What Strength CBD Should I Use?

This article describes CBD's strength, its effects on the body, and how to use them for different health and therapeutic effects. 

CBD is a chemical compound extracted from the hemp plant's flowers, stalk, and leaves. It does not have mind-altering effects associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD is legal under federal law, thus making it the most used herbal remedy to cure chronic pains, anxiety, stress, and depression. Nowadays, CBD is infused in almost every product, with four different strengths: low, medium, high, and ultra-high potency. Low potency is best suited for new users. Unfortunately, the lower the potency of a product, the higher the chances it is contaminated with other cannabinoids like THC. Therefore be careful when purchasing any cannabis product.

How Can You Calculate the Strength of CBD?

The labeled CBD potency matters when you are purchasing CBD products. Dosing products like soft gels might be hard due to their lack of dosage flexibility, but their strength is labeled in the containing material. For example, if the supplement is marked 1000Mg of CBD in 100mg, it means that the CBD potency of the product is 10 mg of CBD in 1 milligram of the supplement you consume, which is equivalent to one cannabis capsule or soft gel. 

According to Rong et al. (2018), when buying CBD oil, it is essential to keep the bottle size in mind since the larger the bottle, the less potent the product is. For instance, CBD dosage is distributed equally to the whole bottle, so the giant bottle is half as strong as the smaller bottle. In calculation;

1000mg in 10ml = 100mg of CBD per 1mL 

1000 Mg in 20ml= 50 mg of CBD per 1 ml

What Are the Different Types of CBD in Terms of Strength?

When you look at the percentage of CBD oil in a product, you can easily classify the product in terms of low, medium, high, and ultra-high potency CBD.

Low Potency CBD

Most CBD products classified as low strength comprise 10% of the compound in the entire product. According to the reported cases by a large number of users, a 300Mg bottles of CBD (30 ml) per serving can quickly treat;

• Acute and moderate anxiety
• Body aches and acute pains
• Regular headaches
• Sleeping problems like insomnia
• Early stages of depression

If you are a newbie to the CBD regime, a low-potent CBD product is best suited to be added to your daily meals, drinks, or any other supplements. A single daily dose of the compound will improve your immune system and shield your nervous system.

Medium Potency CBD

Products containing this CBD strength comprise 20 to 30% of CBD compounds, and the remaining percentage could be carrier oils like hemp seed oil or product chemical residues. This potency is the best option if you are trying to elevate both intakes of CBD and the benefits that come alongside the cannabinoids. You can use medium potency CBD dosage for;

• treating chronic inflammation
• Reducing moderate pains
• Treat digestive issues
• Treating anxiety disorders like GAD
• Improving your body energy levels 
• Maintaining a good focus and concentration 

High Potency CBD

High potency strength is not for everyone. CBD products that contain 40 to 60 % of the cannabis molecules are highly concentrated; they are used to treat specific health issues, like;

• Combating chronic pains and inflammation
• Treating arthritis, acne, and other skin disorders
• Helping in cancer treatments
• Alleviating mental disorders like PSTD 
• Treating epilepsy
• Treating seizures associated with ADHD and Alzheimer's

Ultra-High Potency CBD

Ultra-high potency CBD has over 60% of the cannabis derivative in a product; for example, 1500Mg of CBD in 20 ml of bottle oil, which means 1 ml of the oil, represents 75 Mg of CBD. Reiman et al. (2017) explained that ultra-high potent CBD makes it easy to overdose on the product, increasing nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, and drowsiness. The manufacturer extracts all hemp plant elements to create a potent CBD product, isolating pure CBD compounds. Unless you suffer from severe symptoms or a qualified cannabis doctor administers it, you should not use the ultra-high potency CBD strength type; stick to the low or medium range.

How to Determine the Right CBD Strength You Should Use?

 Starting small and gradually increasing the dosage is essential until you get your desired effects. Always start with 10% of CBD in the product (low potency) before upgrading to 50% of CBD in the product (High power). Apart from considering the condition you are treating, the following are ways to tell the right strength;

Calculating Based on Your Body Weight 

The more weight you have, the higher the potential of CBD oil you require. According to Bergamaschi et al. (2011), people weighing less than 50 kg are suited for low-potency compared to users with more than 100kg; heavier users require highly concentrated oil for the same results.

Determining Based on Your Age 

Wheeler et al. (2020) opined that users can only feel the effects of CBD after the body's metabolism breaks down the compound before incorporating it into the system. However, metabolism slows down with age, meaning older users require more potent CBD products than their younger counterparts for the same result. 

Consult a Doctor

The best way to determine your CBD potency is to consult a physician. The physician will determine your health history and guide you on the proper dosage and CBD strength to use. 

Summary

With the overwhelming CBD products in the market, choosing the best option in terms of strengths may be challenging. There is a lot of CBD information, but you will remain confused without breaking it down as the article has done. 

Proper knowledge of the potency will help you determine your CBD strength. Factors like weight and age significantly determine whether your body can tolerate high, medium, or low potency CBD.

References

Bergamaschi M. M. et. al. Cannabidiol Reduces the Anxiety Induced by Simulated Public Speaking in Treatment-Naive Social Phobia Patients. Neuropsychopharmacology (2011); 36(6): 1219-1226. Published Online 2011 Feb 9

Reiman A., Welty M., and Perry Solomon. Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication: Patient Self-Report. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, Vol. 2, No. 1. Published Online in 1 Jun 2017.

Rong C, Carmona NE, Lee YL, Raggett RM, Pan Z, Rosenblat JD, Subramaniapillai M, Shekotikhina M, Almatham F, Alageel A, Mansur R, Ho RC, McIntyre RS. Drug-drug interactions as a result of co-administering Δ(9)-THC and CBD with other psychotropic agents. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2018 Jan;17(1):51-54

Wheeler, M., Merten, J. W., Gordon, B. T., & Hamadi, H. (2020). CBD (cannabidiol) product attitudes, knowledge, and use among young adults. Substance use & misuse, 55(7), 1138-1145.