CBD Doesn’t Work For Me?

Am I using CBD wrong?

CBD Doesn’t Work for Me… why not?

You heard all the hype about CBD.  Your friends rave about the benefits and implored you to try it for yourself.  So you have purchased a CBD product online or at a store.

You read the directions and followed the suggested use.   You tried it for a day or two.   You waited and waited only to discover there was no noticeable difference and you wasted $60.

What happened? Why doesn’t CBD work for me?

CBD does not work for me? | Why does CBD not work for me? | Does CBD Really Work?

Common Misconceptions About CBD

It is a common misconception that CBD does not work for everyone.  Like essential oils, some people naturally feel more benefit than others and at a stronger rate, but that does not mean it does work for you.  The truth is a little complicated.

We all have an endocannabinoid system, a system of receptors within our bodies that bind with cannabinoids and help to regulate a variety of our body’s functions including sleep, appetite, pain and immune system response.  Unfortunately, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, every person’s response is a little different and we have our preferences.  Ibuprofen may not help your headache as much as preferred, but it may reduce your fever, another vital and necessary function.  When I used to take ibuprofen for headaches, a 200mg tablet didn’t cut it, but 4 tablets did.  My head felt better, but my kidneys were paying the price.  As a moved toward more natural alternatives, finding what did work and didn’t was the hardest part.   I was used to directions giving me the answer and in products without clinical trials, finding your dosage was a bit harder.

Reasons CBD May Not Work

There can be many reasons a CBD product did not work for you the first time.  The most common are:

  1. No actual CBD was added to the product.
  2. Lower CBD amount than stated on packaging.
  3. No batch testing.
  4. Directions are misleading.
  5. Suggested dosage was misleading .
  6. You didn’t take it long enough.
  7. Wong product type – The product is not what you need for the effects you desire.

No actual CBD was added to the product

Many CBD products are on the market and many are not up the standards we expect.  It is unfortunate but there are companies just trying to cash in the CBD craze and this can lead to many consumers feeling like CBD is just not helping them.  Without FDA regulation, knowing which companies are up to our expected standards is more difficult to ascertain but not impossible.

Lower CBD amount than stated on packaging

Companies can sometimes make batches that are not completely homogenized, meaning the internal ingredients are not dispersed equally through all the products.  This can make a few of the products from the batch stronger or weaker than the rest.  This has been a problem within the cannabis industry for years and testing has limited how widespread the problem is.

No batch testing

Testing is important.  Form testing the CBD oil or isolate to testing the end products, lab results let us know how much CBD to add and how well it was infused into each product.  When testing is absent, you can expect there to me some abnormalities.

Directions and dosage are misleading

Like other medications, there is no one-size-fits-all for directions.  Most CBD tinctures use a serving size of 1ml, or one dropper full, but that may or may not be necessary.  Each person is different and in the case of CBD, trial and error is a large part of it.  Extra strength vs regular strength is available on many over the counter medications because there are many consumers who require more to get the same desired effect.  It is the same with CBD.  A single 10mg gummie may help one person find the relief they need while others will find this one gummie too strong or too weak.  Again, trial and error is a large part of learning how to get the benefits from CBD.

You didn’t take it long enough

Depending on what you are trying to use it for, instant relief may be out of the question.  Using CBD for stress can give you a calming feeling temporarily, but it does not completely alleviate the symptom.  Same with pain.  You might find some relief only to find to wears off after a couple hours.  In many cases, using CBD properly will require an all day regiment.  CBD effects should not only be looked at as relief when needed but rather a way to prevent the need as well.  Using CBD for pain, especially pain coupled with inflammation, is more beneficial when used as a preventative measure as well.  Using smaller amounts of CBD prior to inflammation and pain may allow your body to reduce the amount of inflammation and pain that comes on so you don’t require a larger dose to ease the symptoms.  For something like sleep, the same all-day regiment may be the more beneficial approach allowing your body to prevent some of the things that are preventing more restful sleep such as stress and pain.

Wrong product type

There are many product types.  From topicals to tinctures, they all have the same benefits but they work differently.  For muscular pain and inflammation, both a tincture and a topical can work.  Sometime you need both.  Depending on what is causing the pain and how widespread and internal it is can affect which product will work best.  Muscular inflammation and pain from heavy workouts or activity is different that neuropathic pain.  While a topical can help spot treat an inflamed muscle, it may not work as well for those with nerve pain.  Topicals have a limit to how far they reach into your body and therefore a tincture may be necessary as well or instead of.  Gummies are great but they can take up to 90 minutes to take full effect and may not be the best method to promoting your sleep.  A fast acting sublingual tincture may be a better choice in this case.

Key Takeaways

Any of these reasons may be a factor of why CBD may not have worked in the past.  This does not mean you should simply give up on finding a more natural alternative to over-the-counter-medications.  Whichever company’s products you choose to try, if you are not fully aware of how to use them best, then you should ask the company to help you find the best product for your ailment.  A good reputable company will have someone on staff who can help guide you to a product or group of products that have the most potential to help.  Many companies are offering money back guarantees that can make it a risk-free venture for you to try their products.  It is recommended to contact or chat with a company to seek their guidance before your decide to buy any other products so they can help you plan a regiment and give you the best directions for you personally based on your needs.  Many will want to know your symptoms and a truly caring company will try to help you figure out how to avoid the worst of the symptoms.   When choosing a company always google their company name with the word reviews and check 3rd party reviews, such as those from Trustpilot or ShopperApproved.  I like to check the negative feedback first as the positive feedback is almost always the first you will find.  When you feel you have afound a reputable company, contact them via chat, phone or email and to help get on the right path to success with CBD.