Like with many other substances, there is a chance to develop CBD tolerance. Keep in mind that cannabidiol tolerance is not the same as, let’s say, alcohol tolerance, where you don’t get drunk the more you consume it. However, it works in a very similar way. Instead of getting constant results, it will become harder for a user to feel benefits as he develops CBD tolerance.
Medicinal hemp products are something most people use on a daily basis. It can be very hard to determine the right dosage, especially if we consider the fact that most consumers use them for potential wellness benefits. The US FDA doesn’t provide recommended dosage, so our knowledge is often based on user experience.
Anyway, in this article, we will talk about CBD tolerance, how it works, and what you need to have in mind. Check it out!
What is CBD?
CBD or cannabidiol is one of the numerous cannabinoid substances found in hemp and cannabis.
When we say that something is a “CBD product,” this often means that it’s extracted from hemp. On top of that, most of these items have additional ingredients besides cannabidiol making it harder to predict the exact impact on an individual’s body.
At this moment, CBD is mostly used to regulate natural processes and restore harmony. It is not necessarily regarded as a medicinal product or a drug, nor is it suggested for any ailment. Nevertheless, these substances can help your body by improving focus, mood, energy, sleep, and various other processes.
What happens when you use CBD on a daily basis?
Most CBD users consume cannabidiol on a daily basis. Like most other substances and foods that alter your body in some way (for example, food that raises your sugar), you will feel a major boost when you consume CBD for the first time.
However, as you continue using it, this sensation will become less and less powerful. Because of that, the majority of users will increase the dosage on their own accord as time passes by.
We are not 100% sure how CBD would work after prolonged, multi-year use. It might start working like candies, tea, or alcohol, in which cases, we will feel the change, but it won’t be similar to what we felt for the first time.
What do you have to know about tolerance?
Tolerance occurs in 3 waves:
- Cellular tolerance refers to a process where cells react less and less to a substance.
- Behavioral tolerance has to do with the psychological aspect of things. Now, even your mind is starting to develop tolerance to the chemical compound.
- Metabolic tolerance is used to describe a situation where less and less substance is reaching your bloodstream as it gets filtered by the system.
Keep in mind that each one of these tolerance levels goes separately. You don’t have to experience all of them, and you might experience a combination of them; it all depends.
Tolerance and tolerance types will vary significantly from person to person. There are numerous factors that may impact how we develop tolerance, mostly based on our genetics.
It can also take a different amount of time for a person to develop it. Some of us will start developing tolerance after a week, while others might take a month.
What triggers CBD tolerance?
CBD is a bit different from other cannabinoids and chemicals found in hemp. This is primarily because of the way it interacts with the endocannabinoid system.
According to a limited amount of studies, cannabidiol is not able to interact with the endocannabinoid receptors. Instead, it requires other cannabinoids to leave its impact. Because of its indirect mechanism, it is believed that CBD is less susceptible to tolerance.
Furthermore, CBD may impact receptors by improving their affinity while also encouraging endocannabinoid production, thus maintains homeostasis (known as reverse tolerance). When that happens, you will need less substance to achieve the wanted results.
In that regard, this substance may even improve internal processes making wellness treatment that much easier and, given that you will take less substance, cheaper.
Can CBD tolerance increase over time?
As we’ve already mentioned, it seems that CBD will lead to inverse tolerance. Even if you were to use cannabidiol for a prolonged period of time, it seems that your tolerance to the substance will not increase accordingly, as it would with some other substances.
Unfortunately, like with many other medicinal hemp things, we don’t have enough scientific data to corroborate this claim. Going a step further, we also can’t use consumers’ reviews, given that some people have increased their CBD consumption over time while others have remained at the same dose.
The best thing you can do regarding CBD and tolerance is to simply listen to your body. If something changes, and if you start experiencing less and less benefits, this might be a good sign to increase the dose and vice versa.
How to determine personal CBD tolerance?
The general advice is to start with a smaller CBD dose and increase it as you go. This would prevent overuse and reduce potential side effects. Most people start with a small dose of 10mg (sometimes even 5mg), and they tend to ramp it up over time.
The required quantity usually depends on your weight. Lighter persons will take before mentioned 10mg dose, while heavier people will go with 30mg and more. The dose will also depend on the desired effect.
There is also a small trick for CBD tolerance reset. If you’ve noticed that the substance no longer works for you, we suggest that you take a break that would go from a few days to a week. Once you get back to it, you might want to start with a smaller dose, as you don’t need to go back instantly to the previous cannabidiol quantity.
Another thing that can help you with CBD tolerance is switching products or even trying a different product type.