What Is The Best Way To Consume CBD?

Although CBD has the same effect despite how it is consumed, there is an effective and efficient way to consume CBD for optimal effect. The most common ways to consume CBD are:

• Edibles
• Sublingual products
• Topicals
• Vaping and smoking

There are a lot of factors that go into “the best way to consume CBD”, some of which are dosage, personal preference, your physiology and biochemistry as well as your daily routine and local laws. We will look into the various ways you can consume CBD, as well as which is the best way to let CBD reach its peak for healthier lifestyle choices.

What Is CBD?

CBD is just one of the active compounds that you would find in a cannabis plant. It reacts similarly to how THC reacts in the body, just in a more desirable way for those who don’t like to feel high. CBD is derived from the hemp plant and has several medicinal properties. Some of these medicinal benefits include:

• Relief from pain
• Promotes peaceful sleep
• Treats symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Alleviates symptoms of mental health disorders

What Are The 3 Types Of CBD?

CBD products are available in three distinct forms. Namely:

• Full-spectrum CBD
• Broad-spectrum CBD
• CBD Isolate

Full-spectrum CBD products retain all the components found in the cannabis plant. This means that full-spectrum CBD products often have trace amounts of THC, which is the psychoactive component of cannabis. The trace amounts of THC in these products is often less than 0.3%, which is enough to stimulate a high in some people.

Broad-spectrum CBD has all the components of the cannabis plant except THC. This means that although it won’t elicit a psychoactive response, there are other entourage effects that you may experience due to the terpenes that are found in the cannabis plant. CBD isolate on the other hand is a pure form of CBD, meaning there are no other compounds from the cannabis plants – just CBD. 

What You Need To Know About Consuming CBD

Method of consumption is largely based on personal preference. Some people prefer to eat foods that have been infused with CBD oil or use sublingual products like tinctures, while others prefer to vape or smoke. 

Depending on what you are trying to achieve, there is a right time and a right way to consume your CBD. If you are taking it to get a good night’s rest, then it is advised that you take your CBD 30 minutes before you go to bed. If you are trying to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, then it is advised that you take your CBD throughout the day at scheduled intervals to help manage your symptoms. 

Food is known to play a part in how CBD is absorbed through the digestive system. So if you prefer edibles then it would be a great idea to do more research on the types of foods that can help facilitate the absorption of CBD and avoid the foods that can counteract CBD.

All of this further proves that choosing the best way to consume CBD is a process of trial and error. We’d recommend that you try all these various methods of consumption out first before settling on a single preferred method. And always remember, the best way is your way!

Edibles

Edibles are CBD infused products that you can eat. These include baked goodies like brownies and cookies, as well as sweets like CBD gummies. Edibles are a great way to consume CBD, especially if you want to do it discreetly. If you are an edibles type of person, you will find that you can get away with having CBD in public places like a restaurant, unlike if you vaped or smoked.

The biggest drawback about edibles is that it does take a lot longer for CBD to enter your system and for your body to start feeling the effects. This is because unlike other methods of consumption, edibles need to go through several phases of processing within the body before it can be absorbed and felt by the body. 

On average, it can take the body anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours to start feeling the effects of CBD edibles. Due to this extended time of digestion, many people end up over consuming and may start experiencing drowsiness as a result.

Sublingual Products

Sublingual products are products that are consumed orally. This includes CBD oils and tinctures such as capsules and mouth spray. If you are looking for a fast and effective way to consume CBD, this is by far the fastest and most effective. CBD is absorbed significantly faster in the mouth due to the large amount of blood vessels that can transport CBD directly into the bloodstream. A similar process occurs when you vape or smoke CBD, however, that is localised in the lungs.

Taking CBD oil sublingually is highly effective, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a correct way to go about it. To absorb the most CBD and get the best possible results, these are the steps you want to take:

1. Fill the dropper with your desired amount of CBD oil
2. Slightly lift your tongue and squeeze the dropper, but do not swallow
3. Let the oil sit under your tongue for roughly 30 seconds
4. After 30 seconds, you can swallow the oil

The effects of consuming CBD like this can be felt almost immediately. Within 5 minutes, you will start to feel the therapeutic effect of the CBD. This means you will be quickly relieved of any pain, anxiety or stress.

Topicals

Topicals are common in treating localised physical pain. Many people prefer to use CBD topical creams if they are suffering from ailments such as back or joint pain from arthritis or old sport injuries. Topicals are not particularly common due to the localised nature associated with using the products, however, they are still extremely effective and beneficial, especially for those who don’t like to use edibles, vape or smoke CBD. 

The other beneficial thing about topicals is that they are relatively fast acting. The oil based nature of the products makes it much easier for the body to absorb the CBD and start displaying therapeutic effects.

Vaping and smoking

Vaping and smoking is undoubtedly the most common way to consume CBD. Everyone who uses CBD most likely started doing so by either vaping or smoking it and thanks to the advancements of the vaping industry, there are great devices that you can use to push your CBD vaping/smoking experience to the next level. 

With dry herb vaporizers and other great products, the vaping/smoking experience can be tailored to your individual needs and preferences. 

To sum it up, sublingual products are the clear-cut winner when it comes to the fastest and most effective way to consume CBD. However, other methods of consumption are not too far behind when it comes down to how long it would take to start feeling the therapeutic effects of CBD. Above all else, consuming CBD is all about preference – what you like and how you choose to enjoy the effect matters just as much if not more than efficacy. 

So before you make a decision, experiment with a wide variety of products, doses and methods of consumption. This will help you make an informed decision that will best suit your needs, routine and social habits.