New Research Says CBD Is Safe, Even At High Doses - High Doses More Effective Than Low Doses
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a therapeutic compound in marijuana that is found in almost everything these days.
From capsules to oils, tinctures, topicals, edibles, drinks, and everything in between, it’s become easier than ever to medicate when and how we need to. However, there are people who need to consume higher amounts of CBD than normal in order to find relief. Some conditions such as crippling anxiety, PTSD, addiction treatment, and pain require high-strength medications, including CBD, at least for patients who are starting their healing journey.
But consuming high amounts of opioid medications, antidepressants, and other drugs is notoriously dangerous. There is always a risk of overdosing or becoming fatally addicted to your medications.
Is the same true for cannabidiol?
New research from scientists at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics located at the University of Sydney has found that CBD is safe even at very high doses. They reviewed existing literature to determine the safety and efficacy of oral CBD products when taken as much as 400mg per day. For the study, they particularly analyzed 29 double-blind and placebo-controlled trials as well as 6 open label research studies studying low CBD doses. They found that CBD was found to be exceptionally safe, noting only a ‘few concerns’ even when patients were taking as much as 6,000mg, sometimes the equivalent of several 1,500mg doses – which was 15 times more than the highest dose that was set for the study.
The study’s authors also discuss that Epidiolex, which is prescribed by the NHS for rare epilepsy, is typically dosed at around 3,000mg a day for adults 62kg and up. This is because Epidiolex dosing is based on body weight.
“The current review found few concerns around safety across the 45 studies analysed. Where side effects were reported they were typically minor, and often in studies that lacked a placebo control, and therefore could not be unambiguously attributed to CBD itself,” they said. “Few adverse events were reported in any of the studies considered, even at the 300-400mg dose range where efficacy was most often reported,” they added.
It was also interesting that they discovered how CBD was more effective at doses of 400mg and up. On the contrary, there was little evidence for CBD’s efficacy under 400mg, suggesting that this is not one of those medications you may have success with at microdosing. In addition, the review honed in on 5 specific conditions where CBD was known to be effective in treating: anxiety, addiction-related disorders, chronic pain, and insomnia. For anxiety, 300-400mg CBD was most effective though these studies were conducted on otherwise healthy participants.
The study authors call for more quality trials assessing the efficacy of low oral doses of CBD urgently. “The currently sparse evidence base around low doses of CBD may be improved by future clinical trials that better validate efficacy at this dose range,” they concluded. “The current evidence suggests CBD at doses of 300-400mg has promise, especially as an anxiolytic and anti-addiction agent, and larger randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are required to reinforce these data,” they added.
Meanwhile, an older study from 2017 found that CBD is well tolerated in doses of as much as 1,500mg per day. Most CBD oil formulations are made in 300 to 1,500mg doses.
What Is The Lethal Dose Of CBD?
All substances and medications known to man have a toxic dose. This means that scientists have been able to determine how much of a drug will increase the chance of a fatal overdose, causing toxic poisoning symptoms in the human body.
Surprisingly, the toxic dose is said to be at 20,000 mg of CBD. But even then, CBD is not lethal. According to the World Health Organization, even in extremely high doses, CBD will probably make you lazy, fatigued, and cause other uncomfortable side effects including diarrhea and nausea but not death. The World Health Organization also states that CBD is one of the few substances we know of that have zero major side effects and doesn’t come with a risk of addiction.
Take note that this is not a note of encouragement to play around with the toxic dose of CBD.
It is, however, good news for people who have been hesitant to medicate with high amounts of CBD because they have a condition that necessitates it.
Word of Caution
CBD products on the market are not made equally. If they are not derived from the hemp plant, they may contain higher amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that can get you high. Some individuals are much more sensitive to the effects of THC, so accidentally ingesting some may not be pleasant for others.
It is always best to buy from reputable manufacturers, even if you have access to a great array of CBD products on the internet and in your local dispensary. Always do your own research, but for peace of mind, ask for a Certificate of Analysis or COA. This document is produced by a third party testing laboratory, verifying the accuracy of components in the CBD product you are consuming.
Conclusion
Now we know that CBD is truly safe to consume and medicate with, even at high doses. Cannabis has never killed anyone, unlike alcohol, tobacco, and other pharmaceutical drugs especially opioids. We finally have a safe, all-natural medicine that can improve our overall wellbeing.
CBD FOR KIDS, READ ON...
IS IT SAFE TO GIVE YOUR KIDS CBD, READ THIS FIRST!
