Figuring where to begin when you first start using CBD oil can be difficult until you get the hang of things. There is a market full of every concentration you could imagine. One of the most popular questions new consumers will ask is how potent of a CBD oil they should start out with? When it comes to CBD oil, is potency even important?
The majority of consumers will refer to CBD oil as being naturally gentle. Still, those who know CBD best realize there is a dose-response that can be shaped like a bell. By saying this they mean symptoms can be greater alleviated by using a higher dosage of CBD, to a point. Once this point has been crossed, the effects a consumer experience will begin decreasing, and the symptoms they are trying to get rid of actually have a possibility of becoming worse.
Complications of CBD that is too potent
If you are brand new to using a CBD product and your body has yet to get used to the biphasic effect or the way the cytochrome P-450 pathway is inhibited, you may experience a few complications.
There are some specific medications, such as certain antibiotics and antidepressants, that are metabolized through the liver’s P450 enzyme. The ability this system has to process the medications can be inhibited by CBD oil. As a result, the bloodstream will get more of these medications than it is supposed to. Your body is at higher risk to experience a medication’s side effects when that medicine is present in the bloodstream longer than it is supposed to be.
Depending on the amount that is in your body at any given time, the effects produced by biphasic medicines will be different than they are intended to be. This is a similar effect as when certain medications are taken with alcohol when they aren’t supposed to be. Once a specific blood-alcohol content is acquired, the medication is depressed. This not only can affect the mood you’re in, but it also affects your energy level.
With CBD oil, a higher concentration will produce a relaxing and calming effect while a lower concentration will make you feel alert and wide awake. Either scenario can be harmful to specific medications. This is why it is detrimental you have a conversation with your doctor before beginning to use a CBD product.
You need to keep this information in mind before making a decision to use a more potent CBD oil. If medication is already being regularly taken, and you have never used CBD oil, you will want to discuss this with your doctor. Make sure they know exactly why you are wanting to use CBD oil and what the results are you want to experience. It may be beneficial to talk to a doctor who specializes in the use of cannabis. They may be better able to help you not only with a specific product to use, but also the exact dose that will be right for you.
What determines a CBD oil’s potency?
Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, potency with CBD oil isn’t as simple to understand. The potency of a product can be affected by several variables in the cannabis industry. How the hemp is grown, the strain of hemp and the process that is used for extraction are just a few of the major variables needing to be kept in mind.
While it doesn’t always work out perfectly, the product will list the cannabidiol amount in milligrams to identify some of the differences in the level of potency. That being said, the industry as a whole doesn’t have a standard practice when it comes to labeling. There will be vendors who have their products labeled as having 1000mg of CBD while others use a label saying 1000mg of hemp extract.
As familiar as those two descriptions may sound, they can actually signify very different things. There are plenty of vendors who are using CBD isolate. Other vendors decide they would rather use a product that is full-spectrum. Isolate is a product using the purest form of cannabidiol. It is isolated from the other cannabinoids, compounds, and terpenes found in the plant. With a product that is full-spectrum, the entire plant is used in the extraction process. There’s much more being used than pure CBD oil. A product that is 1000mg of full-spectrum extract, it may not be as strong as a product with 75mg of CBD isolate.
Also, the entourage effect has to be taken into consideration. This can make things even more complicated. This is a theory that has been widely accepted stating full-spectrum CBD oil is more effective when it comes to producing benefits than a product that is CBD isolate. The other cannabinoids you will ingest from the hemp plant will increase the therapeutic benefits the CBD offers according to the theory. While a CBD isolate product may have CBD oil that is purer, according to the theory, a full-spectrum product is more effective with providing effective benefits.
Also, depending on the method of using CBD oil, there will be different amounts of CBD actually working inside your system. An oil-soluble product will not be as bioavailable as a water-soluble product. There is a difference in how these products are absorbed into the body, meaning they have a different level of effectiveness.
Looking over the certificates of analysis
With so many variables to keep in consideration, finding any kind of a North Sar to follow can be not only frustrating but also difficult. It will probably be best if you take the time to go over the COA, Certificate of Analysis.
The COA are reports provided by the laboratory that measures the potency and purity of the CBD product. A CBD company that focuses on providing its product on what they advertise and promote will have a third-party lab complete testing on their products. By doing this, there is no reason for bias with the Certificate of Analysis.
You should be given the THC and CBD content of a product, to the decimal, in a COA. Also, it will list the other terpenes and cannabinoids the product contains. This is also what you will use to determine if there are any chemicals, harmful pesticides, heavy metals, or herbicides within the CBD oil being used for the product.
At the present time, these COAs are the primary forms of regulating and reporting being taken seriously within the CBD industry. While these products are legal at the federal level within the United States, the products are not being federally regulated. It’s easy to see the importance of a company or brand making sure they have this testing available. If the product you are considering purchasing doesn’t have this information readily available, it is normally a red flag you need to be buying a different product.
Is a higher potency better with CBD oil?
Because of the bell-shaped response with CBD oil, it can be both counterproductive and ineffective to use a product with a higher potency or taking a larger dose. If you are new to using CBD oil, you will want to make sure the dosage and timing approach you take is well balanced. This gives you a better chance to receive the benefits you are aiming to receive.
Here is something you might want to keep in mind. Are you more interested in taking just one serving of a CBD product that is more potent throughout the day, hitting the daily dose you have set? Or does it make more sense to take more than one smaller dose of a product that isn’t as potent?
While the first suggestion might sound easier and less time-consuming, the effects of the CBD oil are going to be much stronger especially when the dose is first taken. The effects then begin to taper off and the benefits are not there. With the second option, the effects aren’t nearly as intense and you feel them more consistently throughout the day.
Also, keep in mind. Normally, the more potent a CBD product is, the more expensive it is going to be to buy. That being said, you probably won’t need to use as much of this product or as often as one that isn’t as potent. Because of this, while the product may cost a little more when you buy them, they can tend to last longer than a cheaper product that isn’t as potent, needing to be taken more often.
There really isn’t a right or wrong answer. What is important is that you take the time to both research and experiment with the options you have to choose from. Also, keep in mind, along with different levels of potency, the effects you experience will be different with the method of use. Be open not only with experimenting with different potency levels of CBD oil but also with the method in which you use the product.