Can You Take Too Much CBD?

CBD oil has become very popular over the last couple of years leading many to ask: can you take too much CBD?

Many people are using it for its medicinal benefits, and many claim it helps them sleep better at night.

However, some believe that taking too much CBD can cause problems. They say that CBD can interact with other medications or supplements and that in high doses, it can cause side effects such as anxiety, insomnia, and diarrhoea.

So how do you know if you're taking too much CBD? The answer is simple: you don't!

But here are a few things to look out for if you think you might be taking more than you need.

We look at this in closer detail in this article and help you understand when you might be taking a little too much CBD.

What Is Considered Too Much CBD?

The amount of CBD you should take depends on your body weight, age, height, gender, and medical history. If you have any health conditions, you will want to talk to your doctor before using CBD oil.

Some common conditions and their medications may affect your CBD intake.

These include, but are not limited to, cancer, heart disease, epilepsy, arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

CBD oil isn't toxic, but taking too much could cause problems. A high dosage of CBD (over 20,0000mg) can make you feel sick and falls on the level of a 'toxic' dose.

Someone who takes more than the recommended dose of CBD could risk potential side effects. However, if you're taking CBD oil as prescribed by your doctor or as instructed by the manufacturer, you should not worry about taking too much.

The suggested starting dose when using CBD is around 5-20 mg per day, with the UK Food Standards Agency recommending no more than 70mg per day for a healthy adult.

While dosages of 1500 mg per day have been studied, most tinctures hold between 100 and 1500 mg in one whole bottle.

That means if you ever "overdosed", you would need to ingest around 13 to 200 entire bottles of CBD at one time, depending on the concentration. You are very unlikely to do this by accident!

Therefore, when CBD is taken at the recommended dose or even a little above, the average user doesn't need to worry about taking a toxic dose!

Does 'Toxic' Mean Lethal?

When used in a dosage of 20,000mg, CBD oil is not known to be lethal, although some unwanted effects are likely.

However, the negative side effects experienced usually include extreme drowsiness, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhoea, lethargy, drowsiness, and other unpleasant disorientating side effects.

These results suggest that CBD could be harmful to humans if consumed in extremely high dosages but not lethal.

There are no known fatal overdoses related to cannabis in general, with CBD considered non-toxic by the World Health Organization.

CBD may also cause hormonal changes, but these findings remain uncertain. There is limited research on how CBD can affect embryonic development.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that women trying to become pregnant, are currently pregnant, or are breastfeeding do not consume CBD.

CBD does not affect specific physiological and biochemical parameters or animal behaviour. CBD does not affect these parameters when given acutely.

However, if you take more than 150 mg or more than 30mg a day for 90 days, this might differ.

There is evidence that CBD might be associated with drug interactions the same way grapefruit can, and it is also one of the only substances deemed by the WHO to have no side effects or risk of dependency.

However, if you are taking any medications, we highly recommend checking with your doctor before starting any new dietary supplement, including CBD.

Despite this, research is continuing around the safety of CBD, which means that although not lethal, some care and common sense must be applied.

However, it does provide a sense of reassurance that CBD can be experimented with to a certain extent, within the recommended daily amounts, to discover a dose suited for your needs.

What Is CBD Used For?

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that interact with the endocannabinoid system within our bodies.

Endocannabinoid receptors are located throughout our brains, spinal cords, and organs. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid found naturally in hemp plants.

They regulate many biological processes, including appetite, mood, pain perception, memory, sleep, fertility, and immune function. The human body produces its own cannabinoids called endocannabinoids.

These molecules act as messengers in the brain and bind to specific receptors on cell membranes. When the right balance of chemicals binds to the receptors, they send signals to the brain and other parts of the body.

But unlike THC, CBD doesn't make users feel "stoned" or impaired. Instead, CBD helps reduce anxiety and stress while promoting relaxation.

How Does CBD Work?

The endocannabinoid system consists of two different receptors: CB1 and CB2. These receptors are G protein-coupled receptors, and both respond to cannabinoids.

CB1 receptors are primarily located inside the central nervous system, and CB2 receptors are usually found inside the peripheral nervous system.

CB1 receptors are most abundant in the hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. CB2 receptors are primarily present in the brain stem, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and spleen.

When we talk about CBD, we're talking about the phytocannabinoid compound derived from cannabis Sativa L. This plant contains hundreds of unique compounds, including terpenes, flavonoids, and various polyphenols.

One of the primary compounds in the cannabis plant is cannabidiol, or CBD.

CBD is one of at least 113 known cannabinoids, making up roughly 0.3% of the weight of the entire cannabis plant.

There are currently over 60 companies producing CBD products. These companies extract CBD from industrial hemp or specially grown cannabis plants.

Industrial hemp is typically grown for fibre purposes, while cannabis is often grown for its cannabinoid content.

Taking CBD Safely

Pure CBD oil is safe as long as you buy it from trusted suppliers who can prove that they grow and ethically harvest their plants.

The UK government is currently working towards a safe limit of THC in CBD products and will hopefully produce much clearer guidelines for the CBD industry in the coming year.

CBD products should be verified by a third party before purchase. You should ask your chosen company to send you a Certificate of Analysis (COA) when you make your order. A COA verifies a product's components and concentrations while providing peace of mind.

Read this article to discover what drugs CBD should not be taken with.

Final Thoughts

We hope this article has answered all your questions surrounding CBD dosage and how much is considered too high of a dose.

Although the 'toxic' dose of 20,000 mg is not lethal, it is not recommended that you experiment with this dosage, and you should stick with what works for you.

Remember to check that the product has been independently tested and always take CBD responsibly!