How long does CBD stay in my body? Does this question bother your mind often? In this blog post, I would like to share with you some hints to help you understand. Even before you gauge the approximate duration, there are several aspects that you need to know. For example, what form you take CBD, frequency, and purpose of intake, your individual metabolic rate, body weight, your body’s response to CBD, etc.
In my case, my metabolic rate is relatively fast. My digestion is quick. Hence I eat frequently and stay active. And I am used to administering CBD sublingually. In this case, does it get metabolized quickly too? Does it not stay in my body for long, or will I pass a drug test easily?
There are other things to take into account. So we have a lot of things to discuss, let’s dive right in.
CBD Logic
Even before we discuss what research studies report, I wish to address this concern from a very pragmatic point of view.
Why and when would one be concerned about how long a drug will stay in the body?
On a positive note, people who take CBD for medical conditions and seek relief. On the flip side, some miscreants who are unaware of the potential benefits of natural medicine and misuse them.
Do you agree with me?
For the exceptional people who are enthusiastic to know about the chemical reactions of every food or medicine that goes into their body, or if you are an ardent CBD evangelist, read on. You might connect with me at some point.
Awareness and exposure to CBD
CBD is a term that is very popularly used across different sections of society. This implies that the awareness about the various therapeutic effects is being discussed openly by larger populations.
The compounds of cannabis are progressively put to use for therapeutic purposes. As you are quite familiar by now, out of the 100’s of compounds just, two are popularly researched, discussed, and in practice. They are CBD and THC.
Moreover, the WHO reports that CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile. On account of this, several countries have amended their national policies. As a result, CBD has leveraged its value as a medicinal product.
Likewise, WADA 2020 updated its list of prohibited substances by removing Cannabidiol.
Common forms of CBD products
We are aware that many kinds of formulations containing CBD are extensively available in the market.
For example, edible gummies, pills, soft gel capsules, oral tinctures, topical creams, CBD oils, CBD vapes, crystals, etc.
Routes of administration
According to a 2018 study, a sample study was conducted to understand why and how individuals are using CBD. The survey results show that people use various methods to administer CBD.
A key point from the results of the survey is:
Out of a total of 4135 respondents, 2200 reported. And the most commonly used method of administration of CBD was through a sublingual form. This includes liquids administered as sprays, drops, oil, and tinctures.
Different formulations of cannabinoids can get delivered through various methods into the bloodstream. They are:
- Intravenous
- Oral ( through the digestive system): Edibles, Capsules, Pills, drops, and solutions
- Pulmonary routes through the lungs: Smoking, Vaping, Dabbing, using nebulizers, vaporization, etc
- Transmucosal: Sublingual, Intranasal, Ocular, Rectal
- Transdermal: Creams, Topicals, Ointments,
- Cutaneous acupuncture or micro-needling with CBD
Likewise, each of these delivery methods has its own influences in the body. The speed at which it is delivered and the proportion of absorption by the human body are the two aspects generally taken into account.
But, research gives us more insights.
Dosage
According to studies, dosage methods vary based on individual needs. You need to take in to account body weight, pre-medical conditions, reasons for intake, how your body reacts to CBD, etc.
- Step up method: A method that is best recommended for a beginner to slowly increase the dosage every week.
- MicroDose: Similar to the step-up method of administration, the dosage could be gradually increased depending on your body weight. Take a look at the tables below for a quick understanding on dosage.
Standard Dose
Macro Dose
The half-life of a drug
According to a 2020 study, the half-life is the time that a drug takes to reduce to half of its concentration compared to its starting dose in the body. Different drugs have different half-lives; however, they all follow this rule: after one half-life has passed, 50% of the initial drug amount is removed from the body.
The branch of pharmacology study that deals with the movement of drugs within the body is called pharmacokinetics.
Clearance and Elimination of drug
Studies further emphasize on understanding drug clearance and elimination while discussing pharmacokinetics.
- ‘The volume of blood cleared of drug per unit time’ is called Drug Clearance
- ‘The amount of drug cleared from the blood per unit time’ is called drug elimination rate.
There are more technical aspects to understand the biological perspectives of pharmacology.
In short, let us draw to the conclusion that drug elimination, clearance, and plasma concentrations vary for every drug. Added to this, the route of delivery into the human body and volume also matters.
Pharmacokinetics of CBD
Studies on Human Cannabinoid Pharmacokinetics recommends the importance to understand the cannabinoid pharmacokinetics and the disposition of cannabinoids into biological fluids and tissues in the human body. It clearly highlights the necessity to follow the onset, magnitude, and duration of its effects. This would be a constructive direction towards maximizing therapeutic value while minimizing negative effects.
Moreover, based on the absorption of CBD after diverse routes of administration, the pharmacokinetic process takes into account the following aspects:
- frequency and
- the magnitude of drug exposure
- Different drug formulations
- analyze distribution throughout the body
- metabolism by the liver and extrahepatic tissues
- elimination in the feces, urine, sweat, oral fluid, and hair
For Instance, in my previous blog, while discussing water-soluble CBD, we understood that the oral bioavailability of CBD is known to be approximately 6% in humans. Therefore, with a bioavailability of 6%, following single doses in humans, the half-life of CBD, when taken orally, is about 1 to 2 days.
As a concluding note on the pharmacokinetics of CBD, it is noteworthy to highlight a review study that concludes that the analysis and understanding of properties such as bioavailability and half-life are critical to future therapeutic success and addresses the lack of robust data to prove its efficacy, specifically pertaining to dosing and routes of administration of CBD.
Good practices for CBD use
A 2018 study that conducted a survey on CBD users suggests that CBD is used more frequently as a specific therapy for medical conditions than for general health and well-being.
Most importantly, it reports that pain management, Inflammatory disorders, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders are some essential conditions that CBD addresses.
Larger populations opt for CBD to handle their health conditions with non-serious adverse effects from taking prescription medication.
Having said this, CBD users could be more open to inform people they associate in daily life that includes family, friends, and also at the workplace. This is because of increasing corporate laws that mandate drug testing to ensure a safe and drug-free workplace. As a result, several methods of drug tests are becoming popular. Such as testing for drugs from oral fluids, sweat, urine, hair, etc.
Quick takeaway
On the basis of what we discussed so far, pertaining to what forms you take CBD, methods of delivery, dosage and prevailing condition of health, and most importantly the prolonged usage would determine how much is of CBD is metabolized, how much is flushed out of the body and how much is retained.
Therefore, to sum up, keep in my mind just 4 points:
- Among the several routes of administration of CBD, every method has its own influence in the human body.
- Volume and frequency of intake is a matter of concern that you might need to alter based on personal experience
- Stick to the step-up method and micro-dosing. Avoid heavy dosages unless for extreme situations.
- Controlled exposure to any drug is a best practice that our grandmothers have taught us. And as I always thank Hippocrates for his proverb, principle of wholeness. “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food”
- Right awareness will lead to the safe use of CBD. As a result, CBD could become more and more accessible to larger sections of society. And that is exactly Nordic oil’s vision.
I am very eager to know how you take CBD. What route of administration works best for you? Take a moment to leave your comment. Remember to stay connected with us on all social media platforms. The icons below will swiftly bring you to us.
Related article: How to start using CBD?