It’s hard to believe in the power of something when it doesn’t work. It’s understandable to be disappointed, but there are ways to remedy the situation.
Here are a few reasons CBD might not be delivering the experience expected. The good news is that there might be some quick fixes so that the CBD can be experienced the way nature intended!
Problem: It’s not working?
Reason: It’s not a quality product with meaningful amounts of CBD
Solution: Make sure to purchase from a reputable source with verified concentrations of CBD
Some companies try to trick consumers with minimal and ineffective amounts of hemp oil — if any at all (this is true of most products on Amazon). If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Other companies might use cheap ingredients that are harmful, at the end of the day, in order to save a buck.
There are thousands of CBD companies out there, so it’s easy to become distracted by one that’s cutting corners.
If one doesn’t have much experience identifying which companies do and don’t play by the rules, here are some tips to ensure it’s a reputable company:
- Make sure the product contains real CBD extract with significant concentrations of CBD and other minor cannabinoids — not hemp seed oil or other compounds that appear to be CBD. This can be found on the product label or description.
- Third-party lab reports are vital to a successful CBD purchase, because they actually confirm what’s in the product, including significant quantities of hemp-derived cannabinoids. Make sure the product is free of pesticides, toxins, harmful chemicals and other dangerous ingredients.
- Who doesn’t check out reviews in 2021? It’s no different with CBD! When looking into a prospective product, read through the experiences of past buyers. Do they say that it’s effective? Are the reviews great for the most part? It goes without saying that a heap of bad reviews is probably a red flag.
Problem: Not “feeling” it?
Reason: There’s not a variety of cannabinoids to support the Entourage Effect
Solution: Consider broad spectrum or full spectrum CBD
If a particular CBD product hasn’t been hitting the mark, consider increasing the number of active cannabinoids. Perhaps it’s “isolate”-only CBD, which means that the product contains only CBD and doesn’t include meaningful concentrations of other cannabinoids that the body may require to experience the full benefits of the hemp plant.
Consider broad spectrum or full spectrum products that combine CBD with CBG, CBN, CBC and other complementary (and non-intoxicating) compounds from the hemp plant. When CBD and minor cannabinoids are consumed together, they don’t merely work in parallel with one another, instead they actually bolster each other in what’s known as the Entourage Effect.
CBD isolate products don’t have this advantage, so check the label to see what’s in the product.
Problem: Not “strong” enough?
Reason: It’s not the correct format of CBD.
Solution: Consider the bioavailability of a product so that expectations are realistic
One of the main reasons people give up on CBD before it has a chance to prove itself is because they don’t experiment with serving sizes or the range of bioavailability that different products offer. As one becomes more familiar with CBD, it’s clear that each product has its own specific bioavailability. This refers to how the body absorbs cannabinoids and how quickly they enter the bloodstream.
Basic product categories consist of topicals, sublinguals, edibles and vapes. Vapes have the highest level of bioavailability, because the CBD is traveling straight into the bloodstream through the lungs. The effects are available in a matter of minutes.
The product category with the next highest bioavailability is sublingual tinctures, because they are absorbed by capillaries under the tongue, quickly entering the bloodstream that way. Edibles take a little longer because they have to be processed through the digestive system, while topicals never actually enter the bloodstream. Instead, they’re simply absorbed into the skin and provide localized effects that way.
Don’t be discouraged with CBD if it doesn’t initially work as expected. The most important thing to understand is that CBD isn’t a a “one-size-fits-all” method. Find the products that work best for individual body chemistry, and experiment a bit with serving size and method of consumption to find the sweet spot.
Patience is a virtue so make sure to try these tips and odds are the difference will be obvious!