How Long Does CBD Oil Last? It Depends What You’re Asking

• CBD oil generally lasts between one and two years.
• CBD oil generally lasts for 4-6 hours.

Yes, those numbers seem to be drastically out of whack — but when site visitors ask how long CBD oil lasts, they’re really asking two different questions that require two different answers.

• Some have purchased a bottle of CBD oil and they want to know how long it will be good for before they have to throw it out.
• Others are asking about the amount of time the effects of a CBD oil dose will last.

A few are even asking a third question — how long CBD does stay in the system?

We’ll get into more details shortly, but here are the CliffsNotes versions.

1. CBD oil does have an expiration date, usually between 12 and 24 months after it’s been manufactured and bottled.
   Several factors can determine how quickly the oil goes bad, including the quality of the product and whether the CBD oil has been stored in a dark, cool place to protect it from sunlight and heat.
   Here’s the good news: you’re not in danger if you consume expired CBD oil. It simply may taste bad, and it will either be less effective or not effective at all.
2. While the effects of CBD oil usually last for 4-6 hours, that time frame can vary depending on the way it’s used. Consuming the oil on an empty stomach also causes it to take effect and wear off more quickly, while the opposite can happen if CBD is used after eating a fatty meal.
   Bear in mind, too, that CBD isn’t like the THC in marijuana; it doesn’t get you high, so you may not know when it’s worn off.
3. CBD is generally detectable in a user’s system (or more precisely, on urine tests) for an average of 3-5 days, but it can stay in the body for a few weeks.
   Using CBD oil on an empty stomach, taking smaller doses, and using it only infrequently can shorten its detectable time. Regular use, higher doses, swallowing the oil instead of dropping it under the tongue, and taking medications that interact with CBD can lengthen its stay in the body.

Now, those details we promised. We’ll first take a closer look at CBD, CBD oil, and what happens once the oil enters the body.

What Is CBD?

Plants in the Cannabis sativa family, both cannabis and hemp, contain more than 100 plant compounds known as cannabinoids. The one that’s familiar to most people is psychoactive THC (cannabinol), and the other key cannabinoid in the plants is non-intoxicating CBD (cannabidiol).

The cannabidiol found in products like CBD oil is sourced from hemp because the plant contains bountiful amounts of CBD and very little THC. Cannabis plants, by contrast, contain lots of THC and very little cannabidiol; they’re great sources of marijuana buds and other weed products, but not well-suited to CBD extraction.

Even though CBD oil won’t get you high, it’s become highly sought-after now that its sale and use are legal in the UK, the US, and most other Western nations. That’s because preliminary research shows that cannabidiol appears to provide a large number of medical benefits.

Some of those apparent benefits seem to help patients dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, and more serious mental health conditions; some chronic pain issues, like those caused by arthritis and other inflammatory or anti-immune diseases; insomnia; neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s; epilepsy; acne; and some forms of cancer.

So far, cannabidiol has only been approved as a prescription medication to treat a few rare types of childhood epilepsy. Its legal availability, however, has made it an extremely popular supplement.

What Is CBD Oil?

There are many ways people can use CBD. They can vape it, they can eat or drink CBD edibles or beverages, they can take CBD capsules, and they can use CBD topical products which usually provide only external benefits because they can’t penetrate the skin.

But the most popular method of administration, by far, is using CBD oil.

Most CBD oils have just two ingredients: cannabidiol and a so-called “carrier oil.” The latter is needed because fat-soluble CBD isn’t absorbed very well by the body, which is about 60% water. Cannabidiol and oil mix well, and the carrier oils commonly used to make CBD oil (MCT oil, coconut oil, and hempseed oil) allow the cannabinoid to deliver its effects more efficiently.

With that background out of the way, it’s time to discuss what happens when CBD oil enters the body.

Administering CBD Oil

CBD oil is generally used in one of two ways. It can be dropped under the tongue(with a medicine dropper) in what’s known as sublingual administration, or it can be mixed into foods and drinks. (Interestingly, most other CBD products, like edibles, pre-mixed beverages, and capsules, also contain CBD oil as a “cannabidiol delivery device.”)

The option a user chooses for administering CBD oil makes a huge difference, both in the cannabidiol’s effectiveness — and in how long it lasts.

Sublingual Administration

The best way to use CBD oil is to drop it under the tongue.

The membranes located there are known as sublingual tissues, and they quickly absorb CBD oil when allowed to remain under the tongue for at least 30 seconds. From there, the oil (and the cannabidiol it contains) is quickly moved into the bloodstream, taken to the liver for metabolisation, and then distributed throughout the body to deliver its effects.

Because there’s no unnecessary delay in the CBD’s journey, it takes effect rapidly — often within 15 minutes — and its effects wear off more quickly. Cannabidiol is also more effective with sublingual administration than it is when the other possible administration method is used.

Adding CBD Oil to Food or Beverages

Many users are tempted to simply mix their CBD oil into salad dressing or a smoothie, since that’s not as messy or complicated as administering drops of oil under the tongue. The cannabidiol will still provide its apparent benefits when used that way— but not optimally.

When CBD oil is swallowed, whether it’s mixed manually into food or contained in another CBD product, it’s not sent right into the bloodstream. Instead, it moves through the throat into the gastrointestinal system for digestion, which can take between 30 minutes and two hours depending on the type of food, beverage, or product containing the CBD.

Only then will the cannabidiol be freed to be absorbed by the tissues in the small intestine, and then moved to the liver and eventually to the rest of the body. That means CBD oil can require an extra 30-120 minutes to kick in, so its effects will also last longer than those associated with sublingual administration of CBD oil.

There’s one final issue to be aware of. Much of the cannabidiol in CBD oil is lost during the digestive process, so adding the oil to foods or beverages is a much less effective way to enjoy the apparent benefits of cannabidiol. That’s the primary reason why sublingual administration of CBD oil is preferable.

We’re finally ready to answer the questions we listed at the start of this article.

How Long Do CBD Oil’s Effects Last?

There’s not an enormous amount of research on the subject.

Those for whom cannabidiol provides effective pain relief may be able to tell when the CBD oil they’ve taken has stopped providing its benefits. However, since most of CBD oil’s effects aren’t “obvious” in the same way that THC’s psychoactive effects are, many users can’t tell when the cannabidiol has worn off.

And quite honestly, the issue doesn’t matter to the majority of people who use CBD oil for its apparent long-term medical benefits. Those effects of cannabidiol are cumulative over time.

Here’s what we do know, though. Clinical trials have shown that, on average, the maximum concentration of cannabidiol in the bloodstream occurs approximately four hours after users consume CBD oil. Remember, though, that the oil kicks in faster if administered sublingually and more slowly if it’s swallowed.

Experts have suggested these ballpark numbers. The effects of CBD oil generally last between four and six hours. They may start to wear off after 3-4 hours with sublingual administration, though, and may last as long as eight hours if consumed in something difficult for the stomach to digest, like a brownie.

However, those numbers can be affected by many other factors.

For example, digestion is delayed even more if the CBD oil is added to a large meal heavy in fat, but effectiveness is faster if it’s taken on an empty stomach. Some medications may interact with CBD and delay metabolisation in the liver, also delaying effectiveness. And a user’s weight, medical condition, and the speed of their metabolism can also slow the CBD’s processing.

That’s one of the three questions we’ve asked. Here’s the next.

How Long Does CBD Stay in the System?

This issue is much less important, needless to say, than how long THC stays in the system. Police, employers, or other authorities won’t care how recently you’ve used CBD.

(For the sake of completeness, the small amount of THC contained in some legal CBD oils may occasionally trigger a cannabis drug test, but usually just for new or very heavy CBD users. Those who are worried about testing positive for THC should use either “broad-spectrum” or “isolate” CBD oil, which contain only trace amounts of THC or no THC, respectively.)

If you’re curious, however, tests have shown the half-life of cannabidiol concentration in blood plasma averages about 70 hours, or approximately three days. Since the concentration decreases by 50% every 70 hours after that, all traces of CBD oil use should be gone in about 2-3 weeks.

Once again, those numbers can be affected by other factors including your weight and BMI (cannabidiol and its metabolites are stored in fat cells), your metabolism and lifestyle, and how often and how much CBD you use.

One more question to answer.

How Long Does CBD Oil Last Before It Goes Bad?

Most brands of CBD oil will last 1-2 years before they should be discarded. The bottles you purchase should have expiration dates printed on the label, but those dates are just estimates. The actual shelf life of CBD oil is heavily dependent on how the oil is stored.

Direct light, particularly sunlight, can cause CBD oil to degrade more quickly, as can hot temperatures. The oil’s life will be prolonged by storing it in a dark and cool place like a closet or pantry, away from all appliances. Most reputable producers package their CBD oil in dark-tinted bottles to protect it, but taking extra steps once you get it home will keep it fresh for longer.

On the subject of reputable producers, quality matters when buying CBD oil. The best companies create the highest-quality products, and they’ll usually stay usable for longer than the budget products sold at convenience stores and gas stations.

You may notice a spoiled or “funky” smell if your CBD oil has gone bad, which is an obvious sign that it should be discarded. Even if you don’t notice the odor, though, no worries. You won’t suffer serious side effects from using expired CBD oil. You might briefly have an upset stomach — but it’s much more likely that the oil simply will have lost its effectiveness.

Shop our CBD products:

• CBD oils
• CBD gummies
• CBD capsules
• CBD creams
• CBD patches
• CBD vape pens
• CBD vape juice