. This period could increase with frequent use.

CBD Oil Capsules

Like edibles, CBD capsules also pass through your digestive system to your liver, where different enzymes metabolize the capsule molecules. This process means that it will take some time before you can feel their effects, taking about an hour on average. Their effects can, however, last between 12 and 24 hours.

CBD Oil Transdermal Patches

Transdermal patches are the method of CBD use whose effects last the longest, ranging anywhere from 24 to 96 hours. However, they also have the most extended onset times, sometimes taking hours after applying the patch for you to feel its impact. The amount of fatty tissue under your skin or the amount of hair on your skin can affect the rate of absorption.

Some patches are designed to prolong the CBD effects by releasing the substance at specific time intervals throughout the patch’s lifespan. Some patches’ time release is even intended to last up to four days.

How Much CBD Should I Take?

With all the different consumption methods, each with varying CBD content levels, finding the right amount of CBD to take can be a challenge. The only way to find out the right amount is to experiment and determine what works for you.

Begin with a low dose of about 10mg to 20mg once or twice a day. Such amounts will allow you to understand how CBD affects you. It will also give you the opportunity to either increase or decrease the dosage as you see fit.

You could also consider talking to your physician to get a better understanding of your medical condition. This conversation could give you a clearer idea of where to start.

Is CBD Safe?

While research is still being done to give us a complete understanding of CBD’s full effects, CBD is widely regarded as safe. The results of several studies already completed showed far fewer side effects than THC and several over-the-counter medications.

Though your needs are unique, and your reaction to CBD can differ from others, CBD is extremely safe to use.

Key Takeaway

There is no doubting the growing popularity of CBD products. Thanks to their effectiveness in alleviating pain and inflammation and managing depression and anxiety, their popularity will continue to grow.

Though we are yet to grasp its full capabilities, CBD is proving to be significantly beneficial to many people worldwide.

Lead a SUPA Life

The complexities of the different products and their varying doses can make it difficult for those new to CBD to find their sweet spot. If you need an expert guide to show you how to get the most out of CBD, or a one-stop source for all your CBD products, reach out to SUPA Naturals.

We have quality CBD products and qualified professionals ready to answer all your questions, from how to take CBD safely and how long do CBD effects last. Get in touch with us today.