For fans of the cannabis extract, cannabidiol (CBD), the question remains how long does CBD stay in your system. The reason this question is asked is that people want to know how long the effects will last and how the compound will interact with your body and treat your symptoms as the time CBD takes to effect varies person to person. Firstly, this begs the question; why are you using CBD? The second question to ask is; what way is best for you to consume the extract?
As a general rule, CBD will usually stay in your system from between 2 to 5 days. That’s a broad time range. It could stay in your system even longer. There are lots of factors to take into consideration. Let’s examine some of the moving parts.
What variables affect the time how long CBD does stay in your system?
- There are many points to consider when trying to predict how long CBD will stay in your system.
- How much CBD you take.
- How frequently you take it.
- Your metabolism, B.M.I., what you’ve eaten.
- What form of CBD you take.
Let’s consider some of these variables. It’s important to breakdown some of these variables and how they’ll apply to you.
Amount
Of course, the dosage is one of the main considerations when you’re assessing how long CBD will stay in your system. It stands to reason that the higher the dose you take, the longer it will stay in your system.
Frequency
If you are taking a dose of CBD very regularly; it will of course stay in your system longer. Most things like medication or supplements have to build up a base in your body before they begin to work. CBD is no different which is why we recommend taking it for at least a week to gauge its effects on you.
You
People have different body types. This means different body mass indexes, different metabolisms and water content. This is why CBD affects everyone differently.
Diet
The food you eat can affect the way your body processes CBD. CBD is better taken on a full stomach of natural, healthy fats like yoghurts or avocadoes. CBD will both metabolise and get eliminated from your system faster on an empty stomach. Taking it with food will slow down its release and prolong the effects of a dose.
CBD Timings Depend on the Method of Use
There are numerous ways you can consume CBD. The way that you use CBD determines the effects it will have on you. From the time it takes to start working, how long the effects last and how long it will stay in your system.
The way you consume CBD also affects something called bioavailability; this is the ability of any substance or drug to be absorbed and used by the body.
Ingestion
Ingestion is a popular way of taking CBD. This can mean anything from eating or drinking CBD infused food products to taking capsules or tinctures or oils. It’s one of the easiest and most common ways to take CBD. When swallowed, CBD does not enter the bloodstream right away. As it is broken down by enzymes in the liver, the concentration of CBD is reduced. Usually, only 5% of ingested CBD ends up in the bloodstream, which h means it’s the method with the lowest bioavailability.
Onset— Ingesting CBD usually takes around 30 to 60 minutes to start working, perhaps even longer. But this does depend on other factors, chewing gummies will usually work faster.
Potency— Once again, this depends on the strength of the edible or oil you’ve consumed.
Effects— How long do edibles stay in your system? You can feel the effects for up to eight hours. Stays in your system—2 to 5 days was the approximate half-life of one dose of CBD.
Sublingual
People often mix up sublingual consumption with ingesting CBD edibles but they’re not the same thing. With sublingual administration, you are putting the substance under your tongue and holding it there for two minutes or more. This allows it to absorb into the mucous membrane under your tongue directly and bypass the liver and the digestive system. This method of consumption is more bioavailable than using edibles.
Onset— This method usually takes about 15 minutes to take effect. Although this does depend on you and your body.
Potency— Again, this does depend on the strength of the tincture or oil you’re taking. This can be a much more potent way to consume CBD, it’s certainly more bioavailable than using edibles.
Effects— You should feel the effects of sublingual administration from 2 to 4 hours System— CBD taken in this way, could stay in your system for 18-32 hours. However, it may stay in your system longer.
Inhalation
An effective but sometimes controversial delivery method for CBD; inhalation can mean either vaping or smoking CBD flower or CBD oil. And these two methods of inhalation can differ slightly themselves. One thing that’s certain with inhalation of CBD, is quicker absorption and more efficiency at transferring CBD into the bloodstream.
When you inhale CBD, the cannabinoids are delivered directly to the small capillaries in the lungs. From there, they are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and to begin working.
Onset— This is the quickest way to feel the effects of CBD they are almost instantaneous.
Potency— This is the most potent way to consume CBD as they do not have to processed by the digestive system.
Effects— You might feel the effects of CBD for around two hours if you inhale it. System— One dose of inhaled CBD should stay in your system for about three days, but again, this is an approximation.
FAQ’s
How long do the effects of CBD last?
It depends on the CBD administration method. Broadly speaking, you can feel the effects of CBD from 2 to 8 hours.
Will CBD appear on a drug test?
Not usually, and the legal limit of THC allowed in any CBD product is under 0.3% in full-spectrum hemp or CBD oil. If you’re using a high-quality, certified product that has trace amounts of THC, those trace amounts shouldn’t be enough to trigger a positive result during drug tests. Just remember to only use high-quality CBD products that are third-party tested and that you trust.
Can I use CBD during pregnancy?
It’s not advisable to use CBD while pregnant as not enough research has been done on the effects of CBD on an unborn child.
Can I use CBD while I breastfeed?
There has not been enough research conducted to study the effects of using CBD while breastfeeding which means you should avoid it. Cease using CBD at least a week before you breastfeed.
Are CBD and hemp legal?
In most countries including the UK, as long as the CBD or hemp you use contains less than 0.3% THC, it’s perfectly safe and legal.
Conclusion
Pinpointing the exact effects of CBD on different people is a difficult task. The predictions for how long a person will feel the effects of CBD in their body, to how long it will stay in their system vary greatly.
One of the major things to consider when beginning your CBD journey is what method of administration you'll choose. As you can see there are lots of different ways you can add CBD to your life, and they all have pros and cons. The key is finding the one that suits you best. We recommend experimenting to work out what suits your tastes, your needs and your lifestyle.
It's the same with any supplement you choose to add to your life, look for quality. The safer bet is to stick to trusted and certified brands. You can be guaranteed high-quality CBD and you'll know that there will only be trace amounts of THC if any.
