Talk About It Tuesday Blog Series: The Timeliness of CBD Oil Part 2
Another question I hear frequently with regards to CBD is, how long does it last? What this question is really asking is how often you are going to need to take CBD to maintain the desired level of relief. This week’s post is part 2 to last week’s post where we answered the question of how long it takes CBD to work. Some of the same factors are involved as well as some new ones, and once again we’ll go over the time duration based on the method of consumption.
CBD Quality
This one is obvious, but the higher the quality of CBD the longer it will last in your system and provide the relief you are looking for. All CBD oil is not made equal so at a minimum be sure the product you’re using is organically grown, 3rd party tested and contains no harmful chemicals or additives. This is the care we put into all our CBD products at Golden Legacy.
CBD Amount
The amount of CBD contained goes a long way when determining how long CBD will work in your body. A 10mg soft gel won’t last as long as a 30mg soft gel, and a 30ml dropper of an oil tincture will last longer than a small drop of cream or salve. In general, the more CBD you take, the longer it will last.
Metabolism
Those of us with fast metabolisms, (the rate at which your body processes, food, drink, medicine, etc.) in general will also process CBD quickly. This means CBD won’t last as long as someone with a slower metabolism where CBD spends a longer time in the bloodstream.
Tolerance
As with any natural medicine or prescription drug, the more you take the more your body adapts and increases your tolerance level so over time the same dose of CBD will not last as long as it once did. In this case, either a greater amount of the same dosage or a higher dosage must be taken for the CBD effects to last longer.
CBD Methods
Now let’s talk about the different methods CBD can be taken and how each of those effect how long CBD lasts.
Sublingual
A sublingual dose of CBD is placed under your tongue (usually a dropper of oil) held for 30 seconds and then swallowed. The CBD is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream through the membranes in your mouth. The more CBD absorbed the longer it will last.
Duration: 2-4 hours
Topical
CBD taken topically is applied to specific areas of the skin with some type of balm or cream. Your skin absorbs CBD slower than sublingually and you will only feel the desired effects in the specific area the CBD is applied, however, you can apply topical doses liberally.
Duration: 1-5 hours*
*It’s harder to say with certainty how long a topical cream will last because the cannabinoids do not enter the bloodstream.
Oral
CBD can be taken orally in the form of edibles in food/drink or via capsules or soft gels. This method takes the longest to feel the effects because the CBD must be digested first before it can enter the bloodstream. The good news, however, is that it also lasts the longest once your body has processed it so fewer doses are required.
Duration: 4-8 hours
Inhalation
CBD when inhaled via smoking or vaping is the fastest acting, but the downside is it’s the shortest time duration it lasts in your body. For this reason, people who like to vape or smoke CBD will usually do so more frequently in order to maintain the desired effect.
Duration: 1-3 hours
Duration and Rate Chart
Method | Length Duration | Lasting Rate |
Oral | 4-8 hours | Long |
Topical | 1-5 hours | Average |
Sublingual | 2-4 hours | Short |
Inhalation | 1-3 hours | Very short |
Finding a CBD dose that lasts as long as you desire requires some trial and error. The information in this blog is intended as a helpful guideline to provide a starting off point, however, because each person is unique with unique situations, you may find a method where CBD lasts longer for you than for someone else. This is great! Ultimately what counts is finding what works for you and your lifestyle so you can continue to live the legacy you started. Helping you do this by providing the highest quality CBD has always been our goal at Golden Legacy.