Can Excessive Consumption of CBD Oil Kill You?
Recent reports say an increase in the number of THC-related emergency-room visits. This has made many worried if CBD overdose causes the same. So, what happens when you take higher doses of CBD? Can CBD overdose kill you? Let’s discuss.
What is CBD?
CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the active compounds present in marijuana. It doesn’t deliver psychoactive effects as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). CBD is effective in fighting anxiety, insomnia, pain, etc.
CBD can be obtained from both marijuana and hemp plants. But, only hemp-derived CBD (with less than 0.3 percent THC) is legal in the United States as per the Farm Bill of 2018. However, CBD products containing THC content greater than 0.3 percent are considered marijuana, and you require a rec from 420 doctors to access them legally. Different states have different regulations for THC and CBD. Before using them, make sure you check them carefully.
In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a CBD oral solution, for treating two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet syndrome, in patients aged 2 years and above.
Is CBD Toxic?
Toxicity is the amount of a substance that can cause harm to the body. However, low doses of some toxic substances, such as cyanide, don’t cause harmful effects.
So, determining the concentration of CBD that causes harmful effects to the body is important. Some lab studies show that 20g of CBD appears to deliver toxic effects.
That means, to become toxic, you must ingest 20g of CBD in one day. This seems impossible because of various reasons. Firstly, CBD takes 8-32 hours to metabolize completely. Secondly, not everyone can afford this amount of CBD.
Overdosing on CBD
There’s a wide range of CBD products with different concentrations of CBD and THC available in the market. CBD isolates don't contain any THC content, and they can cause mild adverse effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, sleepiness, etc. Some medical reports and anecdotal evidence say that CBD doesn’t deliver major health risks.
What if you consume too much CBD oil? Can you overdose on CBD? The answer is no. In some cases, CBD can cause some side-effects, such as dry mouth, drowsiness, sedation, diarrhea, and change in appetite.
However, the WHO (World Health Organization) says that there are no adverse effects associated with CBD and it doesn’t cause overdose or addiction issues. CBD doses (1500 mg daily) are well-tolerable in humans.
How much CBD is too much? Well, it is different for everyone. This is because everyone’s system processes CBD differently.
Can you mix CBD with other drugs? When taken with other medicines, CBD can influence their effects. Medical experts recommend not to combine CBD with medicines that come with a grapefruit warning. Grapefruit inhibits the liver enzymes that cannabidiol blocks.
It’s important to buy CBD oils from trusted sources. This is because the CBD industry in the United States is unregulated. In some trials, the FDA found many of the CBD products not containing the amount of cannabidiol they advertised. The agency is studying the unsafe levels of certain substances, such as pesticides, heavy metals, THC, etc. in CBD products.
Can You Build a Tolerance to CBD?
It doesn’t seem so. Building a tolerance to a drug makes you consume higher amounts, which can lead to toxicity.
However, long-term use of THC can lead to developing a tolerance to it. This is because it interacts directly with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for controlling important bodily functions. Consuming CBD products with higher levels of THC can lead to tolerance-related issues. So, make sure you check the concentration of THC when buying CBD.
CBD acts as an antagonist to CB1 receptors. In other words, the processing of CBD is opposite to that of THC. In other words, CBD prevents overactivation of the endocannabinoid system, thus reducing the risks of anxiety and depression.
To receive the desired health benefits from CBD oils, you need to learn how to dose them. Dosing CBD depends on various factors, such as the severity of your condition, your body’s metabolism rate, weight, age, etc. If you are a beginner, take smaller doses initially and increase gradually.
In Conclusion
CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that doesn’t cause overdose issues. If you have consumed higher amounts of CBD, you may experience some side-effects such as dry mouth, dizziness, etc. But, consuming too much CBD won’t kill you. Some lab studies show that taking 20g of CBD in one day can cause harmful effects, but this seems practically impossible.
Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t directly interact with the endocannabinoid system. So, it doesn’t lead to overactivation of the ECS, thus reducing the risks of anxiety. Instead, it delivers calming and sedative effects.
If you are considering CBD oil for health benefits, make sure you dose it properly. Everyone has a different condition and requires different doses to ease their symptoms. Other factors affecting the optimal dose are metabolism, age, body weight, etc. So, before using CBD, seek professional help from your doctor.
