- 10/27/2022 -
When to take CBD

How to effectively dose CBD is one of the most asked about questions within the CBD community. Often times, forums like Reddit are full of personal anecdotes, advice, and confusion. It can be hard to sift through all that information to know what’s worth listening to and what isn’t.
Although we’ve already spoken about dose before, we realized that we were missing an important topic: how to schedule that dose throughout the day. When’s the best time to take CBD? Is splitting up your dose worth it? Where do you start when it comes to dose scheduling and building a CBD routine for yourself?
Right now, no one seems to have a clear answer; especially not one that’s backed up by research. Unfortunately, there isn’t much science into effective CBD scheduling yet, so we’ve been somewhat forced to rely on anecdotal stories from others. Since this is the case, we wanted to take a look at what we do know so far in an attempt to take some of the uncertainty out of dosing and scheduling.
General Dosing Info
Because everyone’s different and there are a lot of variables that go into dosage, it can be hard to make any blanket recommendations. The general consensus is to start low and go slow, gradually increasing as you give your body time to adjust. That way, you’ll be able to find an amount that works for you.
For a deeper look into CBD dosage, check out our previous post.
One thing we’ve seen discussed within the community is the idea that CBD is only effective in the 100s of mgs. This is due to the fact that many of the studies we have so far utilize larger amounts of CBD. However, due to the diversity in body chemistry, everyone reacts differently. Just because studies have shown success with 100s of mgs doesn’t mean that lesser amounts of CBD might not work for you. As it stands right now, when it comes to dosing, there’s a lot we don’t know. There’s really no set formula.
That is to say, when it comes to discussions about scheduling and routines, again, there’s no blanket advice we can provide.
CBD Longevity
How long CBD remains effective isn’t an exact science and again, all bodies will react differently. There are a lot of variables at play. However, we do know that different methods of taking CBD will stay in your system for a longer or shorter time, depending. Vaping or smoking appears to be faster acting, but this means the effects of CBD wear off quicker. Oils and tinctures appear to last a little longer, while the effects of edibles seems to have a slower onset but lasts longer. Knowing how long it takes for the effects of CBD to wear off can help give you a better idea how or when you want to split up your dose.
Although there’s some debate, the research we have so far suggests that, for the most part, CBD is hard to build a tolerance towards. While it does appear to stay in your system for several days after use, the World Health Organization found it to have no abuse potential, and even in high qualities appears to be fairly well tolerated. That said, much of what we know is in regards to short term CBD use, so long term effects are less known. Regardless, besides a few rare cases, there’s nothing to currently suggest that CBD builds up in your system in a way that would be unsafe or possibly cause overdose, as long as you’re not mixing it with other medications. That said, Health Canada does acknowledge that little research has been done into the safety of any doses over 800mg/day.
Of course, CBD that contains THC, like Full Spectrum, is a whole other consideration. THC is known to interact with our bodies quite differently than CBD does. How CBD and THC work together to impact dosing and scheduling has been less studied. Since some people seem to be more sensitive to THC than others, it might be worth paying a little closer attention to.
State of the Science
As of right now, research into CBD is still pretty new. There’s a lot we don’t know, especially when it comes to effective dosing. Many of the studies we have now all make use of differing methods, doses, and scheduling, which can make it hard to pinpoint something more specific.
Recently, Health Canada released a report looking into the safety of CBD. Currently, they say that a maximum dose of 200mg/day for 30 days is considered to be safe. They also include Full Spectrum CBD within that assessment, saying that there’s not enough THC to cause problems for the majority of people. They make no recommendations about how to schedule or split up that CBD use throughout the day.
Whether or not CBD is more effective when used over time or in short bursts has been heavily debated within the community. The way CBD interacts with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) might suggest that it may be effective upon use without a need for buildup or consistency. However, there’s also been talk about the importance of letting CBD build up in your system for it to be more effective. Another study introduced the idea of ‘reverse tolerance,’ or the thought that the effects of CBD stockpile in a way that requires less in the long term. However, it’s important to note that this hasn’t been definitely confirmed yet, and we still have a long ways to go before we can say anything for certain.
Bioavailability, or how much CBD your body is actually absorbing, is also an important consideration. We’ve spoken more about the topic here, but one important thing to note is that there’s some research to suggest that eating fatty foods (fish, peanut butter, avocado, etc) along with CBD might help increase its bioavailability. The more CBD is being absorbed by your body, the less you need of it.
Community Insights
Within the CBD community, we’ve seen a lot of people talk about their specific scheduling routines. Often times, they’ll split their dose throughout the day depending on what they’re trying to treat and how long it takes for the effects of their CBD to dissipate. Although we aim to lean on the science as much as possible, listening to community voices when it comes to such personal or varied topics can help give us ideas of where to start for ourselves. In our CBD with Bre posts, for example, our writer found more personal success in taking CBD a few hours before bed instead of taking it right before going to sleep.
Again, everyone is individual and what works for one person might not work for the next. However, listening to the experiences and successes of others may help us know a little bit more about what to expect and where to start.
Another important consideration is your own personal lifestyle. Dosing CBD may be easier before work than it is in the afternoon. You may only be wanting to use CBD for sleep, or you may be experiencing chronic pain and require more doses throughout the day. When it comes to scheduling, incorporating CBD into your own personal life and routines may be easier than trying to build new habits and schedules for yourself, especially if you’re still trying to pinpoint what doses work for you.
Medication Interactions
CBD is known to impact the way certain medications are metabolized within our bodies. Just because the effects of CBD are known to wear off after a certain amount of time, this doesn’t mean that they’re not still in your system or won’t impact other medications. We don’t have a lot of evidence to suggest that spacing out CBD and medications will make much of a difference, despite what you may hear from others in the community.
For more information about how CBD interacts with certain medications, check out our post here. The important thing is that if you’re considering mixing substances, always check in with your doctor first.
TL;DR
As with a lot of things CBD, it can be challenging to make blanket statements or recommendations. On one hand, a lot of the science we have is still new and doesn’t give us any definitives yet. On the other, our bodies all react differently to CBD, so precise answers are hard to come by. However, by starting low and going slow, giving your body time to adjust, and considering variables like methods, bioavailability, and consistency, pinpointing a routine that works well for you will be much easier.

- 10/27/2022 -
When to take CBD
How to effectively dose CBD is one of the most asked about questions within the CBD community. Often times, forums like Reddit are full of personal anecdotes, advice, and confusion. It can be hard to sift through all that information to know what’s worth listening to and what isn’t.
Although we’ve already spoken about dose before, we realized that we were missing an important topic: how to schedule that dose throughout the day. When’s the best time to take CBD? Is splitting up your dose worth it? Where do you start when it comes to dose scheduling and building a CBD routine for yourself?
Right now, no one seems to have a clear answer; especially not one that’s backed up by research. Unfortunately, there isn’t much science into effective CBD scheduling yet, so we’ve been somewhat forced to rely on anecdotal stories from others. Since this is the case, we wanted to take a look at what we do know so far in an attempt to take some of the uncertainty out of dosing and scheduling.
General Dosing Info
Because everyone’s different and there are a lot of variables that go into dosage, it can be hard to make any blanket recommendations. The general consensus is to start low and go slow, gradually increasing as you give your body time to adjust. That way, you’ll be able to find an amount that works for you.
For a deeper look into CBD dosage, check out our previous post.
One thing we’ve seen discussed within the community is the idea that CBD is only effective in the 100s of mgs. This is due to the fact that many of the studies we have so far utilize larger amounts of CBD. However, due to the diversity in body chemistry, everyone reacts differently. Just because studies have shown success with 100s of mgs doesn’t mean that lesser amounts of CBD might not work for you. As it stands right now, when it comes to dosing, there’s a lot we don’t know. There’s really no set formula.
That is to say, when it comes to discussions about scheduling and routines, again, there’s no blanket advice we can provide.
CBD Longevity
How long CBD remains effective isn’t an exact science and again, all bodies will react differently. There are a lot of variables at play. However, we do know that different methods of taking CBD will stay in your system for a longer or shorter time, depending. Vaping or smoking appears to be faster acting, but this means the effects of CBD wear off quicker. Oils and tinctures appear to last a little longer, while the effects of edibles seems to have a slower onset but lasts longer. Knowing how long it takes for the effects of CBD to wear off can help give you a better idea how or when you want to split up your dose.
Although there’s some debate, the research we have so far suggests that, for the most part, CBD is hard to build a tolerance towards. While it does appear to stay in your system for several days after use, the World Health Organization found it to have no abuse potential, and even in high qualities appears to be fairly well tolerated. That said, much of what we know is in regards to short term CBD use, so long term effects are less known. Regardless, besides a few rare cases, there’s nothing to currently suggest that CBD builds up in your system in a way that would be unsafe or possibly cause overdose, as long as you’re not mixing it with other medications. That said, Health Canada does acknowledge that little research has been done into the safety of any doses over 800mg/day.
Of course, CBD that contains THC, like Full Spectrum, is a whole other consideration. THC is known to interact with our bodies quite differently than CBD does. How CBD and THC work together to impact dosing and scheduling has been less studied. Since some people seem to be more sensitive to THC than others, it might be worth paying a little closer attention to.
State of the Science
As of right now, research into CBD is still pretty new. There’s a lot we don’t know, especially when it comes to effective dosing. Many of the studies we have now all make use of differing methods, doses, and scheduling, which can make it hard to pinpoint something more specific.
Recently, Health Canada released a report looking into the safety of CBD. Currently, they say that a maximum dose of 200mg/day for 30 days is considered to be safe. They also include Full Spectrum CBD within that assessment, saying that there’s not enough THC to cause problems for the majority of people. They make no recommendations about how to schedule or split up that CBD use throughout the day.
Whether or not CBD is more effective when used over time or in short bursts has been heavily debated within the community. The way CBD interacts with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) might suggest that it may be effective upon use without a need for buildup or consistency. However, there’s also been talk about the importance of letting CBD build up in your system for it to be more effective. Another study introduced the idea of ‘reverse tolerance,’ or the thought that the effects of CBD stockpile in a way that requires less in the long term. However, it’s important to note that this hasn’t been definitely confirmed yet, and we still have a long ways to go before we can say anything for certain.
Bioavailability, or how much CBD your body is actually absorbing, is also an important consideration. We’ve spoken more about the topic here, but one important thing to note is that there’s some research to suggest that eating fatty foods (fish, peanut butter, avocado, etc) along with CBD might help increase its bioavailability. The more CBD is being absorbed by your body, the less you need of it.
Community Insights
Within the CBD community, we’ve seen a lot of people talk about their specific scheduling routines. Often times, they’ll split their dose throughout the day depending on what they’re trying to treat and how long it takes for the effects of their CBD to dissipate. Although we aim to lean on the science as much as possible, listening to community voices when it comes to such personal or varied topics can help give us ideas of where to start for ourselves. In our CBD with Bre posts, for example, our writer found more personal success in taking CBD a few hours before bed instead of taking it right before going to sleep.
Again, everyone is individual and what works for one person might not work for the next. However, listening to the experiences and successes of others may help us know a little bit more about what to expect and where to start.
Another important consideration is your own personal lifestyle. Dosing CBD may be easier before work than it is in the afternoon. You may only be wanting to use CBD for sleep, or you may be experiencing chronic pain and require more doses throughout the day. When it comes to scheduling, incorporating CBD into your own personal life and routines may be easier than trying to build new habits and schedules for yourself, especially if you’re still trying to pinpoint what doses work for you.
Medication Interactions
CBD is known to impact the way certain medications are metabolized within our bodies. Just because the effects of CBD are known to wear off after a certain amount of time, this doesn’t mean that they’re not still in your system or won’t impact other medications. We don’t have a lot of evidence to suggest that spacing out CBD and medications will make much of a difference, despite what you may hear from others in the community.
For more information about how CBD interacts with certain medications, check out our post here. The important thing is that if you’re considering mixing substances, always check in with your doctor first.
TL;DR
As with a lot of things CBD, it can be challenging to make blanket statements or recommendations. On one hand, a lot of the science we have is still new and doesn’t give us any definitives yet. On the other, our bodies all react differently to CBD, so precise answers are hard to come by. However, by starting low and going slow, giving your body time to adjust, and considering variables like methods, bioavailability, and consistency, pinpointing a routine that works well for you will be much easier.