Can I Overdose On CBD?

By Creative Team May 11, 2022

Can I Overdose On CBD?

Cannabidiol, popularly referred to as CBD, can be extracted from either hemp or marijuana plants. Current research and anecdotal evidence have backed up CBDs potency to help with numerous conditions, including chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and even symptoms of epilepsy.

Being on the rage across the health and wellness markets, many companies sell CBD in the form of oils, gummies, topicals, tinctures, and more. Even with such popularity, however, CBD products are not regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This means that it can be difficult for consumers to know the ideal amount of CBD oil to ingest.

Perhaps you want to join the CBD bandwagon but are concerned about overdosing on CBD? No problem. This article answers the question 'can you overdose on CBD' based on current research findings.

So, Can I Overdose On CBD?

Even before we can delve into CBD and overdoses, it's vital that you understand the meaning of 'overdose.'

In severe cases overdosing means consuming a potentially fatal dosage of a drug. In less severe cases, overdosing simply means accidentally consuming a higher amount than the recommended dose, resulting in unwanted side effects.

CBD is non-intoxicating, meaning that unlike its popular cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD won't get you high.

However, because it possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, and anxiolytic properties, CBD is widely used to manage a boatload of psychological and physical symptoms in people and pets. That explains the wide range of recommended dosages for each symptom.

Technically, it's impossible to overdose on CBD oil. That's because there are no cannabinoid receptors in our brain responsible for the respiratory function.

In fact, there has been no reported case of CBD oil overdose since it was first isolated from the cannabis plants in 1963! However, that is not to mean that you cannot go overboard with the dosing.

How Much CBD Is Too Much?

Understand that studies into cannabis and its derivates, including CBD and THC, are still very early in their infancy. However, the results gathered so far show that CBD is safe and well-tolerated by the body. Generally, the recommended starting dose of CBD for most symptoms is anywhere between 5-20mg of CBD daily.

A 2017 research review found that the human body can safely tolerate up to 1,500mg of CBD per day. To better understand this, a typical CBD tincture bottle contains from 100-1,500mg CBD. This means that your body can safely tolerate an entire bottle of CBD tincture.

According to a 2011 study on the toxic levels of CBD, the dosage of CBD that can be considered 'toxic' falls somewhere around 20,000mg CBD, consumed all at once! To explain this in layman's language, you would have to consume anywhere between 13-200 tincture bottles all at once to ingest 20,000mg of CBD! That's a bit of a stretch, right?

In conclusion, a healthy CBD user needs not worry about consuming too much CBD oil as the body will safely tolerate the recommended daily dose or even much above it. Patients are strongly advised to consult their physician to recommend the ideal CBD dose for their needs.

What Happens When I Take 'Too Much' CBD?

Although CBD is non-intoxicating and well-tolerated in reasonably high doses, it can produce negative but reversible side effects.

Experts and the World Health Organization generally agree that extremely high CBD doses are likely to cause severe stomach upsets, nausea, lethargy, drowsiness, diarrhea, and other unwanted effects, but not death. Even the 'toxic' dose of CBD is not necessarily considered lethal.

The WHO states that CBD is one of the only substances with no risks of dependency or severe side effects. Below are some interesting findings based on a 2011 study:

Extremely high doses of CBD can affect tumor cells but have minimal to negligible effects on non-tumor cells.
Although these findings are still unclear, CBD may cause hormonal changes.
CBD might interact with medications and other drugs, yet these findings are also unclear.
Some studies suggest that CBD does not affect embryonic development.

Too much CBD does not seem to have any fatal consequences. This provides reassurance that consumers can safely experiment with different doses to find the ideal amount that meets their specific needs.

Can I Overdose On CBD Products With THC?

While it's possible to overdose on THC, overdosing on CBD products with THC, aka full-spectrum CBD products, is nearly impossible. The legal THC limit in CBD products is 0.3% or less. This amount of THC is not potent enough to cause a high or any intoxicating effects.

However, very high doses, for instance, consuming 100mg full-spectrum CBD at once, can potentially cause side effects. But really, no one needs 100mg of CBD all at once.

As noted above, it's pretty hard to know what's actually contained in your product. If you ingest a product with high THC amounts than the recommended legal limit, there is a possibility of adverse effects like panic attacks, increased heart rate, and anxiety.

Can CBD Oil Make Me Sick?

High-quality and pure CBD oil extracted from organic hemp without using harmful solvents is considered safe and shouldn't make you sick. Current research shows that CBD oil can effectively help with discomforts like chronic pain; however, no studies or anecdotal reports suggest that CBD can cause one.

Some people have reported feeling sick after using CBD vape cartridges. However, lab tests on the product batches found that the vapes contained harmful additives and contaminants like pesticides and heavy metals.

The CBD market is largely unregulated,. Therefore, before placing an order, you want to go through a products certificate of analysis (COA) to determine its quality, purity, potency, and chemical makeup.

Is CBD Oil Addictive?

Rigorous studies conclude that there is no positive correlation between CBD oil and the risks of addiction or dependency. Remember that CBD is non-intoxicating, and it does not produce the intoxicating high inherent to THC. This reduces the chances of a consumer forming a negative habit around it. Conversely, while some studies propose that CBD can counteract the adverse effects of THC, preliminary research indicates that CBD can help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Final Thoughts

From the above findings, it's safe to say that CBD is well tolerated by the body, even when consumed in reasonably high doses. However, it's important to note that CBD is not completely without risks and can cause mild side effects like changes in appetite, dry mouth, and diarrhea if ingested recklessly.

The good news is that it's impossible to fatally overdose on CBD as you'd need to consume anywhere between 13-200 bottles of CBD to reach a toxic dose- that's quite an exaggerated dose!