a level of balance — as a preventative — potentially staving off any pending conditions.
Adjusting to daily use
Because CBD comes in so many forms and has so many uses, incorporating it into daily life can be quite simple. After all, building a routine takes only 21 days!
Personally, I’ve found that as a supplement, just 10 milligrams of CBD twice a day does the trick for me. I take a tincture under the tongue or add it to my morning beverage. Then I dose myself again as the early evening approaches. You can use gummies, capsules, or even snacks the same way.
Acknowledging potential drawbacks
Every single body and operating system is different. What works for you may not work for others and in fact may really harm another person. The CBD itself isn’t the only factor; you also have to consider the carrier, the packaging, the extraction process, and the consumption process. Everything matters.
That said, data is still limited. Remember to tell your doctor(s) about all the supplements, medicines, and self-medication that are part of your world, even if you don’t use them regularly. As I note in the following section, CBD and other medications aren’t always compatible, so doctors need to know what they’re working with. Fully commit to full disclosure, even if you think that the item isn’t significant enough to share or that the doctor may judge you.
Checking how CBD interacts with medication
Maybe the single most important consideration is how the body metabolizes medications. The process of breaking down your medications is an intimate part of how the medications themselves were designed to be efficient.
CBD and other cannabinoids are metabolized by various enzymes. Among those enzymes is one specifically responsible for metabolizing almost 60 percent of clinically prescribed medications. That single enzyme can be inhibited by CBD. When this single enzyme isn’t functioning optimally, it can’t break down the other medications in your body properly, potentially compromising the function of the medicines.
Taking responsibility for being informed
Like with anything new, you must pay attention and be responsible for anything you’re introducing into your routines. Currently, CBD isn’t part of a regulated market (much like supplements in general) so knowing whether you’re getting what you think you are is hard. (That’s why knowing what to buy, how to read labels, and so forth is important; I cover those topics in Chapter 6.)
If you’re supplementing, you must be aware of all the other things you may encounter: reactions and side effects to just through repeated use. For instance, I have used coconut oil and MCT oil (a supplement made from medium-chain triglycerides, a type of fat) for at least ten years, on and off, in recipes. When I started supplementing with CBD, I consumed at least 1.5 milliliters of MCT oil daily for over two years. At some point, I noticed a little scratchy feeling in my throat. I had developed a minor allergy to the MCT oil, which I was able to uncover by testing CBD in other carrier oils.
Weighing the Risks and Challenges of General CBD Use
Many of the perceived risks of CBD use are based on misconceptions and misinformation (as I discuss in Chapter 1), but that doesn’t mean you can discount all risks. CBD can react negatively with other medications — see the preceding sections — and even your own individual physiology. What’s more, not all physicians have a deep understanding of CBD as a treatment, so getting professional guidance may take some doing. The following sections take a look at some of these factors.
Finding a doctor versed in CBD
Because legal medicinal cannabis is fairly new and not currently widespread in the United States, you may have some trouble locating a doctor knowledgeable enough to help you plan and implement your treatment. I have found that doctors tend to be more cautious if they don’t have experience with cannabis as medicine.
Fortunately, with the rise of CBD and the hopeful future of cannabis legalization in the United States, you have increasing options for reaching Western and Eastern practitioners who have experience with making recommendations. Many of these resources are going to be focused on the full-spectrum, THC-containing cannabis, but a good cannabis doctor can help evaluate the benefits and risks of CBD as well. If your state allows medical cannabis, don’t hesitate to get a medical cannabis card and talk to a practitioner about the implications.
PRACTICE SAVVY LABEL READING
When an exploding market has so many different offerings, how do you know what to buy? Any CBD product meant for ingestion or commercial use must be tested. Here are a few guidelines:
A COA (certificate of authenticity) should be available to you as the buyer.
The CBD concentration should be listed clearly on the packaging.
Hemp seed oil is not CBD oil.
The place you purchase from should be reputable without question; that is, don’t buy from just any old gas station.
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