CBD isn’t working for you? Don’t give up just yet; it could be for several reasons like an inferior product, your choice of delivery system, an inadequate dosage, or a whole host of things.
In this article, we’ll provide several potential explanations for why CBD isn’t working for you and, where possible, offer some alternatives or solutions.
Author’s note: Our articles are not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your GP or pharmacist with any questions about CBD use. This article is for informational purposes only.
What to do when your CBD isn't working
The first thing to do when your CBD isn’t working is don’t panic. Each individual is different, and we all respond to compounds like CBD in our own unique ways. For some people, specific methods don’t work, while for others, a similar process or strength could be too potent.
If you’ve gotten all excited about the benefits of CBD, but your CBD isn’t working, don’t give up. It’s not time to write it off as useless just yet. Instead, read through our reasons why your CBD isn’t working and try to find a solution that will work for you.
Reasons Your CBD Isn't Working
#1. Poor-Quality CBD
One of the most common reasons your CBD isn’t working is that you’ve been sold a poor-quality product. Unfortunately, this scenario is fairly common if you’re dealing with shady online operators.
A report from a few years ago pointed out that the quality of your CBD has a large bearing on how effective it is. Moreover, the same study suggested that many CBD extracts sold online have a lower concentration than what is stated on their packaging.
So, it seems that sometimes it’s not that your CBD isn’t working; it’s that you are taking too low a dose because of shady manufacturers.
All of this underlines the importance of only buying products from trusted, reputable retailers. At CBD Green, we do the research for you and only work with credible and honest brands who conduct third-party lab testing to ensure their products are genuine.
Some of the ways you can avoid being sold inferior products are to:
- Only buy products that have been tested by third-party labs
- Read customer reviews before you buy the product
- Buy CBD products that are made by well-established, credible brands that have been operating in the space for a long time
- Look for CBD products that are made from organic hemp
Many CBD users say that they’ve had to shop around and experiment with different brands before they found the one that worked for them.
#2. You're Taking the Wrong Dose
In the section above, we talked about how one of the most common reasons your CBD isn’t working is that you are inadvertently taking the wrong dose due to incorrect labelling. But in some other scenarios, you might be taking too low an amount in general.
Knowing the best CBD dose for you can be complex, and may take some trial and error. Bodies are different and react to CBD in their own unique ways, so it’s hard to give an exact dose that works for everyone, even when you account for height and body weight. This is because everything from your metabolism to your body’s natural endocannabinoid tolerance levels can play a part.
Truthfully, finding the right does is about experimenting. And no, I don’t mean the type of experiment where you take a bunch and see how you feel. Instead, you should slowly increase your intake by starting with low doses of 10-50mg daily.
Take a small amount, and if the CBD isn’t working, add a few mg the next day. This iterative approach means that you’ll eventually find your sweet spot. As with any chemical you put into your body, you should strive to find the smallest dose that achieves the largest effect.
#3. You Haven't Given it Enough Time
At the risk of repeating myself, each person reacts differently to CBD. Some people notice the effects immediately with a dose as low as 100mg. However, for other people, 600mg barely does the trick.
Dose matters, but so too does the frequency. Even if you’ve taken a significant dose like 600mg, there’s no guarantee that it will be effective immediately. If you don’t notice any effect, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the CBD isn’t working. It could just be a sign that you need to give it time to work.
Many CBD users find that they need to take the compound for as much as a few weeks or a month before they start unlocking the health benefits of the products.
So, if you’ve taken CBD for a week and don’t notice any effects, don’t sweat it. Give it another week before you start changing brands or declaring your immunity to the product.
It also matters what symptoms you’re targeting. If you’re looking to boost your mood, for instance, it may take up to 6 weeks of daily CBD dosing to see a measurable effect—whereas you may see a short-term effect on acute anxiety in as little as a few hours.
RELATED: CBD for Depression and Anxiety: Your #1 Guide to CBD for Better Mental Health
#4. CBD is Interacting With Other Medications
Another possible reason your CBD isn’t working as intended is that it’s interfering with—or is being hinder by—your other medications.
In an excellent and thorough article in Harvard Health, Katsiaryna Bykov, PharmD, ScD, suggests that taking CBD with over-the-counter or prescription drugs can increase the side effects of both substances.
Bykov suggests that CBD can cause increased tiredness or fatigue if you are already taking:
- benzodiazepines
- opioids
- antipsychotics
- antidepressants
- antihistamines
Additionally, she suggests that similar effects might occur with herbal medicines and supplements, like:
- kava
- melatonin
- St. Johns wart
Bykov explains that CBD and other drugs are broken down by enzymes in the liver. When two substances compete with each other for these enzymes, this can lead to one or both of the substances not working as intended.
As always, it’s important to consult your doctor before you take CBD. They will be the most qualified to understand the associated risks or complex interplay with any other medicines you take frequently or have been prescribed.
#5. Unrealistic Expectations
CBD has been linked to a huge range of physical and mental health benefits. In fact, it’s been called a wonder drug by many users. While there is a good amount of user testimony about CBD that touts its effectiveness, that status does create some high and sometimes unrealistic expectations.
If you carefully study the clinical trials for CBD, quite often, the studies are performed over the course of 8 to 12 weeks. As we mentioned in point #3, you need to take a cumulative dose and allow the slow build-up of CBD in your system before noticing the effects.
Some people mistakenly believe that CBD will provide them with a buzz or a high like the THC in marijuana. However, this is precisely the opposite of what CBD sets out to do. The product is about taking the health benefits associated with marijuana but excluding the THC experience.
If you think your CBD isn’t working because you’re not feeling light-headed and chatty; well, that’s kind of the point.
Some people get confused on this point because they hear that CBD gives users something described as a “body high.” When people suggest this, they are referring to a sense of relaxation and calm, which is removed from your mental functions. In essence, some CBD users report feeling a sort of lightness in their limbs and an easing of the “weight” on their chests, among other body-centric feelings. This is very different from the demonstrable (and illicit) high that you get from the THC in marijuana.
Similarly, one of CBD’s most celebrated properties is its ability to help people sleep. But unrealistic expectations about the process can lead people to believe their CBD isn’t working.
For example, some users believe that taking a few drops of CBD before bed will work similarly to taking sleeping pills in that they’ll suddenly feel drowsy and settle down to an uninterrupted 8 hours of blissful sleep.
However, that’s not really how CBD works. Instead, it is more likely to relieve you of the anxiety and stress that cause you to lie awake staring at the ceiling in the first place.
For many users, CBD’s effects are subtle but meaningful. They report that the product works by subtracting things they feel, like inflammation, stress, anxiety, etc. In this way, CBD’s effects are not about feeling something. Instead, they are about the absence of feelings that make life difficult.
RELATED: Does CBD Make You Drowsy? Proven Links Between CBD & Sleep
#6. CBD Can't Cure an Unhealthy Lifestyle
While CBD can help people achieve a healthier lifestyle, it can’t miraculously override bad decisions you make.
If you exist on takeaways and Tesco meal deals, smoke and drink regularly, barely get any sleep each night, and don’t exercise, there’s only so much that you can expect CBD to do for you.
I’m not here to judge anyone’s lifestyle. We’ve all got to have fun. But thinking that we can live poorly and CBD will somehow help us overcome those choices and make us feel like an athlete is just unrealistic.
Instead, it’s best to think of CBD as part of an orientation toward a better, healthier life. Remember, CBD is basically a supplement to what you are already doing. Take it in conjunction with eating better, drinking enough water, being active, etc.
All that said, you don’t have to live like a monk to benefit from CBD. You can indulge in a takeaway and drink a few beers in moderation and still unlock the power of CBD.
But just remember: if you’re not living a healthy life, that might be one reason why you think your CBD isn’t working.
#7. You're Using the Wrong Delivery Method
There are lots of different delivery methods for CBD. So, if your CBD isn’t working, it may be that you’re not consuming it in the best way for you and your symptoms.
Some of the different ways that you can take CBD are:
So, if you’ve tried one of these methods but it hasn’t produced the results you’re looking for, explore some of the other options.
Bioavailability is a significant factor here. Basically, each method allows a certain amount of CBD to enter your bloodstream. Some ways, like digesting or drinking CBD, have a reasonably low bioavailability because it needs to be broken down by the enzymes in the digestive system.
On the other hand, taking CBD oil under your tongue means that the mucous membranes in your mouth break down the product and get it into your bloodstream far more quickly.
Vaping CBD produces the quickest results because the lungs do the work of moving the CBD into the bloodstream.
Again, a lot of this comes down to individual preference. Deciding which delivery method to use is primarily determined by what it is that you actually want to achieve by taking CBD.
For example, if you have problems with your joints, a topical cream will be your best bet. Likewise, if you want to reduce stress and anxiety, an oil under your tongue is advisable.
RELATED: Which Type of CBD Should I Use? Top 4 Delivery Methods Explained
#8. You Have a High CBD Tolerance
Another reason why your CBD isn’t working could be found in your body’s tolerance to the drug. This tolerance could be a result of your natural genetic made up or because of your behaviour.
Generally speaking, it’s not possible to “build up” CBD tolerance over time—in fact, some research suggests that the opposite may occur, and you can in fact need less CBD over time. However, you can be naturally more tolerant to CBD. In addition, using illicit cannabis containing both THC & CBD can cause you to become more tolerant to CBD.
An interesting article in the New York Times a few years back pointed out that 1 in 5 people naturally produce more endocannabinoids. These neurotransmitters are similar to the cannabinoids found in CBD. If you are one of these 20%, you might find that you need a larger dose of CBD for it to be effective.
In addition, if you’ve been using illicit THC-containing products like cannabis (which we do not condone), this can increase your tolerance to both THC and CBD over time.
THC binds to the CB1 receptors in your endocannabinoid system, whereas CBD does not; CBD merely interacts with these receptors and improves their communication. THC will cause these receptors to become less sensitive over time, which can raise your tolerance for CBD. If this sounds like you, your best bet is to cease taking the THC-containing products while your body’s tolerance resets.
#9. You're Taking CBD Isolate
A study on mice from 2015 suggested that CBD isolate offers health benefits; however, it only helps with pain and inflammation past a specific dose. In contrast, broad and full-spectrum CBD provide increased effects as the dose increases.
Some people swear by Isolate CBD. However, others say it doesn’t do much for them when taken without the other compounds you can find in CBD products.
This is because of something called the “Entourage Effect,” which is achieved when CBD is combined with other elements like terpenes and flavonoids. More information on the effect can be found here: CBD Terpenes: What Are They & How Do They Work?
So if your CBD isn’t working—and you’ve been taking CBD Isolate—it might be worth trying a full or broad-spectrum alternative.
Conclusion
As you can see from our list, believing that your CBD isn’t working doesn’t always mean something is wrong with you or the product. Occasionally, you may need to experiment with doses, delivery methods, and even the schedule you take CBD to get the most from the product.
It’s a good idea to keep a CBD journal when you’re starting off on your CBD journey, especially if you’re having trouble noticing any significant effects. You can note down how it made you feel each day, what doses you used, and any other internal or external factors that might affect your experience.
By having a comprehensive record of which brands and doses you used, you can start to map out what works for you and what doesn’t. Then, you’ll be in a better position to determine if your CBD isn’t working.
As always, ensure you speak to your doctor before you start using CBD.
