According to the National Institutes of Health, how you take CBD determines how long it will take to feel its effects and how long it will last in your bloodstream. For instance, smoking or vaping CBD will take effect almost immediately, while ingestion with food can delay the onset for an hour or two.
Also note CBD builds up in your body over time if used regularly. If you only use it occasionally, it’ll clear your system faster - so if you would prefer CBD to build in your system to help with a certain condition, regular use is recommended.
Generally, the therapeutic effects of CBD can last from two to six hours. However, CBD does stay in your system long after the effects are felt. The estimated half-life of CBD is 3-5 days. Half life is low long it takes the concentration of a substance in your body to decrease by half - so for example if you consume 50mg of CBD, 3-5 days later 25mg of CBD will still be in your system. Any excess CBD is stored in fat cells, and CBD will completely leave the body after a week or two.
When consumed orally, cannabidiol (CBD) is processed by the liver and by digestive enzymes, and only 6-15% of the CBD makes it through this process. Note that fatty lipids help carry more of the CBD into your bloodstream, which is why we use MCT Oil as the carrier in our oral full spectrum CBD tinctures. See a lot more detail on dosing and different consumption methods in our CBD Dosage Calculator.
The sublingual method allows CBD to enter the bloodstream fast via mucous membranes in your mouth. Eating/drinking and swallowing CBD means your liver and digestive system need time to process. Oils and tinctures placed under your tongue are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly and linger longer. TribeTokes recommends placing a few drops of its TribeTINCS under the tongue and in your cheeks for 60 seconds, then swallow.
