The experience of getting high from a joint, bong, or edible is the stuff of legend, and everyone knows someone (or knows someone who knows someone) who’s ridden the THC train at least once. But what does CBD feel like?
CBD products are new enough that the average Joe or Jane on the street hasn’t felt the effects of a CBD gummy or a CBD tincture. That can be nerve-wracking for those who want to try CBD for themselves but don’t want to risk their health on an unknown product.
The all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana are here to set your mind at ease. In this article, we’ll reveal not only what does CBD feel like, but whether it will get you high and how to find the right dose to start.
What Is CBD?
Put simply, CBD (the shortened form of the word cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds unique to the cannabis (marijuana) plant.
Other cannabinoids include:
The extraordinary thing about CBD — and all cannabinoids, in fact — is that when you ingest them, inhale them, or rub them on your skin, they interact with the neurons in your brain to produce some remarkable effects.
That leads us back to the question, “What does CBD feel like?”
Before we reveal the answer, though, it’s essential that we dispel any lingering reservations you may have by telling you what CBD doesn’t feel like.
Will CBD Get You High?
No, CBD will not get you high. By extension, then, no CBD product (oil, patch, pill, or anything else) should give you a psychedelic kick.
Astute readers will notice the word “should” in the previous sentence. Some whole-plant products contain a wide range of cannabinoids, not just CBD. Those products may contain THC, which, depending on the dose, will at least make you feel a little strange.
You may not get the full “I-just-had-the-best-conversation-with-my-desk-lamp” experience, but the effects will be different from a pure CBD extract.
To protect yourself from an accidental high, be sure to read the label of any product you purchase.
What Does CBD Feel Like?
One of the reasons we love the cannabis plant is because it seems specifically designed to make us feel good in so many different ways.
To highlight this fact and to help you understand what CBD feels like, we’ve divided this section into two categories:
- Benefits of CBD
- Side effects of CBD
The benefits category lists the good feelings you can expect to experience when taking a CBD product. The side effects category lists the “bad-ish” feelings you can expect to experience when taking a CBD product (although, even those effects aren’t really all that bad).
Benefits Of CBD
1) Relaxation
CBD interacts with your brain and body in a way that makes you feel relaxed and calm…even in the face of high stress.
This is great news for those who can’t seem to “turn off their brain” at the end of the day in order to catch some zzzzs. CBD can help you fall asleep faster and wake up refreshed in the morning.
2) Less Nausea And Increased Appetite
CBD is very good at settling an upset stomach and preventing or reducing nausea. That alone will certainly make you feel better, but the decrease in nausea produces another benefit: increased appetite.
For those undergoing cancer treatment, loss of appetite due to nausea (and the resulting issues it produces) is a major problem. CBD can return things to normal.
3) Less Pain And Swelling
If you suffer from pain and swelling — arthritis, menstrual cramps, headaches, psoriasis, dermatitis, or sore muscles — CBD can make you feel better.
CBD is well known for its analgesic properties, which is why CBD creams are becoming more and more popular every day.
4) Improved Mood
The right dose of CBD can improve your mood without the overwhelming side effects that other antidepressants exhibit.
For those suffering from depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, psychosis, and other mental disorders, CBD can make them feel better fast.
5) Less Anxiety
Anxiety takes many forms and can severely affect your life for the worse. CBD reduces anxiety so that situations don’t overwhelm you and make you want to curl up in a ball under your covers.
When asked, “What does CBD feel like?” in regard to anxiety, some users report that they don’t react to the triggers that caused their anxiety before. They’re also able to recognize the irrationality of their triggers and let them go instead of dwelling on them.
6) More Focus
CBD increases your focus and helps you avoid or dismiss distractions.
Office workers who take CBD for a different problem find themselves better able to “put on their blinders” and block out the noise, movement, and social distractions that rage around them.
When they can focus in this way, their productivity improves — and their job satisfaction along with it.
7) Improved Blood Sugar Levels
Diabetes is a growing epidemic and millions of people deal with it every day. That worry hangs like a wet blanket over their lives and everything they do.
CBD can help stabilize blood sugar levels and make dealing with diabetes just a little bit easier.
The Answer To “What Does CBD Feel Like?”
So, long story short, what does CBD feel like? Three words: It feels great!
But the story doesn’t end there. CBD does cause a few side effects that you should know about before going in.
Side Effects Of CBD
1) Dry Mouth
One of the most common side effects of CBD is dry mouth. But in a world full of medications with side effects that are worse than the original problem, a bit of dry mouth doesn’t seem that bad at all.
2) Possible Interference With Other Medications
CBD interferes with your liver’s ability to process other drugs. So if you take a heart medication and add CBD to control your blood sugar, the CBD could negate the benefits of the heart medicine and cause more harm than good.
Be sure to talk to a physician about whether CBD is right for your condition.
3) Biphasic Characteristics
Biphasic means that at low levels CBD will provide certain effects, while at high levels it will provide different effects.
If this seems foreign to you, think about alcohol (also biphasic). At low levels, it’s a stimulant (Woohoo! Party!). At high levels, it’s a depressant (passed out on the couch).
CBD doesn’t act exactly the same as alcohol — stimulant on one end, depressant on the other — but the effects will change as the dosage level increases.
Can You Take Too Much CBD?
Technically, it is possible to take too much CBD (just as it’s technically possible to drink too much water), but you’ve really gotta want it.
A high dose of CBD tops out in the 50,000-milligram range. That’s 33 tablespoons of pure CBD.
To put that in perspective, an average 180-pound male suffering from severe pain only needs to take 25 milligrams (⅛ teaspoon) to feel relief. That’s a long way from 50,000 milligrams.
And even then, the “overdose” effects might not be all that bad. One CBD user reported nothing more than an extreme sense of drowsiness (which may be a welcome side effect anyway if you suffer from insomnia).
We’re not saying it’s OK to crank up your dose into the four and five digits. We’re just saying that you shouldn’t be afraid of taking too much CBD when you’re first starting out.
What Dose Should You Start With?
The best advice we can give when starting any new CBD (or THC) product is to start small and increase your dose slowly over time.
The least amount of a product you can take and still feel results is better for you and your wallet long-term.
Below, we’ve produced a table of dosing suggestions based on your weight and the severity of your ailment (e.g., pain level). Use these as suggestions as a starting point and adjust your dose up or down accordingly.
Experiment with a certain dose for three days to give your body time to react to the medication. Adjust the dose as needed for the next three-day period.
If you feel any discomfort from a dose, decrease it immediately the next time you take the CBD product. You can always increase gradually again from there.
For a more detailed examination of dosage levels, check out our Honest Marijuana CBD Dosage Calculator.
Try CBD For Yourself
If CBD products are available in your area, there’s no reason not to try one for yourself. You can’t take too much, it won’t get you high, and the side effects are essentially nil (unless you really can’t stand a dry mouth).
There’s no downside to trying, you just might feel better. Talk to the budtenders at your local dispensary and they can recommend a product that’s right for you.
For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.
