The uproar in the pharmaceutical and beauty sector is much accredited to CBD. The miraculous and life-changing effects that it had for many transformed how drugs are viewed nowadays. However, the most intriguing nature of CBD is it’s as mysterious as a miraculous mechanism in the body.
Scientists have their interests piqued by CBD’s course and journey in the body to make its consumption more widespread and more easily adaptable and malleable to human convenience. Although researchers have uncovered a lot, it is believed that this is just the surface.
The multi-faceted properties of CBD treat conditions including but not limited to chronic pain, anxiety, depression, GI tract disorders, insomnia, inflammation, and epilepsy. This is worth studying because it can not only be the endocannabinoid system that mediates all mechanisms. How does CBD affect the brain? How does CBD work in the human body? Also, CBD doesn’t seem to work the same way for every consumer, like any painkiller or drug.
This has led researchers to narrow down their studies and state that CBD metabolism is greatly influenced by an individual’s health which means CBD cannot be standardized. Instead, it is subjected to individual health and affected by concentration, combination with other cannabis components, mode of administration, frequency of use, and manufacturing.
All these factors have allowed researchers to predict a range of standard and expected possibilities of CBD metabolism in our bodies. This can help consumers get an idea about what is wrong and what is to be expected.
How long does it take to feel the effects of CBD?
Aforementioned, not all individuals are expected to react similarly to CBD. Where some consumers feel the effect within a day, others may not feel the effects kicking in until two weeks later. Therefore, consistency and improvisation are essential when using CBD. You need to keep going and decide on an appropriate dosage by experimenting obviously with doctor consultation to achieve a decisive stance on how CBD makes you feel.
As for a more effective and faster mode of administration, sublingual and smoked CBD reaches the bloodstream faster than ingestion of CBD. Sublingual administration usually absorbs CBD into the blood within 10-15 minutes, whereas it may take about 2 hours for ingested CBD to take full effect.
How long does CBD stay in my system?
Typically, the frequency of consumption and concentration are prominent players in determining the length of stay of CBD in your body.
Various studies predict the clearance of CBD. For example, in a study, 14 Huntington’s disease patients were administered 700mg/day for six weeks. Only a week after discontinuation, CBD levels dropped drastically to 1.5ng/ml in the body. These helped researchers predict a 2-5 days half-life of CBD, which varied according to the dosage and frequency of use.
In another study in 2007, CBD was detected 72 hours after smoking, and due to its fast absorption, it’s a suitable option for consumers looking for instant pain relief.
However, a lower dosage of CBD tends to clear up within hours, as observed in research where volunteers were given cannabis-infused soft gelatin capsules with 2.5 mg of THC and 1.35 mg of CBD. Unfortunately, the CBD could only be detected six hours post-ingestion.
How is CBD Processed in the Body?
Doctors are trying to understand the breaking down, processing, and absorption of CBD in the body to make CBD safer for its consumers. You may find almost every other store selling CBD something, but there are only two FDA-approved CBD medications.
This research begins with understanding how CBD is metabolized in the body. To do so, one needs to consider the route of intake.
Ingestion of CBD
CBD is popularly consumed orally in the form of gummies, desserts, beverages, capsules, etc., which means the CBD passes through the digestive system to reach the bloodstream. A common concept that you must be aware of is bioavailability. Bioavailability is the amount of a substance, in this case, CBD, present in the bloodstream that has the potential to have an active effect.
Ideally, intravenous administration of CBD is assumed to have 100% bioavailability. Compared to this, ingestion of CBD has a 13-19% bioavailability. The lower efficacy of CBD through ingestion is because of the first-pass metabolism. Before reaching the bloodstream, CBD passes through the gut and liver, where it is broken down.
How does CBD break down in the body, and what does CBD break down into? The CYP450 enzyme system in the liver is responsible for the significant breakdown of CBD into CBD-7-oic acid, one of the common metabolites.
But researchers have observed an alternative metabolic pathway that increases the bioavailability of CBD in the body. This is extensively accredited to CBD’s lipophilic property. This metabolic pathway involves the lymphatic system that processes and absorbs fats and fat-soluble nutrients. The selective membrane of the lymph vessels in the small intestines picks all lipid molecules and transports them directly to the venous vessels.
CBD is a highly lipophilic molecule that is often transported in the lymphatic system. This is usually why CBD is advised to be taken with fatty meals or very commonly retailed with carrier oils. Scientific Reports stated an animal study that showed higher CBD concentrations in lymph than in plasma, almost 250 times greater.
Smoking and Sublingual CBD Intake
Both these routes of administration have rapid absorption. Smoking CBD reaches the bloodstream via the alveolar capillaries, and sublingually the CBD is directly absorbed from the capillaries under the tongue.
As rapid as the absorption is, the effects are short-lasting too. However, the bioavailability of CBD by these methods is 31% greater than oral intake. The CBD is converted to 7-carboxy-cannabidiol, and the rest is excreted in the urine.
Topical Application
Balms, salves, creams, and lotions are commonly used as topical applications for joint pain and localized inflammation. This method targets the sebocytes, the cells that constitute the sebaceous glands. CBD is expected to enter the skin through the trans-follicular pathway where it has its localized effect, and then over time reaches the systematic circulation.
So what if my CBD has no effect or has other side effects?
A common concern with CBD is its effectiveness or unwanted effects. Because of its unpredictable course of mechanism, the reaction is often hard to predict generally.
Many consumers come with incidents of having none of the life-changing effects that are claimed. There can be a few reasons for this:
- Pass-out effect: It is normal if the first few doses of CBD have absolutely no effect. This is because CBD is often excreted without any metabolism or absorption. The body is still uncertain of the nature of the material.
- Inadequate dosage: As mentioned, insufficient dosage may not have the desired effect. The same works for an exceptionally high dose as well.
- Irregular administration: Taking your dosage regularly and timely is essential. Because of CBD’s short half-life, it clears before sufficient amounts are accumulated.
As for CBD side effects, they are at a minimum. But recently, it has come to light that CBD enhances liver enzyme activity, and misuse can lead to quite the opposite effects when treating insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Is CBD detectable in drug tests?
It is common knowledge about CBD’s legalities in US states. Many consumers are often worried about CBD’s presence and detection in drug tests. This often leads people to wonder, “Is CBD naturally in your body?”
Considering the existence of the endocannabinoid system, CBD must also be present in our body, and that means CBD may always show up in a drug test. This is actually false. Only externally administered or CBD from another source can show in urine drug tests that too only within 24 hours of administration.
All of this information is crucial to maintain a balance in our body and be able to monitor the efficacy of CBD. Because CBD dosage is totally dependent on the consumer, all these factors can help decide what may work best for you.