The beginner’s guide of CBD oil dosing

The Internet is full of information about the long list of health benefits that CBD oils possess. You have found the right, high-quality oil and are ready to use it.

But what to do next?
How much is it okay to take? Can I get overdosed?

In this article, we are going to look into the right CBD oil dosing. We will discuss how dosing depends on a number of factors, such as weight, age, and gender. Further, it will be shown how to review your weight correctly and determine the perfect individual dose.

As this is a wide and complex topic, it is essential to get in on the ground floor. However, you can jump right to the section that takes your interest the most if you are not new at this.








CBD oil dosing: How much is it okay to take?

The ideal dose of CBD oil does not exist. In other words, there is not a direct answer to what the right amount is.

It is a dynamic value that varies in every user. There is, say, a recommended range between 10 to 150 mg a day. However, this is still too wide, making it much not useful. Everything depends on the user’s body.

The best way to find the right dose is to start with a very low amount (for example, 2 mg) and gradually work the way up by 2 to 5 mg per dose to see how it goes.

It is not easy to find the optimal dose without personal experience with CBD. Nevertheless, there are several general ranges based on characteristics, such as age and weight, that help to make an approximate estimation of the correct dose for each individual. These will be discussed in more detail further in this article.


It often occurs that two people, who are of the same sex and have virtually the same height and weight, react completely differently to the same CBD dose.


We will also look into how the dose may change depending on the reason for the use of CBD – some health problems usually require higher doses, others lower. We will also find out how CBD works in situations that are the most common motives for reaching for CBD.



The general guide on CBD oil dosing

There are a few general guidelines that can help you to find the right dose, but it is essential to always start below the established limit and progress your way up. By using this method, you will test how your body reacts to smaller doses, letting you safely progress towards higher ones.

Thus, it is always better to start with lower, not so effective amounts as you would not want to experience unpleasant side-effects throughout the day. Any combination with medication is strongly recommended to discuss with your doctor.


The general rules for selecting the best dosing strength:

Low strength ? 1 mg of CBD per 5 kg (0,2 mg/kg)
Medium strength ? 3 mg of CBD per 5 kg (0,6 mg/kg)
High strength ? 6 mg of CBD per 5 kg (1,2 mg/kg)


It is crucial to take into account that these calculations apply to pure CBD, not CBD oil.

Later on, we will calculate to what extent this can be used when CBD oil is administered. A chart below is showing rounded weight values that determine the right dose of pure CBD.



Doses of CBD by weight & strength (in milligrams)

 

You need to ask yourself: “To what health issues do I want to use CBD?”

This is a very important question that will lead you to the right dose.


Recommended strength as per health condition:

Overall health ? low strength
Nausea ? low to medium strength
Chronic pain ? medium to high strength
Sleep disorders ? medium to high strength
Anxiety ? medium to high strength
Epilepsy ? high strength or pharmaceutical grade
Cancer ? high strength or pharmaceutical grade
Migraines ? low to high strength


CBD dosing: 4 steps to dose like a pro

The easiest way how to dose is to find where you fit the best in the chart above. Then begin with low strength and work the way up to higher one.

If you have never tried CBD, never start with high strengths.

If you want to establish more precise dosing, go by the following four steps.



Step 1: Find out the strength of the CBD oil

The first step is to check the CBD oil you are using and determine its strength.
Sometimes the manufacturer makes it easier for you and displays the concentration of CBD on the vial.
However, the information is not available in most cases, and you have to perform a few simple calculations.
It might look complicated at first, but it is very straightforward. You only need to enter numbers into the following formula.


What to consider:

- Volume of the vial (ml)
- Amount of CBD shown on the vial (300 mg, 600 mg, 1000 mg)



Calculate the strength by using this formula:

[CBD in mg] / [volume of the vial in ml] = [CBD in MG/ml]

Let’s take a look at this example. The label says that the vial holds 30 ml of oil containing 600 mg of CBD.


Insert these values into the formula:

[600 mg] / [30 ml] = [20 mg/ml].


Result: 20 mg of CBD in 1 ml of oil.

You can compare this result with the reference chart above to see how much oil you will need to get the desired CBD strength (your dose).

Now that we know this, the next step is to find out how much fluid the dropper can hold. This will later facilitate the dosage.



Step 2: Measure the volume of the dropper

A dropper, which is used for dosing CBD oils, normally comes with the vial. It usually consists of a rubber bulb connected to a thin glass tube. It is used for measuring out the precise dosage of CBD oil. Most of them are designed to hold exactly 1 ml of fluid.

However, this may vary depending on the manufacturer, so it is best to measure volume whenever you switch to a different producer to make sure that the dosage is as accurate as possible. Do this by filling the dropper with testing fluid and let it fully drain one drop at a time, counting the drops.

You should count around 20 drops. Write down this number and move on to the next step.



Step 3: Calculate the dosage.
You have to decide what dosage you want to take.

Here is the general rule for dosing by weight and strength of the oil:

 

Calculation of the dosage from your weight

[your weight in kg] / [4.5] x [required strength in mg] = [your dose]


Here is a practical example:

Say, we have a man weighing 80 kilograms who is looking for a medium strength dose.

First, you need the weight (in kilograms) to be divided by 4.5 to see how many sets of 4.5 are in your weight.

[80] / [4.5] ? 18.

 Now simply multiply 18 by the recommendation for a medium strength, which is 3 in this case.
[18] x [3 mg] = 54 mg of CBD

For this example, a good starting dose for a man weighing 80 kg would be about 54 mg of CBD per day.



Step 4: Tweak the dose to meet your body's needs

This is one of the most important steps. Find out why. As it was mentioned earlier, everyone reacts to CBD oil differently. This means that you need to assess how it affects you individually, rather than based on others' experiences.

A 20 mg dose may suit your friend, whereas you will need to take much more or perhaps less. The only way to really find out is to start with the dose calculated above and then tweak it to your needs. Perhaps you have not got to feel any relief. The logical step is to increase the dose to the next strength and reassess everything from the beginning.


In our example, a medium strength was chosen. But this time, we will calculate the next strength (6 mg per 4.5 kg);
[18] x [6 mg] = 108 mg of CBD


Or maybe you have taken 20 mg and got excellent relief, but as a result, you felt too sedated. In this case, it is time to tweak the dose to a slightly lower amount.
Essentially, this process never ends. You will always evaluate the effects and adjust the dosage with small changes. It is because products from various manufacturers differ slightly depending on other cannabinoids present in them. Various terpenes and phytochemicals are included in the oil too.


You may also learn that a CBD isolate requires significantly higher doses to function despite the high concentration.


This may occur due to the so-called entourage effect. This is behind the idea suggesting that a full-spectrum CBD oil provides more potent effects due to other compounds present in it, which synergically collaborate on creating the effects.








The efficacy of CBD that suits your dose

CBD oils come in a wide range of strength. On the market, you can find oils that contain 1,500 mg of CBD in a small 15 ml vial, while others come with as little as 100mg of CBD in a 30 ml vial.


Reference chart for the calculation of CBD dose:

This will help you to put everything into context, making your decision easier.


For example, if you need a very low dose, it makes no sense to use CBD oil with very high efficacy because you could get overdosed.
Similarly, if you needed a high dose of CBD oil, you would have to consume a great part of the vial of a less effective extract to achieve the desired effects.



Usual drop doses of CBD oil (assuming the dropper holds 30 drops per ml):

 

From this, it is easier to find out how different efficacy works.


If you have previously calculated that the ideal dose for you is around 45 mg of CBD, it is best to start with a higher concentration product such as 1,500 mg in a 15 or 30 ml vial.  You would only need about from 10 to 20 drops.

However, if you bought a low-concentration CBD oil containing, for example, only 300 mg in a 50 ml vial, you would need to take around 160 drops to reach the desired dose. For these reasons, it is, therefore, especially useful to purchase a product that meets your dosage needs.



Conclusion

Because CBD oils affect everyone differently, it is valuable to know the general dosing practices in order to find the right starting point. As always, when trying a new food supplement, including CBD oils, you should start with a much lower dose than you suppose you need and then gradually work your way up to higher ones.


The purpose of this guide is to find the right dose for you. You should never jump directly into the strongest dosing without properly trying the lower ones first.