Ask Our Experts: Proper Dosages for CBD
Q: Is there any guidance for CBD dosages? How should one decide how much to take?
A: Given the relative lack of research and the uncertainties about product standards and confirmation which currently exist regarding CBD, the stock guidance for anyone interested in trying CBD is to first consult a doctor about an appropriate dosage or any potential risks.
To date, the FDA reminds that it has approved only one CBD product: the prescription drug Epidiolex, designed to treat two rare, severe forms of pediatric epilepsy. Advocates for CBD were encouraged this month when the DEA announced that it no longer considers Epidiolex a controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substance Act, though uncertainty remains about how that ruling may affect the legality and regulation of other CBD products.
Though non-pharmaceutical CBD has become commercially ubiquitous as a dietary supplement, the market is a legal minefield. After recent false claims were unscrupulously made of CBD’s efficacy against the coronavirus, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), an industry lobbying group, sent an email encouraging subscribers “to remain vigilant of online misinformation (like any claims cannabis or CBD can help cure or protect against this virus) and to beware of potential scammers promoting similar claims.”
Among responding consumers in the New Frontier Data 2020 U.S. CBD Survey, and those who said they took CBD at least once per month, 43% reported taking less than 30 milligrams (mg) per day, compared to 22% who said they used 50 mg or more per day.
As with so much else in this time of uncertainty, the best advice for now is to err on the side of caution: Ask your doctor, and stay well.
