I Swallowed my CBD – Now What?

Ever wondered what happens to CBD once it’s in the body? You may feel the effects of CBD within as little as 15 minutes – although it takes longer for some people – and the effects may linger for up to 6 hours, but CBD can take as long as three to four days to exit the body completely. Edibles such as gummies and chocolates could last even longer as they make their way through the digestive system.

So what happens in the body when you take your dose? If you have ingested CBD as an oil, tablet, tincture or digestible, the first port of call is the stomach, then it will be dispatched to the liver where the components that can be used and the ones that can’t are separated. The amount of CBD then available to the body for use is known as the bioavailabilty of the CBD. From there the good stuff gets into the bloodstream where it will make its way to the organs and tissues as needed through the endocannabinoid receptors – a complex receptor system responsible for the balance and function of many functions in the body. If CBD is smoked it will enter the bloodsteam via the lungs, while topical CBD creams don’t actually end up in the bloodstream but get to work with nearby endocannabinoid receptors in the area of application.

How much you need and how it gets there is determined by multiple factors known as pharmokinetics. Your weight will influence the amount of CBD you actually need to take. In a surprising case of more needs less, the more you weigh, the less you need – as any excess CBD not used by the body’s endocannabinoid system is stored in the fat cells.

Your fitness levels and subsequent metabolism are also key factors in determining how much to take and how long the CBD dose you take is going to need to start having an effect. A sluggish metabolism may even curb your ability to feel the effects of CBD.

Once absorbed by the endocannabinoid system the CBD will get to work, healing and balancing the ailments and disturbances in the body as needed. There are generally no significant side-effects from taking CBD. Some people report sleepiness, irritability, nausea and diarrhoea. These symptoms generally settle as the body accustoms itself to the effects of CBD. Fortunately CBD is also not addictive, and it is for this reason that many people are using it as an alternative to strong, opiate pain-killers. However, like many medicines or supplements the body can build up a tolerance to it so the dose, and possibly the method, of taking CBD has to build up over time.

People are sometimes concerned about CBD showing up in the body if they are being subjected to drug tests at school or work. CBD itself is almost never included in the substances tested in a drug test and even if CBD were to show up, it is 100% legal in multiple countries – if you bought it there you should be able to use there. Some CBD preparations do however contain THC, the psychoactive and less legal compound of the cannabis plant. Although by law the maximum amount of THC allowed in a CBD is miniscule, it can cling to fat cells and traces may be indicated in a drug test. If you are worried about drug tests, you may want to avoid full spectrum CBD and ensure that you are always use either CBD isolate, which is the purest form of CBD and one that contains no other cannabis compounds, or THC-free broad spectrum CBD oil which gives you the benefits of the entourage effect.