Using CBD: Which Method is Best for You?

If you’ve recently been struck by an interest to buy CBD oil, chances are good that you’ve also spent time considering which delivery method is ideal for you. Of course, with so many different products on the market, the prospect of wading through them all can seem daunting. Thankfully, there is a wealth of information available, which can help make your decision an informed one.

The main methods by which most people interact with CBD oil are by smoking or vaping the flower, sublingual tincture, concentrated extracts, salves and edibles. Each method has its own benefits, but the overall benefits remain more or less the same across the board.

Tinctures

One of the most popular methods of CBD use is by dropping a solution sublingually, which allows a relatively quick acting delivery of the compound into the bloodstream. Tinctures typically contain a concentrated form of CBD that has been suspended in a carrier oil, such as olive or coconut oil. Sublingual tinctures can easily be found both in-store and online, and usually vary in price based on the dosage amount.

Salves

Salves and ointments are also among the most popular forms of CBD on the market. Most often, these topicals are used to relieve bone, joint or muscle pain. However, as more begins to be discovered about the healing properties of CBD oil, some have begun to view them in relation to their possible treatment of skin cancer. Admittedly, research is limited, with efforts ongoing to determine its efficacy.

Concentrates

A relative newcomer to the scene, CBD concentrates, or extracts, are particularly popular with individuals who prefer their CBD in dab form. As is also the case with cannabis, CBD concentrates are most often used with a “dab rig” that is heat to a temperature hot enough to create a vapor, which is then inhaled through the mouthpiece.

Vaporizers

Similar to concentrates, this method also uses a level of heat that causes the CBD to vaporize, allowing the vapor to be inhaled. Both of these methods are preferred by some to smoking the product, due to that the heat level is below that of combustion, and therefore does not produce the carcinogens present in smoke. Vaporizing, or “vaping” as it’s widely known, is typically achieved by using a cartridge containing a CBD distillate, although it is possible to vaporize the flower itself as well.

Edibles

Another at the top of the list of popular methods, CBD edibles are, just as the name suggests, edible forms of CBD. The most abundant of these consumables come in the form of gummies, baked goods and beverages, although it is possible to infuse virtually any food with CBD. People who eat edibles report feeling relief between 15 and 45 minutes after ingesting. This is notably longer than tinctures typically take, due to the fact that, unlike tinctures, which enter the blood stream through the mouth, edibles are metabolized in the liver.

Flower

CBD flower is the bud produced by hemp or cannabis plants that contains the highest amount of the cannabinoid. Flower can be smoked or vaporized, and it can also be used to make CBD edibles. Unlike THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid also found in cannabis plants, smoking the buds from CBD plants do not result in experiencing a “high.” However, some CBD products contain trace amounts of THC. According to federal law, CBD oil products are allowed to contain no more than 0.3% THC, making it unlikely that consumers will experience any psychoactive effects.

What’s Right for You?

Ultimately, it’s really up to each individual person to determine which method is right for them. Most frequently, the deciding factors include the convenience of a particular method, cost and dosage options available, and ease of access to a given product. Just as is the case with any other cannabis derivative, it’s always wise to start low and increase your dosage as needed. Because everyone’s endocannabinoid system is different, there is no magic number when it comes to how much CBD is necessary; what works for one person may not necessarily work for another.