Key takeaways
- Due to limited research and a lack of regulation, there are no set dosage guidelines for CBD products. Only the prescription medication Epidiolex has official dosage recommendations.
- CBD dosages can vary significantly, from 5 mg to 900 mg daily. CBD brands tend to recommend much lower CBD dosages than those seen in scientific studies.
- It is important to consult a healthcare professional before using CBD to determine the appropriate dosage and to ensure it won’t interact with medications or worsen existing health conditions.
There is a huge variety of CBD products available, from gummies, capsules, and oils to creams, balms, and vapes. CBD-infused food and drink items are also available. However, there are no official guidelines on CBD dosage.
CBD products will all offer different CBD doses, use different types of CBD (such as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or CBD isolate), and contain different combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes that may affect the products’ effects.
Plus, the manufacture, popularity, and sale of CBD products for health conditions such as anxiety and pain have outpaced scientific research into their effectiveness and safety. Many studies focus on short-term effects in animals or specific populations, meaning results cannot be easily generalized. In addition,
How CBD affects a person is also highly individual.
With so much variety and a lack of data on long-term effects across the full range of CBD products and doses, it is difficult to create firm guidelines on safe and effective CBD dosages for the general population.
That said, early research does indicate some safe and effective CBD ranges for certain health conditions, although each study comes with limitations, and more work is needed overall.
Read on to learn more about CBD doses for anxiety, pain, and more. This article also discusses where CBD dosage recommendations come from and how to stay safe when trying CBD for the first time.
CBD dosages can range from 5 mg to 900 mg a day across commercially available CBD products and scientific research. Commercial CBD products tend to contain far less CBD than scientific research considers a therapeutic dose, and typically, brands will suggest consumers follow fairly low CBD dosage recommendations to balance the potential benefits of CBD with the risk of adverse effects.
To date, there is only one cannabis-derived product that has official dosage recommendations: Epidiolex. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
As Epidiolex is an FDA-approved medication, there are clear, accepted dosage recommendations, which are:
- 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) twice daily, making a total dosage of 5 mg/kg daily, as a starting dose
- a dosage increase to 5 mg/kg twice daily, to a total of 10 mg/kg daily, after the first week
Doctors may increase this dosage to a maximum of 10 mg/kg twice a day if the affected person tolerates the initial dosage but still experiences seizures.
All other CBD products fall outside FDA regulations, so there are no official guidelines for their dosage.
CBD brands do not have to show the CBD dose on their packaging or make dosage recommendations, but including this information has become essential to build consumer trust and avoid legal difficulties and concerns around misrepresentation or mislabeling.
Although brands generally offer similar CBD dosages in their products, typically ranging from 10 mg to 50 mg a day, it is often unclear where these recommended dosages originated.
CBD brands’ recommendations are not always based on clinical trials or scientific studies. Some brands may work with medical professionals or fund small scientific trials to test their products. However, this is not a legal requirement. Trials often focus on how the brand’s products can benefit well-being and do not make dosage recommendations. These trials may also be vulnerable to quality issues and bias.
Research shows that many people get information about CBD from social media. However, due to the lack of clear official guidance, people should speak with a qualified healthcare professional about appropriate CBD dosages for their health goals before trying any CBD product.
As the FDA has only approved the use of CBD for specific forms of epilepsy, doctors may not know what dosage people should take when they use it for other reasons. Some of the main reasons people try CBD are to treat or manage sleep problems, anxiety, chronic pain, and neurological, stomach, and lung conditions.
According to the
The following table lists some administration methods and dosages from studies in the above review that examine CBD’s therapeutic effects on different medical conditions.
| Medical condition | Dose of CBD | Form |
|---|---|---|
| anxiety | 150 to 900 mg | oral |
| pain and inflammation | 250 to 500 mg | transdermal gel |
| schizophrenia | 200 to 800 mg | oral |
| Parkinson’s disease | 300 mg daily | oral |
| Huntington’s disease | 10 mg/kg daily | oral |
| PTSD | 1.5 mg | CBD spray |
| difficulty sleeping | 300 mg | oral dissolved in corn oil |
| type 2 diabetes | 100 mg twice daily | oral |
The effectiveness of the above dosages varied in the studies’ results. People should consult a doctor to find out whether a CBD product is safe and to determine the effective dosage.
The following factors may influence the dosage that people can take.
- Usage: The medical condition can influence the necessary dosage. For example, some people need high dosages to control epilepsy, whereas smaller dosages may be effective for other health conditions, such as anxiety.
- Weight: In many clinical trials and when using Epidiolex, doctors calculate a dose per kg of body weight. Therefore, people who weigh less should take lower dosages than people who weigh more.
- Alcohol: Alcohol and other central nervous system depressants may increase the sedation effect of CBD.
- Other medications: Certain medications may reduce the effectiveness of CBD, which can impact the necessary dose. Similarly, combining CBD with certain medications, such as valproate, may increase the risk of liver toxicity.
- Form: Dosage may vary depending on the form of CBD. A CBD capsule has a specific dosage, but the dosage of oral solutions depends on the volume.
- Type of CBD: A 2023 study shows that people who use CBD isolate products are more likely to consume higher dosages. However, this is not guidance on CBD isolate dosages, and it is important for people to follow the instructions on their chosen product’s label and not to exceed the recommended dosage.
People should speak with a qualified healthcare professional before taking CBD to ensure they take the correct dosage.
Toxicity describes how harmful a substance can be to the body.
An older
It says that CBD had no effect on a wide range of body functions and chemical processes unless a very high dose had been administered, such as 150 mg of CBD per kilogram (kg) of body weight injected at once. However, the report emphasizes that research has not yet explored all of CBD’s potential effects.
Plus, most research into CBD toxicity consists of animal studies using rats and mice. This is because rats and mice have biological similarities to humans.
Sometimes other organisms are used, such as in the
Using various CBD doses, the study showed that CBD did not have long-term adverse effects across the worms’ lifespan. In fact, CBD made them live longer, more resistant to heat stress, and improved their movement as they aged.
Although these results show promising benefits, they cannot be directly translated to humans, and the researchers note that future research should be carried out on mammals.
Despite this live-organism research suggesting that even the higher CBD doses did not increase toxicity, there are reports of the adverse effects high CBD doses can cause. For instance, a 2020 case study described one adult male’s emergency room visit after eating two packets of CBD gummies offering 30 mg of CBD per serving.
He ingested a total dose of 370 mg of CBD and experienced low consciousness, vomiting, slurred speech, and a slow heartbeat. He required fluids, oxygen, anti-sickness medication, and continuous overnight monitoring in the hospital before they recovered the next day.
However, it is also important to note that the cases mentioned did not test the CBD products for any unauthorised or illicit substances that could also have been present in the CBD gummies.
It is important to note that CBD toxicity does not have an antidote, so avoiding it is vital.
The authors of this case study write that diagnosing CBD toxicity can be difficult because CBD does not show on typical toxicology screenings. There is also a lack of data available to help physicians diagnose and treat CBD toxicity.
People buying CBD for the first time should speak with a doctor to discuss whether it is suitable for them. Research shows that many people do not tell healthcare professionals they are trying CBD.
A doctor will consider whether CBD might interact with any of the person’s medications, and whether it will be safe and beneficial for their health.
Generally, people new to CBD should start on the lowest possible dose to see how their body reacts to it. They can then gradually work up to try and get their desired effect without exceeding the recommended dosage.
Reputable brands always clearly display the CBD dose per serving on their product packaging and marketing materials. Buyers should not purchase CBD products that do not offer clear dosage information. People should remain mindful that these dosage recommendations often do not come from scientific research.
People should only buy CBD products that brands have put through third-party testing to confirm the advertised CBD dose is the amount present in the product. Buyers should be able to easily access testing results, which are called a certificate of analysis (COA), on a brand’s website or packaging.
To learn more about CBD, read Medical News Today’s CBD guides, which cover its safety, uses, and how we vet, test, and review CBD products.
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There are no official dosage recommendations relating to CBD products such as gummies, oils, or topicals. The only CBD medication with official dosage guidance is the FDA-approved prescription medication Epidiolex.
Several factors determine the CBD dosage a person can consider, including usage, administration method, and weight.
Although more evidence is necessary, researchers highlight that some medications and substances can interact with CBD, which may also affect the dosage that a person can tolerate.
Research into CBD and its benefits, side effects, and therapeutic potential is ongoing.
Is CBD legal?The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the legal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. This made some hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC federally legal. However, CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC still fall under the legal definition of marijuana, making them federally illegal but legal under some state laws. Be sure to check state laws, especially when traveling. Also, keep in mind that the FDA has not approved nonprescription CBD products, and some products may be inaccurately labeled.