What is the Most Effective Way to Take CBD?

Is there a method to taking CBD that could be more effective or more efficient than the other methods? With the interest in CBD growing by the day, more consumers than ever are incorporating CBD products into their daily routine. But which way is the best way to get the most out of your cannabidiol?

Today, we look to answer what the most effective form of taking CBD is, how other methods match up against the most effective method, and what characteristics to look for in an effective CBD product.

What is CBD?

First, as a brief summary, cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is an extract found in various hemp strains. As of the 2018 Farm Bill, industrial hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC was removed from the Controlled Substances Act and made legal.

Any products that can be extracted from the hemp plant, such as CBD and other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, can be turned into a variety of bases – namely, CBD oil. CBD oil can be broken down into three types of hemp-derived formula.

What are the three types of CBD oil?

CBD can come packed in a full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate formula depending on how it’s extracted from the hemp and how it’s refined afterwards. A full-spectrum formula is typically extracted with little refinement involved. Broad-spectrum formulas are more likely to be refined further and are free of THC. Finally, CBD isolates are refined of everything except for the CBD cannabinoid. Each of these three different types of formulas can have various benefits, so it depends ultimately on what you want to achieve with your CBD product.

More research needs to go into CBD’s effects and benefits, though we do have some clinical trials and studies that shine a positive light on CBD already. Likewise, there are countless anecdotal reviews on their healing experiences thanks to cannabidiol.

As it stands, the most common symptoms people report taking CBD for are joint pain, various anxiety disorders, depression, insomnia, or just as a daily supplement to promote general wellness.

The Most Effective Way to Take CBD

One of the most common ways to take CBD oil is to take the preferred serving under the tongue. Also known as sublingual dosing. Typically, you would leave the serving under the tongue for at least 60 seconds before swallowing.

This allows the CBD to be absorbed more readily into your bloodstream instead of having to metabolize in the digestive system first. As a good rule, we like to swish the oil around after applying under our tongue, keeping it in for up to 90 seconds before we swallow.

If you are okay with waiting longer, you can also just swallow the CBD oil directly (also called a CBD tincture), add it to your favorite beverage or even use it in your food. Many people find tinctures are the easiest way to get introduced to cannabidiol, as you can easily control your dosage size and quickly determine if you need more.

Bioavailability Plays a Role

Why does a sublingual dose make it the most effective? This is because the bioavailability of a tincture is at the highest possibility for you to absorb the most cannabidiol.

When we consume a CBD product, we don’t get to absorb all the cannabinoids consumed – we only get a percentage. That percentage depends on the bioavailability of that product.

CBD capsules, for example, are often formulated with a CBD oil that has been refined to increase its bioavailability, making capsules almost as effective or equally as effective as a regular tincture. It comes down to the quality of the hemp-derived

Are There Other Effective Ways to Take CBD?

Alternatively, you could use a CBD oil that is safe for vapes and use a standard vaporizer to get a serving of CBD oil almost instantaneously. One of the fastest ways to consume CBD oil, vaping is the next best method to using a tincture orally.

The biggest downside to vaping appears to be how much faster effects seem to wear off compared to a tincture applied sublingually. Keep in mind, this differs from person to person.

In addition, there would not be an abundance of other CBD products available if people only preferred CBD oil in the forms we’ve already mentioned. In fact, there are a wide array of CBD products to choose from. When deciding on what the most effective way for you to take CBD is, it could end up being one of the products below.

CBD Gummies

Sweet, chewy morsels that can come in a variety of sizes, shapes and flavors, gummies are an easy, tasty way to get your daily serving of cannabidiol. Many find relief from anxiety and trouble sleeping when using gummies, as well as taking them as a daily regimen in the morning to promote general wellness throughout the day.

Another benefit is the convenience and portability of a gummy. You are not hauling a bottle of oil with you everywhere and then swishing a serving around in your mouth for a minute and a half – tinctures are not the most functional method, after all.

As far as characteristics compared to CBD oil, CBD gummies can have a similar strength to their CBD oil equivalent. The only downside is that gummies must be eaten and swallowed, so they do take longer to become effective than a tincture under the tongue or vaping might.

Pro-tip: some full-spectrum CBD gummies are oil-based, so try treating one like a tincture and allow it to stay in your mouth until it dissolves. Swish it around and under your tongue to try to keep it as close to a sublingual dose as possible; this may optimize CBD gummies in an all new way for you.

Smoking

Growing in popularity, CBD-rich hemp strains are a top choice for many cannabidiol users across the nation. Once a hemp bud is ground up, it can be rolled with paper or a hemp wrap, placed in a pipe or other smoking accessory, or turned into a variety of other products.

Smoking is effective because you can feel the benefits from CBD quickly, but it is also what you can turn the CBD hemp flower into that makes it fun to keep around the house. If you do not feel like smoking, you can use a dry herb vaporizer to vape it, turn it into oil or butter for edibles, get vape additive and make a vape juice, and countless other ideas.

How Long Should It Take Each Method to Kick In?

As we have mentioned, the type of CBD product you use will determine how long it takes for the cannabidiol to take effect. We recommend tinctures as the most effective method because of how intense it takes effect, and how quickly. Fast-acting, users typically find effects to start within the first 15 minutes. It does vary, because everyone is different, but tinctures still appear to take effect fastest for most people.

Capsules can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours, and even beyond that for some people, before you begin to feel effects. The duration may last longer than a tincture might, but just be prepared for a delay before you notice anything.

If you take a tincture in a drink, in food, or your try a CBD-infused edible or beverage, expect to wait the longest amount of time before feeling any effects – but when you do, they should be as effective if not more effective than a CBD oil. How strong the edible affects you will greatly determine how much CBD is in each serving and how many servings you eat at once.

When you vape a CBD oil, you should be able to feel the effects almost immediately. Vaping is a great method to use if you can micro-dose throughout the day, taking a puff or two when you need it.

Smoking, while similar, does not have as high of a bioavailability as vaping CBD oil. You cannot smoke oil, which means you will be smoking CBD-rich hemp flower. It is not as effective as vaping because CBD concentrates and vape oils often have a much higher concentration of cannabidiol per container than a hemp flower does per bud.

Again, it is important to note that these are not tried and true rules for every individual. Rather, this is coming from anecdotal evidence and experience. Everyone is different, so do be sure to gauge yourself how long each method takes before it feels effective. Keep note of the serving size each time, in addition, to truly narrow in on the perfect CBD product and serving size for you.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, we still can’t help but to recommend sublingual dosing as the most effective method for taking CBD oil. Fast-acting and powerful, it is a potent way to get your daily serving of cannabidiol without having to feel the psychoactive effects from THC or waste your time with a large serving. Overall, tinctures are the most cost-effective way to incorporate CBD into your daily routine; with the highest bio availability, you absorb as much of the cannabidiol as possible instead of wasting product. Likewise, CBD oil comes in a variety of flavors and strengths so you can introduce yourself to the cannabidiol world at any level or taste you feel comfortable with.

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Truth in Labeling: What You Should Know About Regulations for CBD Products

We recently upgraded our tincture formulas and product labels, making them more precise as we improve the overall quality. With our recent upgrade comes the reason behind it, which was the need to be more honest about the contents in our products. We believe in always being as transparent as possible, so we wanted our products to be labeled more accurately in a stronger effort to uphold that belief.

The big truth behind the CBD industry is that it is heavily under-regulated. While the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 legalized industrial hemp and hemp-derived products, that doesn’t necessarily mean all CBD or hemp-derived products sold are legal as a result.

Today, we want to take a closer look at the truth behind product labeling for CBD. We aim to put the knowledge in your hands, so that you can decide for yourself which CBD brand you’d prefer. In an effort to prove that we’re the best instead of simply saying it, let’s dive into our full guide on the product mislabeling in the industry and what to look out for.

5 Things to Look for on CBD Products

Batch or lot number

For accuracy and consistency of a CBD product, the formulas should be batch-tested through an independent, third-party lab. Every CBD product label should have a batch number, date code, or even QR code to use to access the lab results for your product’s specific batch.

Isolate, Broad Spectrum, or Full Spectrum?

What type of CBD formula are you considering? CBD isolates contain as close to 100% pure CBD as possible, generally above 99% and lacking any THC, minor cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, or other beneficial hemp compounds. Broad-spectrum products do contains all the hemp compounds, flavonoids, terpenes, and additional cannabinoids, but they still lack the THC. Full-spectrum products, however, contain the entire spectrum of hemp compounds from the hemp strain used in that formula. A legal full-spectrum CBD product contains 0.3% THC or less, meeting standards within the 2018 Farm Bill’s regulations on the subject.

Suggested Use or Directions

A product label should include directions for how to actually use the product. Without a suggested use section, the instructions could vary too wildly depending on the type of CBD product you’re looking at.

Supplement Fact Panel

The Supplement Fact panel is vital for any reputable CBD brand, detailing the ingredients contained in the product and including how much hemp extract and CBD is in each serving. These details are some of the most important to have for a CBD product, though they’re all vital for a reputable, genuine brand to offer.

Active CBD per Serving

Finally, the amount of CBD in each serving and in each container should be on the front of the product label. Some CBD companies try to get away with putting the hemp extract content level and pass it off as the CBD content level when the CBD level is much lower.

This is the biggest reason we changed our tincture formula and product labels – we wanted to retain the honesty and transparency we’re so proud to offer with our brand. Now, our CBD tinctures include the amount of active CBD per container, visibly on the front. We’ve also perfected the formula by increasing how many terpenes we use, offering new flavors, and more.

Other Things to Consider

It’s not just the product label of a CBD brand that helps you determine the quality of that brand. On the contrary, they should have a professional website where they display all the other valuable information you could need.

Where are there lab results?

The batch or lot number we mentioned earlier, for example, should be on a page found on the website, where you can view the results and then view other details about the brand.

Can you reach them easily?

The support options available generally helps build confidence that a brand is there, prompt, and available to genuinely assist you with any issues or concerns you may have. Support email addresses, a phone number and business hours, and support chat options are all a huge plus for a CBD brand.

Where do they source their hemp?

Does the hemp they extracted their CBD from have a different country of origin than the United States? Where was the product manufactured? To truly feel confident about a product and know you’re sticking with the right CBD brand, they should offer their process in detail without you having to ask.

Transparency is one of our biggest goals here at Papa Bear Botanicals. We strive to offer only the best CBD products, which is why we source from the USA for every step of our process. The United States currently has one of the best regulations for CBD across the world, offering more accurate content levels for products than China or Russia-grown hemp might.

Beware of claims a brand makes

Buzz words and medical claims are often seen across the industry. Even wording like “all-natural,” “organic,” and “pure” can be misleading without the brand being able to back it up.

Some brands claim their products contain a certain strength of “hemp extract” when the ingredients are only hempseed oil. Hempseed oil contains virtually no cannabinoids, CBD or otherwise, making it virtually ineffective besides its base beneficial properties. Hempseed oil-based products are typically high in good fatty acids and antioxidants, but they lack the CBD content a consumer is likely expecting when they see the strength of the formula on the front of the product label.

This misdirection and incorrect labeling of various hemp products is what makes it so difficult to navigate throughout the CBD industry. Medical claims are another thing to stray away from. While CBD possesses a variety of beneficial properties, a brand stating that it can “treat” or even “cure” any condition aside from what the FDA has approved is simply unfounded.

And while we do have gathering evidence that CBD provides positive benefits, we lack the studies and clinical trials performed on a large enough group of human models. We look forward to a future where we have more answers and more CBD brands will start to open up and be honest about what’s contained in their product and what it can do for you.

Does the FDA regulate CBD products?

The FDA has only approved of one CBD product thus far, used to treat very specific and rare forms of epilepsy. However, the FDA does provide some level of regulation of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, per their website. How CBD products are marketed and labeled, as well as their intended use, all play a huge role in what the FDA deems lawful under the 2018 Farm Bill.

According to their website, “Even if a CBD product meets the definition of ‘hemp’ under the 2018 Farm Bill, it still must comply with all other applicable laws, including the FD&C Act.” Presently, the FDA is gathering information and accepting feedback from the public for consideration of CBD products.

What can the FDA do to improve regulation in the CBD industry?

Some CBD companies go above and beyond when it comes to the standards they put forth for their brand. Unfortunately, not all CBD products are created equal, and some brands like to cut corners. Adding more elements to product labels is a start, such as country or origin.

Until the FDA can crack down on CBD and make any conclusions for hemp-derived CBD products to begin with, buyers should be careful and wary when purchasing CBD. While there are reputable and trustworthy online sources, one must always double-check the lab results, ingredients, and other vital variables to ensure you’re getting an authentic product.

Bottom Line

The CBD industry can be difficult to maneuver through if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. Fortunately, we’ve provided the tools you need to filter the good CBD brands from the bad. Using the knowledge that you gained today, we’re proud to go above and beyond the standards of the industry to bring you a truly high-quality CBD product.