What Does CBD Oil Strength Mean?
If you’ve shopped around online or in person for CBD oil, you’re probably well aware of the many options to choose from. Aside from the countless different companies that carry an array of CBD products, you’ve got bottle sizes, flavors and strengths to choose from.
Referring to CBD oil strength is simply another way to discuss CBD oil potency.
How exactly do you determine the strength of a CBD product you might be interested in? The process is typically pretty straightforward. Read the label of the product to see how much CBD it contains.
Most product labels make it easy. They clearly state how many milligrams of CBD are in the bottle, as well as how many milligrams are contained in each 1ml serving size.
Take two different 30ml bottles of CBD oil tinctures, for example. One bottle contains 1000mg CBD, while the other contains 500mg CBD. The stronger tincture would be the bottle that contains 1000mg CBD. The 1000mg bottle contains twice the CBD per 30ml as the 500mg bottle, meaning you’d have to take twice the serving size of the 500mg bottle to achieve the same effects.
CBD oil is available in an array of different strengths that can range from 100mg all the way up to 6000mg or more. The lower the milligram count per millileter, the lower the strength of the oil.
Why Does CBD Oil Strength Matter?
CBD oil strength influences the efficacy of a product—the ability the product has to produce an intended or desired result. Higher CBD strengths can lead to increased effects.
There are different degrees of efficacy when it comes to various types of CBD products. While research is limited, experts tend to agree that CBD isolate oil is likely less effective than a full or broad spectrum CBD oil of the same strength. Why? It all comes down to the various compounds present in each.
CBD isolate is pure CBD in its isolated form, meaning all other cannabis compounds have been removed. Full and broad spectrum CBD oils, on the other hand, contain a host of other beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that lend to the entourage effect, which is believed to help promote the effects CBD is famous for.
CBD Oil Strength and Optimal Serving Size
When considering the best CBD oil strength, your ideal serving size is also something you’ll want to think about.
When it comes to using CBD, there is no official serving size for everyone. A serving size that works well for one person doesn’t necessarily offer the same results for someone else. How exactly do you determine the best CBD serving size to fit your personal needs?
There are several factors that can help determine a beneficial serving size. Your metabolism, sex, height and weight can impact the way you experience a certain serving of CBD.
Your reason for using CBD also has a huge influence on the best CBD oil strength for you. Higher strengths of CBD might be best for someone who typically uses a larger serving size, while lower strength CBD oil could be beneficial for someone who takes a smaller serving size.
What Is the Best CBD Oil Strength?
Now that you understand more about what CBD oil strength is, it can be easier to determine the best CBD oil strength to fit your individual needs.
Remember that standard serving sizes haven’t been established for taking CBD. There are, however, some general guidelines you might follow when considering the best CBD oil strength and serving size to meet your own needs.
If you’ve never used CBD oil before, it’s typically recommended to start low and go slow. This means that you’ll want to start off by taking smaller serving sizes and slowly increasing them until you experience the effects you’re looking for. Gradually increasing the serving size of CBD oil is a great way to determine what works best for you, as well as the best CBD oil strength you’ll ultimately want to purchase.
Let’s look at a 150lb person, for example. Some standard CBD serving sizes might look something like this:
- Low strength: 15-20mg
- Medium strength: 45-50mg
- High strength: 90-100mg
You’ll also want to think about why you’re taking CBD in the first place, as different strengths might benefit different needs. The following are some general guidelines for the best CBD oil strength based on different reasons people might take CBD:
- General wellness: Low strength.
- Sleep support: Medium to high strength.
- Supporting a balanced sense of well-being: Medium to high strength.
- More serious concerns: High strength.
Determining the Best CBD Oil Strength
Keeping the above in mind, you’ll have an overall idea of what the best CBD oil strength might be for you. It’s recommended that anyone new to CBD should start with a lower serving size. The strength of your CBD oil will influence the serving size you take.
The first thing you’ll want to do is determine the strength of your CBD oil. Two things to look for are:
- Bottle size: CBD typically comes in a 30ml bottle, but there are smaller and larger bottles available.
- Amount of CBD contained in the bottle: This will usually be listed in milligrams, such as 150mg, 300mg, 600mg, 1000mg, 1500mg, etc.
Here we’ll use a couple different examples to gain a better understanding.
Let’s first use our lowest strength CBD oil that contains 225mg CBD oil as an example. The bottle is 30ml, meaning each 1ml dropper contains 7.5mg of CBD. If you were just starting out with CBD, this might be a good option for a low strength oil. Remember, it’s usually recommended to start low and gradually increase your serving size until you find that sweet spot that fits your needs.
Someone who is familiar with CBD and has determined that a larger serving size is best for them might turn to a higher strength oil. For this example, we’ll use our highest strength CBD oil that contains 1350mg of CBD. The bottle is 30ml, meaning each 1ml dropper contains 45mg of CBD. In this case, taking two 1ml droppers would provide 90mg of CBD, which could be considered a “high” strength of CBD oil. One dropperful would satisfy those looking for a medium strength.
Keeping these examples in mind, the best CBD oil strength really depends on the serving size that fits your needs. If you find taking a small serving works best for you, a lower strength oil may suit your needs.
If you discover that a higher serving size is more fitting, a higher strength CBD oil would probably be better. Why? If you use a higher serving size with a lower strength product, you’d have to take several milliliters to achieve the effects you’re looking for.
Higher strength CBD oil is more expensive than a lower strength oil but can be more cost efficient in the long run, depending on how much and how often it’s used.
Final Thoughts About CBD Oil Strength
When it comes to the “best” CBD oil strength, everyone is different. Determining your own best strength is totally dependent on the serving size that works best for you.
If you find that 100mg a day is your own personal sweet spot, you might find that a higher strength option is best. This way, you don’t have to take half the bottle of a lower strength CBD oil to achieve the effects you’re looking for.
Someone who has found that 15mg of CBD a day works best for them might be better off with a lower strength CBD oil. In this case, a 450mg bottle that contains 15mg per 1ml serving would last them about a month.
The best CBD oil strength is as individual as the person who uses it. We all have different needs and turn to CBD for various reasons. The best CBD oil strength for someone who prefers a high serving of CBD each day will be far different from someone who uses a low serving of CBD a few times a week.
