Because of the internet, people are more aware than ever of the risks, side effects and benefits of food supplements and medicines. With the case of CBD, it’s a blurred line between the two. Cannabidiol is one of 113 Cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant with a reported range of benefits, hence its sudden rise in popularity over the past decade. Now a multi-billion pound industry, a lack of regulation and some uncertainty about what it does to the body and mind pose the common question – are there any side effects with CBD?
First of all, we need to make it clear – CBD is not the same as smoking recreational cannabis, also often referred to as marijuana or ‘Weed’. While smoking cannabis contains a high amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which acts as the key psychoactive in the cannabis plant that causes the ‘high’ among smokers, CBD as a legally sold product over the counter and online in the UK is supposed to contain very small amounts of THC, which do not cause the high related to marijuana. Nevertheless, because CBD is classed as a food supplement and still in its infancy, this means barely any regulations are in place to uphold high standards across Europe and worldwide.
Is it Safe to Use CBD Every Day?
Generally speaking, CBD should be safe to use on a day to day basis. Its side effects are supposed to be minimal (if at all) depending on the person who takes them. While more research is carried out, it’s often advised by manufacturers, medical professionals, distributors and online marketplaces to read the labels carefully, beginning on a small dose and working your way up as required to get the right strength. CBD is considered safe to use in the UK and possible to sell legally to consumers because of the very low levels of THC in CBD. Ideally you should look for a CBD brand demonstrating certificates of authenticity to back up what they say they put in the product.
What are the Common Short and Long Term Side Effects?
It’s not just medicines that can cause side effects but it’s the case with food supplements too. When you ingest too many of the same supplement, for example, it can sometimes create an adverse effect on the body. Each person reacts differently whatever the supplement, so how you take CBD, the quantity or strength and for how long makes a key difference. While it’s often recommended by CBD companies to start low and work your way up to the correct dosage for the individual, short term and long term side effects can still occur. Short term effects include:
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Mixing it with alcohol can lead to sedation
This can also happen long term if you continue to take the same CBD product and it’s still negatively impacting your body. Should you persist and react badly, whether you vape CBD, ingest it through gummies or sublingually via CBD oils, it could also cause a chemical reaction mentally or physically, leading to:
- Frequently reduced appetite
- Anxiety
- Change to mood
- Dry mouth
- Mix with other medicines to damage the body
- Low blood pressure
- Liver damage
How Does it Make You Feel?
Relaxation, a sense of tranquillity sweeping through your body, improved sleep and the power to help relieve inflammation. The list of potential benefits that CBD can give when consuming CBD oil or vaping CBD is just as long a list as the possible side effects. Rest assured if you pick the right CBD with high-quality ingredients from a respected brand, you stand a good chance of a positive feeling, compared to a negative impact. What you need to watch is the amount you take, because of its biphasic effect. This means you need to be careful and try to find the happy medium – when your dosage goes up the effectiveness will begin to wear off. As we stated earlier, CBD vaping does work quicker than CBD oil drops orally.
However, generally, it can take days, weeks and sometimes even months before you can see changes to your mind and body. While CBD lacks research and scientific studies on its benefits (the majority of these to date have been done on animals), it may take some years before we know the full extent of how it can make a person feel taking CBD. What’s important to remember is providing you selected a regulated CBD that follows the guidelines of a governing body, such as the Cannabis Trade Association who clamp down on misleading or falsified CBD products, you’ll know as a consumer that you’re vaping a CBD e-liquid or ingesting a CBD oil that can make a noticeable difference.
If it has a very low amount of THC, you will not feel the same effect that people get from smoking cannabis containing high amounts of THC, which is advised against by the likes of the NHS due to its increased risk of developing psychotic illnesses and a dependency on the product. For further information about potential side effects, you can read our other articles below on related topics and the reported myths surrounding the subject of CBD vs THC.
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