If you’re new to CDB or haven’t been taking it for very long, you might be wondering how long CBD oil tinctures and other compounds will stick around in your body. Although people have been using hemp and CBD oil for years, scientists are still learning new facts about it every day. That’s why we at Asha Apothecary are always excited to share its benefits with our customers. As a non-intoxicating health remedy, CBD can provide relief for everything from insomnia to chronic aches or pains.
However, scientists are still unsure precisely how long it stays in your body. Below, we’ve collected what we know so far about how your body absorbs CBD.
3 Crucial Factors that Influence CBD Absorption
When it comes to how our bodies absorb CBD, there are three common factors that are important, which we’ve listed here. They are:
1. Body Type
One of the first things that drastically affects how CBD is absorbed is your body type. Those with an above-average body mass index (BMI) will often need more CBD to obtain their desired results than someone with less body mass. Additionally, those with a higher metabolism might not need as much CBD as those with a slower metabolism do; this means that since our metabolism slows as we age, older people will often require more CBD than younger folks.
2. Type of CBD Product
Another big factor in how long CBD stays in your body is the type of product you ingest. Not all CBD products will have the same effect on your body. For example, smokable CBD products are absorbed directly by your lungs, so all of these will have a similar effect and have an almost immediate impact. CBD edibles and capsules will require more time since your body needs to digest them. Often, you won’t notice the effect until around an hour afterward and it will last anywhere from two to three hours. Those taking full-spectrum CBD rather than isolate CBD products will find that they receive more of the health benefits due to the wider range of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes they contain.
For those taking a CBD oil tincture, or another topical CBD oil product like a salve, there’s a much different absorption rate. In fact, when CBD oils are applied to your skin, they don’t make it to your bloodstream. But this doesn’t mean it won’t provide relief for aches and pains in your joints or muscles. This is because the human body boasts many CB2 receptors in the skin.
3. Dosage
Last but certainly not least, dosage plays a large factor in how long CBD oil sticks in the body. Generally, as with most remedies, the more you take, the greater effect it will have. This also means that it will take longer to be flushed through your system. For those who want to avoid developing a tolerance for it, many recommend taking a day or two off each week to let your body flush it from your system.
So, How Long Does CBD Stay in My Body?
As you can see, there are a variety of factors that will determine precisely how long CBD oil stays in your body. However, some preliminary studies have shown that an average, one-time dose of CBD has a half-life of around a day or two; this means that it might take weeks for a regular user to flush the compound out of their system. CBD molecules will attach to your body’s fat cells and the more often you take the compound, the longer it takes for these molecules to break down.
Can CBD Oil Appear on a Drug Test?
Although drug tests aren’t designed to pick up CBD since it’s a non-psychoactive compound, it can sometimes leave trace amounts of THC behind in the body if one is taking full-spectrum CBD products. However, it’s quite rare for CBD to affect the results of a drug test; it only occurs in those taking extremely high dosages each day.
That being said, if you know you have a drug test coming up, refraining from full-spectrum CBD products for at least three days before it is a good rule of thumb.
Should I Take CBD on an Empty Stomach?
Taking CBD oil tinctures or other products with foods, especially fatty foods, is always recommended so your body can absorb the compound properly. As mentioned above, CBD molecules latch on to your fat cells, meaning if you take the compound when eating a meal, its effectiveness increases drastically.
Protein-rich foods are your best bet when it comes to taking CBD with meals.