Can You Build A Tolerance To CBD??
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid compound. It has recently become popular because of it’s effect on patients with many medical conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis and anxiety. One reason why CBD may be effective for so many conditions is that it acts at more than60 different cannabinoid receptors in the body. It therefore affects many different processes that may be disrupted in patients with certain conditions. However, like any drug or chemical compound (including other cannabinoids) it is possible for the body to develop a CBD tolerance / resistance to CBD over time but rarely ever seen.
What Exactly is A CBD Tolerance?
Tolerance is defined as the “state of adaptation in which exposure to the same dose of an agent produces lesser effects than were produced by the same dose administered previously”.
It can be difficult to determine if the patient has developed a tolerance to CBD because it is often used in conjunction with other medications. However, one way that may indicate this is taking place is if the same dose of CBD no longer has the same effect on the patient as before.
For example, if a person takes CBD every day and it has been reducing their anxiety but over time they find that they need to take more and more CBD to achieve the same effect, this may indicate that tolerance is building.
Will patients build a CBD Tolerance?
No. Tolerance is almost never seen with CBD, or any other cannabinoid . This does not mean that it cannot happen but there are a variety of factors which may influence whether it is likely to occur. These include:
Patient Factors : Which condition the patient has How often they use CBD Whether they are taking CBD alone or in combination with other medications Whether the CBD is in its natural form or has been formulated into a medication (for example Epidiolex).
Method of Administration : Oral administration results in the slowest onset of effect, while inhalation results in the fastest. This means that with oral administration tolerance may develop more slowly due to the slower increase of cannabinoids in the system.
Amount and Frequency of Administration: The more CBD that a patient takes and the more frequently they use it, the greater the potential for tolerance to build.
For all these reasons, tolerance is much less likely to occur with CBD than other cannabinoids . However, there is still some potential for it to happen and therefore steps should be taken to prevent this from occurring.
How to reduce the risk of CBD tolerance
There are a number of steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing a tolerance to CBD. These include:
- Using a high quality product : This is important because poor quality products may result in lower blood concentrations of cannabinoids . This will not only increase the risk for developing a tolerance but also for CBD to fail to work effectively.
- Using a fast-onset method of administration : Oral products will result in the slowest onset of effect, while inhalation methods (for example vaping) and transdermal applications (gels and balms) will have the fastest effects.
- Reducing dose: Reducing the amount of CBD that is used or reducing the frequency of administration will reduce the risk of tolerance developing.
- Taking a ‘drug holiday’: Taking a short break (for example 1 week) in which no CBD is taken may also allow some people’s systems to reset and decrease the risk for tolerance to build . However, this can be difficult to implement in practice.
- CBD and other cannabinoids should not be used every day for long periods of time without taking a break, commonly known as a CBD Tolerance break. The potential risk of tolerance means that it is advisable to take regular ‘drug holidays’ in which no CBD is taken. This may help reduce the likelihood of developing tolerance and allow the body to reset itself (even if only partially). However, this will not always be practical in every situation.
If you have started to develop a tolerance to CBD it is important to discuss your options with your healthcare team who can offer advice on how to reduce tolerance and consider alternative treatments.
What Should I Do If I feel My CBD isn’t working anymore?
You can either take a break from CBD as mentioned above or try taking a higher dose. You can shop all of our CBD Oil doses here.
How Fast Does A CBD Tolerance Build?
Its unclear hwo long it takes for a CBD Tolerance to build because there are so many variables such as daily use of CBD products, the strength and the body weight of the person using CBD Oil.
How long does CBD tolerance last?
In most cases, it is advised that you should not take CBD for more than 90 days without a break.
After taking CBD for 90 days straight, your body can become desensitized to the effects of CBD and this will be a sign that it is time to pause on your current dose and step away from CBD for at least a week.
After the break is up, you can start taking CBD again and the effects will be more potent than ever before – this is because during your break, your body has had some time to restore it’s natural endocannabinoid system.
Does CBD lose effectiveness?
No. Once opened, most forms of CBD are effective for 2 years or more.
Is taking CBD Oil everyday bad for you?
Not at all. Studies show that taking CBD oil everyday does not pose a threat. It has actually been proven to be effective in helping patients with many illnesses.
The Final Word
Unlike other substances, tolerance to cannabinoids is almost non-existent. However, even the smallest amount of tolerance can make CBD less effective at treating some conditions so steps should be taken to prevent this from happening. These include using high quality products, slowly building up an ideal dosage over time and taking regular drug holidays where no CBD is taken.
More Great Links
Here’s another great article and CBD Tolerance Study
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