BEST WAY TO TAKE CBD (A COMPLETE GUIDE)

You can enjoy CBD benefits using edibles, oils, tinctures, capsules, vapes, and topicals. Each method has pros and cons that you must contend with.

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid and one of the many in hemp plants. You can enjoy its benefits by administering the oils and tinctures orally, sublingually, or adding their drops to meals and drinks. If you find them bitter and earthy, you can opt for CBD edibles like gummies, brownies, and cookies, which allow you to explore CBD benefits with taste and flavor. The other alternative you can tap into is CBD capsules which mask the bitterness of CBD but have no taste. CBD vapes are inhalable and the fastest means to get CBD into the bloodstream. If you need CBD benefits but not the cannabinoid in your system, you'd better go for CBD topicals like patches, creams, and ointments. Peer into this article to learn more about these CBD delivery methods.

What Is CBD?

Before examining the best way to take CBD, you must know what CBD is. Bauer et al. (2020) and Kicman & Toczek (2020) defined CBD as a non-psychoactive cannabinoid in hemp plants and one of the many in nature. Studies keep discovering new cannabinoids, as so far, there are more than 100 of them in nature. CBD is especially popular for its non-psychoactive nature since many fans like it when they can explore CBD benefits without feeling high. Unlike THC, which studies like Schlienz et al. (2018) found psychoactive, CBD is non-psychoactive and does not make you high.

Types of CBD

According to Watt & Karl (2017), CBD is therapeutic, a claim that many find appealing. Would you like to benefit from CBD therapy? You must know the CBD types or formulations to explore. You can enjoy any CBD products in the following formulations or types;

1. Full-spectrum CBD; is the most sought CBD. It features CBD with THC and other hemp compounds like terpenes and flavonoids that add to its value.
2. CBD isolate; is one CBD extreme, featuring the cannabinoid in its purest form and no other compound.

• Broad-spectrum CBD; is more like full-spectrum CBD but does not have THC. It also features extra hemp compounds, hence why many users opt for it.

Choosing the Ideal CBD Formulation

Do you want to buy CBD products? It only makes sense that you want to know which of the three formulations is the best. Surprisingly, there is no better CBD type than the other. Rather, your choice of the CBD type you will go for depends on your needs and preferences. For instance, if you need CBD with extra compounds, you can go for full-spectrum CBD or broad-spectrum CBD if you want it without THC. Meanwhile, CBD novices who want the cannabinoid in its purest forms without additional hemp compounds, flavor, or taste opt for CBD isolate. Which is the best way to take CBD? The following sections detail six alternatives to go for to enjoy CBD benefits, each having pros and cons.

CBD Oils

CBD oils are the primary way to enjoy CBD benefits. They are liquid and have carrier oils like MCT coconut, hemp seed, avocado, or olive oils as the base. You can enjoy their benefits by administering them orally (putting them on the tongue), sublingually (putting their drops below the tongue), or adding them to meals and drinks. The first two methods make you feel CBD bitterness but adding the oil drops to foods and drinks masks the bitter taste.

CBD Tinctures

CBD tinctures are more like CBD oils and are often confused with the oils, although they are not the same. They are similar in appearance since they are all based on liquids. However, unlike CBD oils with carrier oils as the base, tinctures are based on high-proof alcohol. Thus, they tend to taste more like alcohol and last for longer. They are administered like CBD oils; you can take them orally, sublingually, or put their drops in foods and drinks. Depending on the alcohol used in them, they may also feel earthy but remain among the most effective ways to take CBD.

CBD Edibles

Do you find CBD oils and tinctures too bitter to take? You can take CBD edibles as the ready alternative. They are food-like CBD products, including gummies, brownies, cookies, and chocolates that you munch to experience CBD benefits with taste. Edibles include CBD-infused drinks like water, tea, and beverages, which you drink to mask the bitterness of CBD oil. Although they are highly tasty and flavored, CBD edibles delay delivery since they need time for digestion before the cannabinoid joins the bloodstream.

CBD Topicals

Some CBD users would like to explore CBD benefits but do not want CBD in the bloodstream. Such are not out of options; they can go for CBD topicals like creams, patches, balms, and massage oils that you apply to the skin to feel CBD effects. Hammell et al. (2016) noted that CBD topicals are equally effective, although more research is needed to prove this. Although CBD topicals take time to produce expected results, they are the best if you want to enjoy CBD without fearing drug tests or getting high. They do not allow cannabinoids to enter the bloodstream, translating to zero chances of getting you high or making you fail tests.

CBD Vapes

Would you like to take CBD and feel the effects almost immediately? You may find CBD vapes to be the best products. You can buy CBD vape oils in CBD stores or online and vape the content using vaping equipment like vape pens, carts, or tanks. While they allow for fast CBD results, they may irritate the lungs. When new to CBD, you must keep the dosages low to avoid the possibility of serious irritation.

CBD Capsules

Many supplements and medicines come in the form of capsules, revealing that caps are not new. The many CBD products in the hemp space include capsules that may not be tasty but mask the bitter taste of CBD oil. You can swallow them like you do other caps to enjoy CBD benefits. Like CBD edibles, they need time for digestion before you can experience the results. Yet, the results are slow, steady, and long-lasting.

Conclusion

There are many ways to enjoy CBD benefits, and you must choose your ideal item. CBD comes as edibles, capsules, topicals, tinctures, oils, and vapes, each having pros and cons you must deal with. CBD edibles and capsules mask the bitter taste of CBD but delay results. CBD oils deliver results effectively and have multiple intakes but are bitter. Those who want CBD but not its interaction with the blood find topicals ideal, but their effectiveness is subject to question. CBD vapes are the fastest in delivery but may irritate the lungs.

References

Bauer, B. A. (2020). What Are The Benefits Of CBD–And Is It Safe To Use? In Mayo Clinic.

Hammell, D. C., Zhang, L. P., Ma, F., Abshire, S. M., McIlwrath, S. L., Stinchcomb, A. L., & Westlund, K. N. (2016). Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviors in a rat model of arthritis. European journal of pain (London, England), 20(6), 936–948.

Kicman, A., & Toczek, M. (2020). The effects of cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound of cannabis, on the cardiovascular system in health and disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(18), 6740.

Schlienz, N. J., Lee, D. C., Stitzer, M. L., & Vandrey, R. (2018). The effect of high-dose dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance on cannabis self-administration. Drug and alcohol dependence, 187, 254-260.

Watt, G., & Karl, T. (2017). In vivo evidence for therapeutic properties of cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 20.