Does CBD Become Less Effective Over Time?

24 October, 2018

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the active compound found in hemp-derived CBD oil. Does regular CBD oil use cause a CBD tolerance buildup? Or to put it another way, does the use of CBD become less effective? Building up a tolerance means that over time, with regular use, you require more and more of something to get the same effect. There is also something called reverse tolerance in which lower servings are required over time to produce the same effects.

A good example of tolerance buildup would be alcohol. The first time someone drinks alcohol, just a little might intoxicate them. But if they drink alcohol on a regular basis, it takes more of it to cause the same effect.

Does this happen with CBD? Will someone who takes CBD oil to support sleep or promote calmness need more CBD oil to get the same effect as time goes on? In order to answer this question, let’s take a look at how CBD works and its most common effects.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD has a wide range of effects, which we will go over in a moment. Let’s start with how CBD works to produce these effects.

CBD is short for cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is just one of a group of naturally occurring chemicals found in hemp that are known as cannabinoids. Full or broad spectrum CBD oil contains not only CBD but also trace amounts of other beneficial cannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabichromene (CBC). These cannabinoid compounds are collectively known as phytocannabinoids. That just means they were made in plants.

The human body also naturally produces a variety of cannabinoids. These cannabinoids produced by the human body are called endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are considered signaling molecules. This means that they relay signals from the brain to individual cells. They are part of a larger system known as the endocannabinoid system. This system includes not only the cannabinoid chemicals but also cannabinoid receptors, or microscopic pockets on the surface of cells throughout your body with which endocannabinoids interact.

The purpose of the endocannabinoid system (ECS for short) is to regulate bodily functions and bring about homeostasis to the body.

What Are CBD’s Effects?

The ECS is responsible for regulating a very wide variety of bodily functions. Its job is to keep health in balance. When the brain detects that something has gone out of balance, it produces endocannabinoids to signal cells to change their behavior in such a way as to bring balance back to the system.

For example, it’s the endocannabinoid system that regulates appetite, sleep, mood and much more. When you need rest, the endocannabinoid system makes you sleepy, and when you’ve had enough rest, it wakes you up. When you are low on nutrients and energy, it’s the endocannabinoid system that makes you feel hungry, and when you’ve eaten enough, it makes you feel full and dampens your appetite. And when you are in danger, it’s this system that puts you on edge, and when the danger passes, it makes you feel relaxed again. There are other systems in your body that have a role in maintaining health, but the ECS plays a very important part.

Sometimes the ECS can use some extra support, which is where phytocannabinoids like CBD come in. CBD has the ability to interact indirectly with the endocannabinoid system, supporting the body’s natural functions through it.

Here is a short list of the most common ways that CBD can support the body and ECS:

  • Aids you in getting a good night’s rest.
  • Supports your skin’s health.
  • Assists in post-workout recovery.
  • Promotes a sense of calmness or tranquility.

These are just a few ways that CBD provides a helping hand. As CBD continues to gain popularity, more research is being done into all of the ways that it can impact the body’s endocannabinoid system.

So let’s answer the question of whether or not it takes more CBD to produce these effects as time goes on with regular use of CBD oil.

Research on CBD Tolerance Buildup

In 2017, researchers looked at all the available CBD research to date in order to determine the safety and side effects of CBD oil. Their report claimed that not one of the studies they looked at reported a tolerance buildup to CBD.

So, unlike alcohol and other substances, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that an individual will grow a tolerance to CBD after regular, extended use. However, as previously mentioned, much more research still needs to be done on CBD and how it works within the body.

For this reason, it’s important to maintain a particular daily serving of CBD and pay close attention to the effects. This way you’ll be able to determine for yourself whether or not the effects diminish or increase over time, or remain consistent.

If the effects diminish — which is uncommon with CBD — then a tolerance break of a few days to a week might bring the required serving back down. And if the beneficial effects seem to increase over time, which is much more likely, you might be able to use less. The most important thing to remember is that CBD impacts everyone differently, so your results may not be the same as those around you.

Never Compromise on Quality

Testing your own tolerance, or lack thereof, to CBD won’t go anywhere if you’re using a low-quality product. If you are looking for quality, order your CBD products online from Joy Organics (or contact us first with any of your questions). We offer information and quality you can count on.

Thanks for reading! To show how much we appreciate you, we’re going to give you 16% off your next order. Just use code READER16 at checkout!

dr kimberly
dr kimberly
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Joy Organics CBD contains a variety of phytonutrients and can offer an array of benefits for both mental and physical health. DR. KIMBERLY LANGDON

Dr Langdon is one of the more than 1000 healthcare professionals who use and recommend our products.

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