How Long Does CBD Last?

On average, the effects of most CBD doses last from 2-4 hours. Of course just because you don’t necessarily feel anything strongly doesn’t mean that the CBD inside your body has stopped working nor has it exited your system. The human body stores CBD just like any other substance, and it naturally depletes as it is expelled.

This process is slow especially since CBD can be replenished through daily dosages. According to most MMJ doctors, CBD can take up to five days to exit the body entirely. Earlier it was discussed that body composition and CBD dose/potency influence how long it can take to feel the effects of CBD. This is also true for how long the body holds CBD.

Research has shown that even at 500mg of CBD per day, all traces from testing where gone within seven days. 

As for how long CBD takes to exit the human body, most experts site three to four days at maximum. It is reasonable however to assume that edibles like CBD gummies may take longer to process and exit due to digestive absorption.

Factors That May Influence Length Of Effect

CBD is fat-soluble, much like vitamins A, D, E, & K. So naturally the more fat present in a person’s body, the longer CBD will be stored. There are other factors at play too, and we will analyze a few.

The Method of Ingestion

How you take CBD will, of course, influences how long it stays in your system. CBD comes in many different forms. At Cannabidiol Life we have extracted in oils, gummies, and even bath bombs. Further in the article we will discuss each product category and analyze how long it will take for the body to feel the effects of CBD and to process/eliminate it.

Bodyweight

Earlier when it was said that CBD is fat-soluble, this meant that it is stored and processed within fat cells. With any supplement, vitamin, or nutrient that is fat-soluble body mass index or BMI comes into play. Someone with a low body weight that is in shape will metabolize or burn fat faster than someone that is more sedentary. With a lower BMI, CBD would stay in the body for less time, process more efficiently, and be expelled more quickly. CBD research is still in its infancy, but existing reports have demonstrated this to be true.

Lifestyle

If CBD is processed faster in someone with a lower BMI than it follows that an active lifestyle also would lead to CBD being processed faster, and expelled quicker. A higher metabolic rate means fat is being processed faster and consequently so is CBD. If one’s lifestyle includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially those high in fiber, it also would influence CBD being processed and expelled through the body faster. Water intake is another leading factor in processing anything in the body. The more water that runs its course through us, the faster we expel what we intake. Sleep also helps boosts the body’s metabolic rate, and thus would help to expel CBD more quickly. Ultimately anything that promotes an increase in the body’s metabolism will speed the processing and expulsion of CBD. 

The Frequency of Usage and Dosage

When trying to determine how long CBD will last in the human system, of course, the frequency to which someone doses and how much they make will influence how long it stays in their system. All human bodies contain fat cells in adipose tissue. Frequent use of CBD means that there’s a chance that some CBD will remain in their cells for longer. If the potency and frequency someone uses CBD are single servings per day, the longest it may remain is 4 days. For a moderate CBD user, this range may extend from 5 to 7 days. If one supplements CBD for a long time, then their system may retain traces of the compound can remain for 2 weeks. Anecdotal evidence points out that the more frequently someone uses CBD the longer it will take for the body to expel. In the same way that frequency plays a role, so does the strength of the dose. If one takes a large amount of CBD or CBD that is of a high concentration, it follows that the body will take a longer time to process it, and may retain more of it in their fat stores.

Biochemistry

There is an age-old adage that everyone’s body is different. An example of this is caffeine, one person may only need a cup of coffee per day to feel fulfilled while others may drink many cups to stay awake. Supplements like CBD are no different. One’s endocannabinoid system may react differently to CBD than what the average expectation is. This may influence the length CBD may take to process, effect, or exit the individual’s body. It is not known what specific biochemistry affects the ECS and CBD specifically, and therefore how long each person can expect CBD to remain in their system, but we can say that their internal environment does play a role.

CBD Delivery Methods and Duration of Effects Per Type.

Cannabidiol Life offers a wide array of CBD products to choose from. Depending on which product is used, CBD will last a longer or shorter amount of time in the body. We have compiled a chart that approximates the amount of time per product that one can expect for CBD effects to last. We also want to explore each type of CBD delivery method at length.

CBD Inhalation

Inhaling CBD is generally achieved through vapor. The products used to create CBD vapor come from CBD crystals, CBD wax, and CBD Vape Juice. Vaping is a form of smoking that heats the concentrate using a rig which creates the vapor that is inhaled. CBD’s effects when vaped are felt almost immediately. These products bypass the digestive processes and interact directly with the bloodstream. As the effects are immediate, their duration is also short, roughly thirty minutes to an hour. CBD used in this way exits the body relatively quickly.

CBD Ingestibles

CBD Edibles, CBD gummies, and CBD capsules (CBD gel capsules & CBD Isolate Capsules) are products infused with CBD in some way. Edibles and gummies are more food-based or may resemble a candy/treat. Examples from Cannabidiol Life are CBD caramels and CBD sour watermelons. Edibles can also be made at home from conventional means like brownies and cookies to more creative products like smoothies and butter. CBD Capsules are more traditional pill forms of the extract. Edibles and capsules must pass through the digestive system, which will cause the effects of CBD to be a delayed effect, typically an hour though maybe longer depending on one’s metabolic rate. This delay allows for slower processing of the cannabidiol. The effects of CBD generally last four to six hours, making this an excellent way to supplement with CBD for daily health and wellness. CBD processed in this way would exit the body more slowly.

CBD Oil is also ingested, but the product is not processed through the liver or digestive system. When the oil is placed under the tongue, it is absorbed through the mucous membrane, this is called sublingual absorption. The effects are typically experienced around thirty minutes and last for 2-4 hours. It is expelled from the body at a medium rate.

CBD Topicals & Skin Care  

Topicals are applied to the skin in different ways. Cannabidiol Life offers for instance CBD Soothe Balm and Mirasaj Massage Oil for direct skin application. Beauty wise we have a CBD Facial Serum or CBD Bath Bomb. Depending on what form of topical one uses it may take up to an hour to feel the full effects, which will last for typically more than 5 hours. CBD applied in this way will not reside in the body for very long.

As 2019 comes to a close, while much progress was made in terms of the cannabis legalization movement, many people who are unfamiliar with it still have questions regarding its legality.

In short, cannabidiol (CBD) is legal in all 50 states under specific conditions. The legality of CBD can vary from state to state and federally, but in general, the main determining factor is whether the CBD is derived from hemp or marijuana. Although there are still some legal grey areas, in general, the legal status of CBD has become more defined with the most recent reforms. Law enforcement in some areas may still enforce local laws that conflict with federal regulations, and when combined with a large amount of misinformation out there, many people may still have a skewed view on the legality of CBD going into 2020.

The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 was a bill that became law on December 20, 2018. It removed hemp (defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC) from the Schedule I controlled substances list and made it an ordinary agricultural commodity.

Hemp Vs. Marijuana

Both the terms hemp and marijuana are actually just used to describe different varieties of cannabis, and both can produce large amounts of CBD. While the two are very similar, they are classified differently under the law. The main reason for this being that marijuana tends to produce more THC and is capable of getting a user high, whereas hemp strains generally are higher in CBD and do not give the user the same feelings of euphoria. Understanding this difference is crucial to understanding the legality of CBD.

As they are both members of the same plant family, hemp and marijuana share many visual similarities. In fact, unless someone is a cannabis expert, they might have a hard time telling the two apart in a side by side visual comparison. However, at a chemical level, the two plants have drastically different levels of THC.

Most hemp strains produce a negligible amount of THC. That amount is usually less than 0.3% and is not nearly enough for a user to experience any psychological effects. Marijuana, on the other hand, produces large amounts of THC, and because of this can induce mind-altering effects when consumed. That’s the primary reason why marijuana remains federally illegal in the United States, while hemp does not.

There are still some regulations that are required for hemp to be completely legal under federal law, however. Not everyone is simply permitted to grow and sell hemp in their backyard, for instance. First, the hemp must adhere to the shared state-federal regulations including the 0.3% THC regulation. Secondly, the hemp must be grown by a properly licensed grower.
Finally, the 2018 Farm Bill removed restrictions on the sale, transportation, and possession of hemp-derived CBD products and allowed for the transportation of hemp-derived CBD products across state lines as long as the products follow the federal regulations listed above.

CBD Legal States

Now that we’ve discussed the legality of the two primary sources of CBD, we should take a moment to explore the laws of CBD derived from hemp versus CBD derived from marijuana, and how related laws vary from state to state.

While hemp-derived CBD is federally legal, as long as it adheres to the law, marijuana-derived CBD is a bit more complicated because it is derived from a plant that is still largely illegal.

States such as California and Colorado have looser marijuana laws and have legislated that marijuana is, in fact, legal for recreational use. As a result of this law, so is marijuana-derived CBD in these areas.

Other states only allow marijuana-derived CBD usage under certain conditions, such as when a person has a prescription for a specific medical condition, while some states still strictly prohibit it outright.

CBD Legal States

Now that we’ve discussed the legality of the two primary sources of CBD, we should take a moment to explore the laws of CBD derived from hemp versus CBD derived from marijuana, and how related laws vary from state to state.

While hemp-derived CBD is federally legal, as long as it adheres to the law, marijuana-derived CBD is a bit more complicated because it is derived from a plant that is still largely illegal.

States such as California and Colorado have looser marijuana laws and have legislated that marijuana is, in fact, legal for recreational use. As a result of this law, so is marijuana-derived CBD in these areas.

Other states only allow marijuana-derived CBD usage under certain conditions, such as when a person has a prescription for a specific medical condition, while some states still strictly prohibit it outright.