How Long Does CBD Oil Take To Kick In? Understanding The Timeline

Most humans are impatient. Any parent who’s had kids still shudders at the memory of hearing “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”

Those who’ve smoked or vaped marijuana can be particularly impatient after trying CBD (cannabidiol). Unlike what they’ve experienced with weed, CBD’s effects often aren’t felt immediately. It can take as long as several hours for CBD to kick in.

Several factors determine how long CBD products take to work:

• Dosage and Concentration: The amount of CBD oil you consume and how much cannabidiol is in the product.
• Biological Considerations: Cannabidiol works differently depending on a user’s gender, weight, metabolism, health conditions, and experience with CBD.
• Method of Consumption: The way you use CBD oil plays a huge role in the amount of time it takes for the effects to be felt.

All of those variables make it difficult to provide reliable estimates for individual users.

However, CBD oil that’s dropped under the tongue or vaped may take effect almost immediately, although it can take 10-15 minutes for some people. Consuming CBD added to beverages generally requires at least 45-60 minutes for effects to be felt, and CBD oil contained in edibles may not kick in for several hours.

Let’s dig into the details.

What Is CBD Oil?

First, a quick definition of CBD. Cannabidiol is one of the two major cannabinoids (a family of plant compounds) found in hemp plants. The other is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), but hemp doesn’t contain enough psychoactive THC to make users high, and UK regulations limit the allowable amount in CBD products to 0.2%. (The limit is slightly higher in most other countries.)

If you’re wondering how CBD varies from cannabis, it’s simple. Hemp and cannabis belong to the same plant family, but marijuana comes from cannabis plants which usually contain lots of THC and very little CBD. That’s why pot makes users high, and why non-intoxicating CBD is sourced from hemp plants rather than cannabis plants.

The cannabidiol extracted from hemp plants, whether it’s in solid or liquid form, isn’t absorbed by the body well, so it isn’t particularly effective if it’s consumed directly. CBD oil — the most common form of CBD product — is produced by combining cannabidiol with a so-called “carrier oil.” MCT oil works best, but coconut oil, hemp seed oil, or olive oil are sometimes used.

The carrier oil in CBD oil isn’t intended to provide any benefits or serve any purpose other than making as much of the cannabidiol available to the body and helping it work as quickly and effectively as possible.

How Does CBD Oil Work in The Body?

The body has an extensive network of receptors and chemical messengers known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). It regulates a wide range of functions ranging from learning and memory to sleep, appetite, pain control, and immune and inflammatory responses.

Cannabinoids like CBD (and THC) have a very similar chemical structure to the ECS messengers produced in the body, which are called endocannabinoids. The similarity allows them to interact with the ECS receptors and alter the messages sent to the brain and other bodily organs and systems.

THC and CBD work differently, though. THC binds to one set of receptors (the CB1 receptors) located mostly in the brain and nervous system; they control many cognitive functions as well as others like sleep, and appetite (explaining many of the effects marijuana produces and some of the medical benefits it apparently provides).

CBD, however, primarily interacts with the CB2 receptors, which are most responsible for controlling reactions to inflammation and the operation of the immune system. Cannabidiol doesn’t affect thinking, perceptions, and memory, for example, and that’s the big reason why it doesn’t make users high.

Instead, CBD is believed to provide medical, health, and wellness benefits like easing stress, anxiety, and other more serious mood disorders; relieving pain; protecting the nervous system and easing neurological conditions; lowering cardiovascular risks like high blood pressure and high cholesterol; and helping to ease sleep difficulties — all without serious side effects.

All of those apparent benefits are based on preliminary research and haven’t yet been accepted by the medical establishment (except for CBD’s ability to ease seizures in some children with rare forms of epilepsy). Many believe the benefits are legitimate, but it’s best to speak with your doctor or another medical professional before deciding to use CBD oil.

Let’s look at some specifics about CBD’s oil actions in the body.

What Happens When You Consume CBD Oil?

As you’ll understand from the previous discussion, the primary reason to use CBD oil is to let its cannabidiol reach the receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system. The trip from point “A to point B,” though, can be a long one or a short one.

Some studies have found that CBD works faster in women than men, although not all studies have confirmed that. Any substance can take longer to work in a user with a slower metabolism or carrying extra weight. Other medical conditions or medications can interfere with (or sometimes, accelerate) the absorption of cannabidiol.

Larger doses, and a higher concentration of CBD in the oil being used, can produce stronger results and faster effectiveness as well.

But perhaps the most important factor, not to mention the one this article addresses, is the way the user consumes CBD oil. We’ll look at each possible method and discuss how long it takes for the cannabidiol to kick in — and why.

Sublingual Use of CBD Oil

Sublingual is Latin for “under the tongue,” and placing a few drops under the tongue is one of the easiest, most effective, and fastest-acting ways to use CBD oil.

The oil is administered with a dropper and then held under the tongue for 30-60 seconds before any residual liquid is swallowed or spit out. Sublingual administration allows the CBD oil to be absorbed by the tissues and capillaries under the tongue. It then passes directly into the bloodstream where it reaches the liver to be metabolized and is sent to the ECS receptors.

Many other methods of using CBD oil require digestion, which delays effectiveness considerably and may substantially reduce the amount of cannabidiol available for use in the body. Sublingual use bypasses digestion.

The effects of CBD oil dropped under the tongue often arrive almost immediately, although individual factors may delay the process by 10-15 minutes or even longer.

Two other CBD products should be mentioned before we move on.

• CBD spray is essentially CBD oil in aerosol rather than liquid form; it’s designed to be sprayed under the tongue and it works in the same way as CBD oil used sublingually.
• CBD tincture is usually just another name for CBD oil. The rigorous definition of tincture is a substance dissolved or suspended in alcohol rather than oil, but the CBD tinctures on the market are almost always just CBD oil.

Oral Consumption of CBD Oil

Most users, to be honest, have very little interest in drinking CBD oil straight from the bottle because it tastes bitter (unless flavoring has been added by the manufacturer). Drinking this oil isn’t practical, either, since doses are usually measured in drops and it’s difficult to drink that tiny amount of liquid. Some or most of it might not even make it to the stomach.

There are other ways to do it, though.

Many people mix their CBD oil into another beverage. Water is the best choice because it’s processed very quickly by the digestive system, although mixing CBD oil with water won’t do much to help with its flavor. Some add the oil to tea, smoothies, or other drinks, improving the taste but extending the amount of time it requires to be digested and lowering its effectiveness.

You can also purchase premade CBD drinks which have the oil already combined with a beverage, and they work in the same way we’ve just described.

Other users prefer to mix their CBD oil into salad dressing or mix it into food. That increases digestion time, reduces the amount of cannabidiol making it into the bloodstream, and increases the “wait time” even more.

The average time it takes for the effects of CBD oil mixed into a beverage is around 45-60 minutes, although it may take longer for some people. If you mix the oil into food, our section on edibles will be more applicable.

Consumption of CBD Capsules

CBD capsules are nothing more than CBD oil contained in an easy-to-swallow capsule, usually a gelcap. Most of the capsules are designed to dissolve quickly, but they still have to be digested before the cannabidiol is freed to enter the bloodstream. It should also be noted that some capsules are made from animal products and are not vegan-friendly.

Expect to wait 30-45 minutes for CBD capsules to be digested and their effects to be felt, with our usual caution that it may take longer for some users.

Eating CBD Gummies and Other Edibles

This administration method may seem out of place in this article. It fits, though, because the cannabidiol used to make CBD gummies and other candies, baked goods, and other edible products (these days, you can even find CBD popcorn and CBD breakfast cereal) is usually in the form of CBD oil.

Of course, it can take much longer to digest a large CBD cookie than a small piece of candy, so the amount of time it takes for the cannabidiol in an edible to kick in can vary considerably. 90 minutes to two hours is a reasonable estimate for most users. The CBD in edibles is likely to be even less effective because so much of the cannabidiol can be lost during digestion.

Vaping CBD Oil

IMPORTANT: It can be unhealthy or even dangerous to try vaping the CBD oil you purchase at the corner shop or supermarket. There is specially-created vape oil designed for that purpose, and it can be purchased online, at vape shops, or at other outlets that carry vaporizers and related equipment.

CBD vape oil works much like sublingual CBD oil or spray, although the cannabidiol is absorbed by the lungs and sent right into the bloodstream instead of being absorbed by the tissues under the tongue.

Needless to say, many people don’t want to bother with vaping or don’t want to take a foreign substance into their lungs. However, vaping proper CBD oil is the fastest and most effective way to consume CBD. It usually takes effect in just seconds.

Topical Application of CBD Oil

Some people apply CBD oil directly to their skin, but the more effective and smarter way to use CBD topically is to choose one of the many creams, lotions, balms, and other CBD products that contain CBD oil and are designed for that purpose. Many also contain other skincare or analgesic products to help with their effectiveness.

The cannabidiol in topicals rarely penetrates the skin to reach the body, but it’s not supposed to. CBD interacts with ECS receptors in the skin to provide its benefits; these products are not meant to provide the same health and medical benefits apparently delivered by other forms of CBD oil.

Most users feel the effects of topical CBD in minutes, although it can take longer for some.

Can You Speed Up the Effectiveness of CBD Oil?

There’s no “turbocharge” button you can hit to make CBD oil kick in faster, but there are several steps you can take to feel its effects more quickly or more powerfully.

1. Use the fast-acting methods we’ve mentioned, like sublingual administration or vaping.
2. Consume CBD on an empty stomach. If your stomach is already full, the digestive system is already busy and it can take much longer for the CBD oil to be digested and reach the bloodstream.
3. Use CBD oil with a high concentration of cannabidiol. Most people start with just a couple of drops of oil, but if there’s less CBD in each drop, it will take longer for you to feel its effects (if you feel them at all). Dosing can be tricky for CBD, so it’s best to consult your doctor or another healthcare professional for advice on whether CBD oil is appropriate for you and the proper dose to take.
4. Choose full-spectrum CBD oil. It doesn’t contain more cannabidiol, but it does contain all of the other naturally-occurring plant compounds found in hemp (including the small amount of THC). All of the ingredients in full-spectrum CBD work together in what’s called the “entourage effect” to boost the CBD’s effectiveness, so you’ll feel more of the effects when they hit. Broad-spectrum CBD oil (with no THC) and CBD isolate (pure CBD) aren’t quite as effective.
5. Be patient. It can take longer for orally-consumed CBD oil to take effect, but its effects last longer as well. The effects of oil that’s administered sublingually may last for about four hours, but that period is extended to six hours when CBD oil is taken orally.

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