The magic question is: how long does CBD stay in your system? We get this question a lot. And like many things, there isn’t a magical, straightforward answer, as many factors play into the answer. In this blog post, we’ll explore the different factors that affect how long CBD stays in your system. But first, let’s start by taking a look at how CBD works.
How Does CBD Work?
Humans have an endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is a group of cannabinoid receptors located in the brain and throughout the nervous system. The ECS plays a critical role in many physiological processes including mood, blood pressure, pain, stress, hunger and many more. Simply put, the chemical compounds that are found in cannabis interact with cannabinoid receptors located throughout your body, resulting in different effects such as calming the mind, relieving pain or increasing energy levels. To learn more about how CBD works in the body, read our What Is CBD section for helpful information.
How Do CBD Form Factors Affect the Absorption Rate?
The way you use CBD affects how long CBD will break down and stay in your system. For example, if you consume CBD, the digestive system breaks it down, and it takes longer to be absorbed. If you use CBD oil under the tongue or inhale CBD, it bypasses the digestive process and takes effect almost immediately. There are many forms of CBD including:
- Tinctures, which are an oil form
- Topicals, like lotions and balms
- Softgels/capsules
- Edibles
- Inhalants
How Long Does it Take for the Effects to Work?
How long it takes you to feel the effects of CBD varies based on multiple factors such as your size, the type of CBD you use, your goals and more. In general, you should start feeling the effects of CBD oil from a tincture fairly quickly, within 15 minutes or so. If you’re using CBD softgels/capsules or topical creams, they can take up to an hour or two for you to start feeling the effects.
What Is a CBD Half-Life?
Simply put, a half-life is the amount of time that it takes the CBD compounds to reduce to half their original effectiveness. By measuring the CBD half-life, you can work out how long CBD will stay in the body. Reports say that the average CBD half-life is 2-5 days if you’re a long-term user or you take a heavy dose. As you can imagine, the lower the dose you take, the less time it will stay in your body, which can be as little as 6 hours.
Many factors play a part in the half-life including:
- Dosage
- Frequency
- CBD form factor
- Your body
- How much food you’ve eaten
- Your metabolism
- Your age
- Medications
Will CBD Show Up on a Drug Test?
If you’re wondering if CBD oil affects your blood work, well, again, it depends on many of the factors we’ve shared in this blog post as well as the type of test and the type of needed specimen. It’s the same answer if you’re wondering how long is CBD detectable in urine. Many of these tests are looking to detect THC, which comes from consuming a product that contains 0.3% or more THC. THC is the compound that produces a high feeling. CBD products contain less than 0.3% THC, so although CBD products contain a very low amount of THC, it’s possible for it to show up on a test.
In Summary
As you can see, there isn’t a straightforward answer to how long CBD stays in your system since it depends on so many variables. While there’s still a lot to learn about CBD, and results vary dramatically from person to person, there’s no denying the wonderful benefits it has to your body and immune system.
If you’re interested in experiencing all the benefits of CBD, we encourage you to visit our store in Boulder, Colorado or call our experienced support specialists at (303) 442-2983 to share your particular needs, and we can get you started. Look at Moon Mother’s CBD range for hemp oils, topical creams and beauty products to start or continue your wellness journey today.
