Does CBD Oil Build Up in Your System?

If you have already begun or are planning to begin a CBD regimen, you have likely noted the messaging surrounding the importance of consistency. An experienced CBD user may tell you to begin an oral CBD routine and then wait for the CBD oil to build up in your system over a period of days or even weeks. Without knowing what that process will look or feel like, it’s probably difficult to imagine how you will know when CBD has “built up” to the correct levels – or if it has at all.

Like any new wellness routine, you know you want to maximize the benefits of CBD oil, but you don’t know if every buzzword is worth your consideration. So, is there any truth to the concept of CBD isolate or full spectrum oil building up within your body, and what does that mean on a physiological level? The short answer is yes, but to understand what it will feel like to allow CBD to build up, we must first examine the system that processes the multitude of cannabinoids, terpenes and other impactful CBD compounds swirling within your CBD oils. 

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous, or internal, entity. This is significant because although scientific knowledge of cannabis products is still considered novel and even mysterious, endocannabinoid receptors have likely been a functional part of humans’ internal makeup since the beginning.¹

At base level, the endocannabinoid system is a network of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, which simply means it is responsible for transmitting and modulating neurons in the Central Nervous System (CNS) and Immune System. When cannabinoids found in hemp-derived CBD products enter the endocannabinoid system, they bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors to modulate activity within the nervous system and immune system. The goal: to balance problematic sites and maintain equilibrium by targeting pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia and more.

Can Cannabinoids Build Up at Receptors?

How long CBD stays in your system is a product of dosage and consistency. Although cannabinoids do bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors, the concept of CBD building up is in reference to the bloodstream. It’s a simple formula: The more CBD present in blood plasma, the greater the chance of cannabinoids consistently binding to receptors and producing effects. So, when you ingest a specific CBD isolate or full spectrum dosage consistently, CBD levels within the blood are maintained at your desired level, producing the benefits that best align with your health and wellness goals.

How Do We Metabolize CBD?

The way your body processes CBD is as individualized as the human body is unique. For instance, people with fast metabolisms and more muscle mass will likely process CBD metabolites via the digestive tract more rapidly. How fast CBD moves through the body is also dependent on the concentration of pure CBD isolate versus full or broad spectrum CBD with additional THC metabolites. That’s why CBD quality is no small matter, as CBD oil effects can only be measured when isolate or full spectrum CBD products are sourced from reliable retailers. Luckily, Farmulated’s CBD is derived from hemp grown on our family farm and our premium CBD products are made utilizing the safest supercritical CO2 extraction method, then third-party tested for maximum transparency.

How Long Does CBD Oil Stay in Your System?

The reason consistency is key when beginning a CBD regimen boils down to CBD’s half-life. Nearly all substance retention is measured by half-life, or the time it takes a substance to be eliminated by half within the blood plasma.² CBD has a relatively short half-life of up to two days,² with other estimates showing shorter spans. If we look at half-life in terms of how long it takes your desired dosage to effectively “build up” within your system, a two-day maximum half-life of a single dose of CBD means it will take at least a few days for your CBD dosage to regulate within your system. By the third or fourth day, you should have a better idea of the physical benefits you can expect from your dosage and potency, but once again, it can take longer depending on a few individual factors. Your sex, muscle mass, metabolism and even daily meal choices all play a role in how long CBD remains in the system. High-fat meals, for instance, are associated with longer retention of CBD in the plasma.³ 

Is CBD Building Up or Regulating?

While the concept of CBD building up is not technically wrong, a better way to describe the input-output process of cannabinoids may be CBD regulation. Just as any new medication or substance takes time to regulate, the endocannabinoid system also requires time to process cannabinoids and balance the body accordingly. Only time and consistency can produce the desired physiological effects of a CBD regimen, so if you’re just getting started, don’t feel discouraged if you don’t notice any changes within the first few days. Your body taking time to acclimate to CBD products means it is functioning properly. The next goal: to become the healthiest version of yourself.

 

_Sources:

_{1. Grinspoon, P. (2021, August 11). The Endocannabinoid System: Essential and Mysterious. Harvard Health. Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569}

_{2. Ashton, L. (2022, July 5). How long does CBD stay in your system? CFAH. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://cfah.org/how-long-does-cbd-stay-in-system/}

_{3. Booth, J. (2022, June 16). How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System? Forbes. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/health/body/how-long-does-cbd-stay-in-your-system/}