How to Use CBD Products 

You can use a drop of CBD oil or tincture, a dollop of cream, or a paddle-full of CBD salve. You can stick on a section of a CBD patch, eat gummies or chocolate, and can even vape or smoke hemp flower. With all these CBD oil use methods available, it’s difficult to decide how you’ll use it. We weren’t born knowing how to use CBD so here is a review of dosage forms for standard CBD products and what people use them for.

How to use CBD Tincture and Oil Drops

Pros:

The best thing about CBD drops is they are easy to dose and are more bioavailable. They are faster than other edibles and are long-lasting. At some companies, like Hempexco, they can also be customized with terpene enhancement. For instance, if you use CBD products to promote and support sleep, you might ask them to add unique terpene blends to enhance this feature. 

Tinctures and oils also avoid the liver’s first-pass effect.

First-pass metabolism is a process that occurs when a substance (like a drug or food) is absorbed from the digestive tract and travels to the liver via the portal vein. The liver, being a major organ for detoxification, metabolizes or breaks down the substance before it reaches the general circulation.

This can significantly reduce the bioavailability (the amount of the substance that enters the bloodstream and becomes available to exert its effects) of the substance.

Factors that can influence first-pass metabolism include:

• Liver function: A healthy liver is more efficient at metabolizing substances.
• Route of administration: Oral administration (swallowing) is more likely to be subject to first-pass metabolism than other routes (like injection or inhalation).
• Chemical structure of the substance: Some substances are more easily metabolized by the liver than others.

Why is first-pass metabolism important? Understanding first-pass metabolism is crucial in drug development and administration. It helps to explain why the oral dosage of a drug is often higher than the intravenous dosage, as the oral route is subject to greater first-pass metabolism. Additionally, it can influence the design of drug delivery systems that can bypass first-pass metabolism, such as sublingual or transdermal administration.

Cons:

Drops can be inconvenient; who wants to carry a bottle of CBD oil in a backpack or purse to have it open up and spill? 

Uses: Most people use tinctures and topicals to support day-to-day activities and mobility, support recovery from inflammation, and support sleep. Some use it before medicating with cannabis to decrease the unwanted side effects.

See our post about The Pros and Cons of Hemp CBD Tinctures 

How to use CBD Topicals

Pros:

Creams and lotions avoid the first-pass effect of the liver and are also more localized. They are easier to carry around. Each form of topical also has a different purpose. 

• Hemp-infused patches are very convenient, can be cut to match the affected area’s size, and are long-acting.
• CBD creams penetrate fast and also feel good on the skin.
• Lotions with CBD oil also move through skin rapidly, feel smooth, and are easy to dose by spray.
• Bath bombs penetrate quickly. Some companies, like Hempexco, make CBD bath bombs that foam even in cold water ice baths.

Cons:

Patches can be expensive for repeated use. While CBD lotions can be easy to carry around, creams often come in pots and can be inconvenient. Topicals must be applied often for the desired level of support.

Uses: People use CBD topicals for healthy joint and muscle support and sometimes combine them with terpene enhancement to promote healthy sleep cycles. 

CBD Flower and Vape

Pros:

Flower is great for people who need support fast. Hemp CBD flower has terpenes that grow naturally with the plant, which means you want to choose a CBD flower strain based on the type of support you want.

Cons:

Smoking is not good for you! If you must smoke it, the experts at Hempexco suggest using flower in a dry herb vaporizer for safety so you will avoid inhaling carcinogenic smoke. 

These forms are not discrete and are sometimes inconvenient. Most people report 120 minutes of relief but they say it is rapid-onset. Generally, when considering methods of how to use CBD, many people don’t even think about smoking flower.

Uses: Usually used for immediate effects alongside a long-acting product for long-term support. Many people prefer hemp flower for unwanted side effects from other medications.

How to use CBD Edibles

Pros:

Like CBD tinctures and oil drops, most people like hemp-infused edibles for long-acting support. They are delicious, and can come to you as gummies, chocolate, and even CBD coffee and tea! Be aware that lozenges and other forms you would ingest slowly may give you longer-lasting support but will take longer to begin working. Most forms are very convenient.

Cons:

Edibles can be expensive, and dosing can be an issue with small high-dose gummies. Cutting up a 25mg gummy to have 5mg is not the best use of a sharp knife. Sometimes they have a medicinal taste depending on what type of CBD is used. 

Also, people will bum any edibles that taste good! Hide them in your pocket.

Uses: Most people use them daily and enjoy them with botanicals to support tranquility, sleep cycles, exercise recovery, and joint health. You can divide your full day’s dose into two or three parts every 8-12 hours as needed.

Now that you know how to use CBD products, we invite you to shop hempexco’s collection of handmade, pharmacist-formulated CBD products. As always, if you have questions or want some more specific advice, please contact our pharmacist at karen@hempexco.com. We’re happy to help you find the best CBD for you. 

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