Trying to find the right CBD oil strength for your situation can be difficult, especially when some brands define the benefits of CBD with their potency. For instance, products like 150 mg or 300 mg are better suited for pets and lightweight users, whereas concentrations of 2000 or 3000 mg are formulated to address the needs of people who whey more than 225 lbs.
But what does that tell you? After all, people use CBD oil for different purposes, so CBD oil strength may not necessarily be the driving factor behind its effectiveness.
So, how do you pick the best CBD strength for yourself?
What factors should you take into consideration?
Let’s find out!
CBD Strength: Explaining the Differences
If you check out Gold Bee’s CBD oils, you’ll notice that we focus on high-strength CBD oils. That’s because higher CBD strengths usually mean a lower cost per mg of CBD. That being said, we also stock some low-strength products, such as 25 mg gummies or 10 mg honey sticks; that’s because we cater to all types of CBD consumers.
There are a few questions you should ask yourself if you want to decide what CBD strength will be your best match:
What Does the Strength of CBD Oil Mean?
When shopping for CBD oil, always read the product’s label to ensure how much CBD is in the product and how much CBD it offers in one milliliter.
For example, the Gold Bee 1200 mg CBD oil contains “1200 mg” of total CBD, so it tells you how much CBD you’d get if you swallowed the entire content (which we don’t recommend). However, if you want to get the CBD concentration per serving, you need to calculate the amount of CBD per milliliter.
Our CBD oil comes in 30-mL bottles, so all you need to do is simple math: divide 1200 mg by 30 mL — and there you have it, 40 mg of CBD/mL.
At Gold Bee, we always list the amount of CBD in a single serving on the back of the container to make it easier for new consumers to choose the best format and strength for their needs.
Does CBD Strength Refer to Pure CBD?
Since the CBD market is unregulated in labeling guidelines, many companies are very ‘liberal’ in their statements about the strength of their CBD oil.
For instance, some companies will tell you that their products contain 3000 mg of PHYTONUTRIENTS from hemp, which doesn’t tell you about the exact CBD content.
If you want to make sure that the number of milligrams on the bottle refers to the amount of CBD, opt for products that say, for example, “1200 mg of CBD”. The certificate of analysis (CoA) from a third-party laboratory will provide information about the levels of other phytonutrients in your CBD oil — but what matters is the actual CBD strength.
It’s a different story if you’re buying CBD oil that uses isolate — such products don’t contain any other hemp compounds, so if the bottle says 1000 mg, it refers to pure CBD.
At Gold Bee, we only use full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD because we’re advocates of the entourage effect (learn more about the entourage effect HERE). Our bottles state how much CBD is in the bottle and per serving — the rest is available in the lab reports of our CBD oils, which we send on request to our customers.
How Different Delivery Methods Affect CBD Strength
CBD comes in different forms, including oils, gummies, capsules, honey sticks, and even pet products.
The delivery method of CBD can have a profound impact on its strengths.
You can take CBD either through: sublingual use, oral consumption, inhalation, or absorption through the skin. All those methods require CBD to be broken down before it gets released into the bloodstream. The amount of CBD that your body can use after metabolizing CBD in the liver and gut determines the product’s bioavailability.
Here’s a short explanation of how different consumption methods affect CBD oil’s strength.
Oral Consumption
Whether through gummies, honey sticks, or capsules, Swallowing CBD offers the lowest bioavailability because it passes through your digestive system before reaching the bloodstream. Oral products can be useful if you’re looking for steady and long-lasting effects because it lasts for up to 8 hours.
Sublingual Use
Sublingual use refers to products like CBD oils or spray. When you apply CBD under the tongue, it absorbs through the mucous membrane after holding it for 30 to 60 seconds before swallowing. Sublingual products have higher bioavailability than oral forms; they kick in faster and will also hang around with you for 4–6 hours.
Inhalation
Inhalation, through smoking or vaping, offers the highest bioavailability of all consumption methods since your lungs contain many blood vessels designed to absorb gases. As a result, this method produces a faster and stronger effect, but its duration is shorter-lived, usually lasting up to 4 hours.
Topical Application
The bioavailability of topical CBD products depends on the formula you use. Standard topicals like lotions, creams, and bath bombs don’t absorb into your bloodstream at all, but since your ski also has endocannabinoid receptors, you can still benefit from topical application.
However, CBD transdermal patches use a different mechanism of action. If you leave it for a few hours, the CBD will slowly work its way through the skin and reach the bloodstream, potentially making it the strongest delivery method of all.
What CBD Oil Strength Should I Use?
Much as we’d love to give you a simple answer, choosing the right strength for your situation is more complicated. Research on CBD is in an early stage right now, so this is not an exact science. That being said, there are a few things you can do to determine what CBD will be effective in your case.
Your Weight Matters for the Strength of CBD Oil
This is true for all health supplements that you take. That’s why our CBD oils for pets are roughly half as potent as our low-strength 1200 mg CBD oil. So if you’re a big bruiser, you may want to start at a higher CBD strength than if you’re a lightweight user.
CBD Can Take Time to Work
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing the strength of your CBD oil is that not all of its effects can be noticed right away. While some people report significant improvements on first use, many others find that the positive effects of CBD creep up on them after, say, 2 weeks of consistent consumption.
That’s the reason we advise our customers to start slow. As you probably have noticed, a low-strength CBD oil is also a cheaper one, so if you find it beneficial for your health, then it can be helpful for your budget, too. Try taking a low CBD oil strength every morning and evening, keep a dosage log, monitor your body’s response, and gradually increase the dose if necessary.
Establishing the Best CBD Routine with Different Strengths of CBD Oil
Last but not least, you should establish a CBD routine that will help you get the most out of your supplementation. Consumers pick different CBD strengths because they use CBD for different reasons. For example, an individual who takes CBD for daily support of the endocannabinoid system will probably benefit from lower strengths than a person whose goal is to alleviate strong physical discomfort.
Daily CBD for General Support
As mentioned earlier, the best way to maintain a daily CBD regimen is to incorporate it into your existing routine. For example, if you take supplements every morning, you can add CBD capsules to the set. Or, if you want to balance the stimulating effects of your morning coffee, try adding a few drops of CBD oil for a smoother vibe.
CBD for Post-Workout Recovery
If you work out every day or have a particularly demanding physical activity like a hiking trip or home repair, you might want to opt for stronger CBD oils to aid in recovery. In addition, joint and muscle aches can be alleviated with CBD oils or topicals. Therefore, the difference in CBD strengths is an important factor when choosing a product to suit your lifestyle.
CBD for Sleep
Being exposed to many stimuli throughout the day can also place a lot of burden on your mind, negatively affecting your circadian rhythm. Maintaining normal sleep patterns is paramount for your well-being, so if you have difficulty getting a restful night, our high-strength CBD oil or CBD gummies could lend a hand. In addition, higher doses of CBD have sedative-like effects because they temporarily lower blood pressure; they can also take the edge off your stress.
Ask Your Doctor About Different CBD Oil Strengths
We can only provide general information about CBD oil strengths. The truth is, you know yourself better than anyone else so that a little trial-and-error will be inevitable.
Fortunately, you can reach out to health professionals who have some experience in using CBD. Consulting a doctor is also a good idea if you want to avoid potentially negative interactions with certain medications. For example, CBD interacts with many pharmaceutical substances because it uses the same group of enzymes to reach the bloodstream.
Final Thoughts: Which CBD Oil Strength Is the Best for You?
Choosing between different strengths of CBD oils can be a hard nut to crack. CBD comes in different forms, all each affects your body’s response differently. Once you’ve made up your mind on the format, take a moment to map out your goals with CBD, as this is another paramount factor for your final decision.
From there, make sure you know how much CBD is in the bottle and a single serving. Doing so will help you decide if your supplementation with a particular strength will be cost-effective in the long run.
If you want to grasp different CBD strengths better, spend some time researching the studies examining the efficacy of specific dosages on larger groups of people.
What CBD strength do you use in your routine? Do you prefer lower concentrations or buy CBD only if it has upwards of 1000 mg per bottle? Let us know in the comment section!
