Getting Started

So you've decided to take back your health through the use of cannabidiol (CBD). Today, millions of people are using CBD in hopes of gaining relief from a variety of ailments including anxiety, joint pain, inflammation, insomnia, hot flashes, and more. While the exact scientific role of CBD in alleviating these issues is still being studied, initial reports have been highly promising regarding its therapeutic benefits.

When getting started with CBD, you might face a difficult question: How do I find the right product for me, and how much/how often should I take it? We know that the search can be long and frustrating, which is why we’ve designed this guide which can assist both first-time users and experienced users alike. Because there is no one-size-fits-all plan for CBD, it is best to learn as much as possible before making your choice, and by understanding the intricacies of each CBD delivery method, you can learn how to best utilize CBD with your own custom plan that guides you toward your health goals.

We’ve created a tool that easily walks you through these steps to show you custom product recommendations based on your unique background. Click here to use our CBD personalizer!

Setting Your Goals

The first step is to clearly define your health goals. It is important to do this before anything else because, with clearly defined goals, it is easier to make decisions moving forward. Feel free to ask yourself some of the following questions:

1. Which aspect of my health do I want to focus on improving? (Anxiety? Pain? Insomnia? etc.)
2. What are my current symptoms or feelings?
3. Where do I want to be with my health in 3 months? 1 year? 3 years?

One popular method of setting and keeping goals is to track your wellness progression over time. For example, you can use a daily score or journal to keep track of your journey. Creating these records can help you judge how effective your choice of treatment is.

Timing

The next step is to ask yourself which circumstances you want your CBD to be effective under. Methods vary in concentration and total CBD content, which can deliver varied effects, from sharp and quick to slow and steady. If you are looking for fast-acting, short term relief, you could try an oil or vaporizer. Ingesting the oil sublingually or vaping it allows the effects to take place within minutes, whereas CBD consumed in edible form can take up to a few hours for the effects to be felt. Topicals are absorbed slowly but over a longer duration. Of course, each body is unique so you may have to experiment when determining your optimal timing.

Below are some examples of popular CBD consumption methods:*

*None of these statements have been recommended or approved by the FDA. Please consult a medical professional such as your general physician before and while interacting with CBD.

Finding Your Unique Dose

The effectiveness of your CBD is dependent on the amount consumed. Calculating this can vary from person to person and is influenced by a variety of factors including, but not limited to:

• Body Weight
• Metabolism
• Diet
• Tolerance to CBD
• Severity of Symptoms
• Age
• Other Medications
• Method of Consumption

All of these factors should be taken into consideration before you decide on your optimal dose. We always recommend starting with a low dose and working your way up to ensure that the effects can be added to if necessary. Try taking just one or two drops (0.25ml - 0.5ml) of an oral product, or a quarter-sized drop of a topical solution. During this process, try to be mindful of how the CBD is affecting you. Meditation and other breathing techniques can help you to be fully conscious of this. Wait at least one hour before trying a different dose for vaporizers, and up to 6 hours for orally ingested products. Once you are comfortable with the level that you have ingested, feel free to test incremental increases until you have discovered your ideal dose. Don’t be afraid to increase your dose, but make sure to keep track of what you’re doing so that you can repeat it in the future.

Here’s a handy chart to help get you started on figuring out your ideal dose:*

*None of these statements have been recommended or approved by the FDA. Please consult a medical professional such as your general physician before and while interacting with CBD.

Enhancing Effects

Even if you measure the exact dose that you are receiving, it is important to be conscious of other factors that may play a role in your experience. One important thing to keep in mind is that the dose that you take is the maximum amount of CBD that your body will process. That does not necessarily mean that your body will process all of the CBD that enters your body. In fact, it is likely that a lot of the CBD will not reach your bloodstream. There are, however, methods and practices that can help increase your body’s natural absorption of CBD. Here’s a couple of ideas that may enhance your experience:

• If you are taking a product sublingually (under your tongue), try to keep it under your tongue for at least 30 seconds.
• Swish the product around in your mouth before swallowing.
• Spread topicals evenly onto your skin, making sure to follow the instructions provided by the brand.
• Meditate or practice mindfulness 20-30 minutes prior to consuming CBD to prime your mind.

For more tips, check out our breakdowns of the various consumption methods below.

CBD Sourcing & Quality

Now that you’ve found the delivery method and dose that is right for you, make sure to record it for future use. It is important to keep in mind that not all manufacturers are equal, so the dose that you are comfortable with for one brand may not be the same for another brand.

At Verdable, we know that researching the various CBD brands and verifying their quality/consistency can be a grueling process. In addition, some due diligence such as confirming an ethical supply chain and verifying lab testing requires many days of research per product. Our main goal is to simplify this process and to provide you with only the foremost brands so that you can feel good about your daily wellness. We provide you with detailed analyses and lab reports for all of our Verdable Verified products. From each product page, you can also view the ingredients and origins of each of our products, as well as information about the brand. We strive to simplify the many complicated aspects of buying CBD so that you can focus exclusively on your path to wellness.

CBD Consumption Methods

Now that we’ve covered most of the general guidelines for discovering your optimal CBD experience, let’s walk through the various methods of CBD consumption.

Oral CBD: Swallowed

Types: Tinctures, Edibles, Capsules, Powders

Recommended Products: Verdable Verified Tinctures, Verdable Verified Edibles, Verdable Verified Capsules

Metabolic Pathway: CBD is ingested and makes its way through the digestive tract, where it gets absorbed into the bloodstream. 

Time-Frame: The slowest but longest lasting method of CBD consumption, orally swallowed CBD can take anywhere from 1-5 hours for peak effects. This method is the best for long-term consumption.

Oral CBD: Sublingual

Types: Tinctures

Recommended Products: Verdable Verified Tinctures

Metabolic Pathway: CBD is placed under the tongue in an area rich with capillaries, which flow directly into your bloodstream. CBD ingested this way avoids first-pass metabolization and is sent throughout the body.

Time-Frame: This is a quicker way to get CBD into the bloodstream, with the user feeling the effects in as soon as 30 minutes after ingesting it. Keep in mind that the majority of CBD will still be absorbed orally via this method, so it can still take up to 5 hours to begin feeling its effects.

Topical CBD

Types: Creams, Lotions, Patches, Sprays

Recommended Products: Verdable Verified Topicals

Metabolic Pathway: CBD that is applied topically is absorbed into the skin and produces a highly localized effect. This method is best for targeting muscles, inflammation, and pain. Unless the method is a transdermal patch, very little CBD will enter the bloodstream.

Time-Frame: Varies greatly, look at the specific product for recommendations and information.

Vaporized CBD

Types: Vapes, Pen

Recommended Products: We currently do not offer vaporizers, as we believe consumption via other methods are healthier and more sustainable. We are, however, in the process of researching the healthiest options, and we will continue to update as more information comes out.

Metabolic Pathway: Vapor passes through the lungs, where the molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream. Inhalation avoids first-pass metabolization. 

Time-Frame: CBD that is inhaled or vaporized enters your bloodstream quickly, reaching peak levels in as soon as 10 minutes after inhalation.