Can you take too much CBD? It's one of the questions we get asked here at Orange County almost every day - and, in short, although unpleasant, taking more than the recommended dose of CBD is not particularly dangerous and it is never lethal.
Regardless, when making a new edition to your everyday health routine, you should always make sure that you’re doing it safely.
Whilst any substance can be overused, CBD is a special case as its effects will vary wildly depending on a huge range of factors.
So, can you take too much CBD? That’s exactly what we intend to answer here.
Table of Contents
How Much CBD Is Too Much?
According to a 2011 study by Current Drug Safety, to reach toxic levels of CBD you would need to ingest 20,000 milligrams either all at once or in a short span of time.
To put this to context, that would mean directly ingesting about 13 bottles of our 1500mg CBD oil or most of a single bottle of our 25k all at once. Not even the most experienced CBD user can take this much by accident.
So, taking a few more drops of CBD oil or chewing a few more CBD gummies than you are used to won’t expose you to any danger. Taking too much CBD should not be a cause for panic, but neither does this mean that you can drink a whole bottle of CBD oil and get away with it.
The higher over your own CBD threshold you go, the worse the side effects will be. Never exceed the FSA dosage limit of 70mg of CBD per-day.
What Happens If You Take Too Much CBD Oil?
Unlike other substances that pose a significant risk when overdosed, an excess of CBD (even if you took that ridiculous 20,000mg dose) will not be lethal.
However, there are some things you should take into consideration before you try any new product:
- CBD has no intoxicating effects and so cannot develop into a chemical addiction. It is possible to develop a habitual addiction but, like nail biting or compulsive eating, this is due to habit forming rather a chemical change within the brain.
- CBD is generally considered a safe product, meaning that while you can’t take as much as you like without any concerns for limit, users can feel confident in experimenting with various doses to determine what works best for them.
- CBD will induce a different reaction in different people, just like any other supplement on the market. The nature of your specific reaction is determined by factors like your metabolism, body mass, your diet and the kind of CBD you take.
- In very rare cases, people may find that they have an allergic reaction to CBD or another ingredient within a CBD product.
The specific dose that works best for you will be unique, a particular concentration and method that only you can discover.
Can You Take Too Much Topical CBD?
Just like with sublingual and ingested CBD, CBD skincare products have an extremely high upper limit. Even if you were to apply far too much CBD, its effects would be notably different from those experienced from an overdose of ingested CBD.
This is because CBD skincare products do not enter the bloodstream and spread their effects across the body, instead only affecting the specific area where you apply them.
The biggest issue from an excess of topical CBD will be from the other ingredients in the topical. If you applied more CBD face cream or CBD muscle rub than you needed, your skin could begin to feel oily and uncomfortable.
The CBD effects themselves will likely be more intense and last a little longer, but this is a matter of diminishing returns. You only have so many skin-level endocannabinoid receptors and hair follicles for transfollicular absorption.
This means that as you apply more and more CBD topical products, each dose is doing less.
There is a chance that your body may adapt to the heavy use of CBD topicals. Whilst you won’t build up a resistance to the CBD itself, excessive use of skincare products can cause all manner of complications in your skin.
If you find this happening you may need to seek other CBD topical products, vary your use of conventional topicals, or indeed seek another way to get your dose of CBD.
If it’s purely a topical CBD experience you’re looking for and aren’t too concerned about the other ingredients, it’s worth noting that most CBD oils can be applied topically as well as sublingually.
CBD VS THC
THC is a psychoactive cannabinoid that makes the user feel “high” when taken. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound that works purely with your endocannabinoid system.
Unlike CBD, studies show that THC can be toxic if taken in large quantities. High doses of THC can cause any of the following effects:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Muscle spasms
- Heart attacks
- Reduced memory function
- Lethargy
- Loss of concentration
Does this mean you should be afraid to use full-spectrum CBD that contains trace amounts of THC?
No. As long as the full spectrum CBD you use meets legal requirements, overdosing should not be a concern.
This trace amount of THC has no measurable psychoactive impact and, just like overusing CBD, one would have to use a ridiculous amount of the product in order to reach dangerous levels.
Continuous use of CBD within legally accepted THC levels does still have the potential to show up on a drug test. Some workplaces and employers use drug tests more often than others, whilst some practice a complete prohibition of all cannabinoids.
It is always worth checking your workplace regulations before using CBD products. If you are expecting to undergo a drug test anytime soon, you may want to consider using isolate or broad spectrum CBD instead.
Sourcing CBD From Trusted Suppliers
Regardless of the quantity of CBD you take, there’s no chance it will reach a level where it is lethal. When we say this we are talking specifically about high quality CBD products.
It is always worth making sure that you only buy CBD products from reliable suppliers. When a CBD oil is labelled as containing only trace amounts of THC, you want to be sure that this information is true.
Your supplier should easily be able to prove the quality of their product and provide test results from an independent laboratory to ensure that you can use their product with confidence.
If the THC content of a product is more than the legal limit or the product has some other substances that are not on the label, it could pose a danger to your health whether you overuse it or not.
Due diligence and buying your CBD products from reliable vendors is essential to ensuring the quality of your CBD experience.
Summary
Although there is certainly a “too much” when it comes to taking CBD, the odds of reaching these dangerous levels are extremely slim. Even if a user did reach these limits their experience, whilst unpleasant, would not be fatal.
Many CBD users like to push the upper limits of CBD use, seeking stronger experiences and longer lasting effects. Despite this it is always a good idea to set an upper limit to CBD use.
The FSA’s recommended limit of 70mg per day is a specific amount designed to allow for a full experience and effective CBD routine whilst minimising potential side effects. However you like to take your CBD, it is a limit that should be followed with diligence.
Experimenting with your doses and finding one that’s just right for you is something every CBD user should be able to do with confidence. Be sure that your CBD is of the highest quality, sourced from reliable vendors and made by reputable manufacturers.
Your CBD experience should be an enjoyable one, so take every step to make sure that it is.