CBD has made a grand entrance onto the scene in recent years considering its many health benefits, but it’s still relatively new. With products on the market including full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD, CBD isolate, CBD tincture, and most recently, CBD oil gummies, the research is continuing to grow in a positive direction. Naturally, if you’re someone that loves gummies and wants to enter the CBD space, you might have a few questions:
- How long for CBD gummies to kick in?
- When and how often should I take them?
- How long do CBD gummies last?
- Will it stay in my system for long?
- And maybe even, do CBD gummies work at all?
There are many factors to consider, and your questions may not have the perfectly straightforward answer you’d like-your body chemistry is unlike anyone else’s. But that doesn’t mean you can’t equip yourself with the proper knowledge to understand how CBD edible gummies work and what to expect.
Key takeaways:
- Gummies are a type of ingested edible that has to move through the digestive system before taking effect; this means they typically take longer to start working but longer to wear off, too.
- Several factors impact how long it takes before your CBD gummy kicks in, including body weight, metabolism, and recent meals.
- CBD doesn’t provide the same “high” feeling as THC, so it may be hard to tell precisely when it starts working. Be patient, and up your dosage as needed.
How Long Does CBD Gummies Take to Work?
CBD is a hemp plant extract associated with many benefits, such as enhanced muscle recovery, increased relaxation, improved pain management. There are many ways to use CBD products, with different absorption times for each method. No matter how you consume your CBD content, the active ingredients eventually make their way into the bloodstream-it’s only a matter of time (literally):
- Edibles – CBD oil gummies are a type of edible, just like CBD oil-infused brownies or lollipops and lozenges. There is a difference, however, in how you consume the CBD edible:
- Ingested – Chewable edibles can take longer to come into effect. They have to go all the way through the digestive system, into the liver (where the CBD concentration is somewhat reduced by the liver’s enzymes ), before finally entering the bloodstream and subsequently taking effect. This process can span 30, 60, and even 90+ minutes, depending on other factors.
- Absorbed sublingually – Lollipops, gum, and lozenges are edibles that you don’t swallow. Instead, they take a much shorter path to the bloodstream: through the mucus membranes in your mouth, specifically through the blood vessels under your tongue. This direct route typically allows the CBD product to produce results quicker.
- Tinctures – CBD oil tincture is often administered sublingually-under the tongue-as well. You can also choose to swallow it, but this roundabout route will take longer, as with edibles.
- Topical creams – This localized method of absorption is for acute aches and pains in certain body parts. The skin receptors usually have a low absorption rate, so creams can take up to an hour and a half for peak effectiveness and should be used abundantly.
- CBD vape pen or pre-rolls – Inhalation is another speedy delivery method, because the CBD concentration goes straight into the lungs, which have a direct line to the bloodstream. You may feel the effects as soon as a few minutes later.
Different CBD products, from topical CBD to CBD edibles and CBD gummies, can be used in different ways and therefore, work differently. So, how long does it take for CBD gummies to work, specifically? Generally speaking, taking your CBD gummy about one hour before you want the effects to kick in is a safe bet. However, you may notice the impact a little sooner. It typically comes down to the user.
Affecting Factors:
Additionally, the exact time frame depends on a few factors (plus a couple of unknown variables):
- Empty or full stomach – Your CBD gummy has to be fully digested and absorbed before you’ll notice any benefits. If your stomach is full of non-CBD foods, the digestive system must work harder and longer before it breaks everything down. On an empty stomach, however, your CBD gummy is the only thing to dissolve.
- Metabolism – Your metabolism is a set of invaluable bodily processes, including converting food to proteins, acids, carbohydrates, and energy for your cells to function. In this case, your CBD gummy is one of the many things that your body breaks down. With a faster metabolism, you’ll more quickly absorb the CBD properties of your edible.
- Body composition – Your body is full of variable factors that can influence how you process and absorb CBD extract. This includes:
- Bodyweight and mass – Heavier people often require more CBD extract to feel the same effects. In turn, it takes longer to process this higher CBD concentration.
- Habitual medications – Certain prescription drugs can alter the speed with which your body digests substances, CBD infused gummies included.
- Digestive enzymes – Gastric enzymes are responsible for breaking down the food you ingest, which helps your body absorb the nutrients. Their speed and efficiency may be affected by certain stimuli, such as high stress.
It’s hard to give a precise answer about how long gummies take to start working with so many factors to consider. Your friend may feel the effects after only 30 minutes, while you don’t notice a thing until almost two hours later.
Over time, you’ll start to notice what your “average” looks like and how some of these variables might increase or decrease that typical absorption speed.
Important note: CBD doesn’t provide the same “high” or “stoned” feeling as THC, so it can be a little tougher to determine exactly when the effects kick in. You may be wondering, “How many CBD gummies should I eat?”. If you’re still not sure whether it’s working after several hours, you may want to consider upping your dosage next time around-remember to start small and build up slowly to avoid any potential side effects.
Also, should you have any concerns, it’s wise to consult your doctor prior to adding CBD into your wellness routine.
How Long Does CBD Gummies Last?
Your body is a complex, unique organism. The same factors that affect your CBD gummies’ onset will also affect the duration of experienced benefits.
Affecting Factors:
Again, it’s different for everyone, but here are a few noticeable variables that may impact how long you get to enjoy your gummies:
- Body composition & exercise – CBD is a fat-soluble compound, meaning we store a portion of it in our fat cells. It takes longer for people with a higher percentage of body fat to flush their system completely. Intense, fat-burning exercise may expedite the process.
- Metabolism – Your metabolism affects both how long a CBD gummy will last and how long it takes to kick in, in a similar but somewhat inverse way:
- If your metabolism works quickly, you’ll likely feel the effects sooner, but they’ll be more short-lived. Your body will flush the CBD out of your system faster—early onset, earlier fade out.
- If you have a slower metabolism, your body needs more time to process and break down the components. The CBD might take longer to come into effect but also longer to go out of effect.
- Recent food intake – A full stomach will similarly slow your digestion and metabolism—more contents to work through—whereas an empty stomach will do the opposite.
- The potency of the gummy – Stronger gummies will take longer to move through your system entirely. This also impacts how long the CBD remains in your system, which we’ll discuss in more depth shortly.
How Long Will CBD Last in My System?
Even after the effects have worn off, the CBD may still be in your system. The same is true of many substances that you ingest.
This is because of CBD’s half-life. All substances and compounds have a unique half-life, which is the time it takes for the body to eliminate half of the initial concentration. Researchers and scientists have not yet been able to nail down the exact half-life of CBD, but estimates hover around a day or more-some say 18-32 hours, others claim one or two days.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that CBD’s half-life is 24 hours. Here’s what would happen in your body after a single dose of 100 mg CBD product:
- Immediately upon consumption: 100 mg
- 24 hours after consumption: 50 mg
- 48 hours after consumption: 25 mg
- 72 hours after consumption: 12.5 mg
- And so on, at this same rate
There’s no definitive answer, but a lot of sources point to the same approximate conclusion: CBD likely remains in your system for about five days or more, in decreasing concentrations. Does CBD show up on a drug test?
When Should I Take My CBD Gummies?
As you can probably guess, there’s no one-time-fits-all recommendation for CBD users. Some CBD users pop in a few each morning; others take their CBD gummies a couple of hours before bedtime-this depends on how long it takes for them to kick in, how long they last, and, in part, on why you’re using CBD in the first place:
- Energy and focus – If CBD helps you feel rejuvenated and in high spirits, a gummy or two first thing in the morning will set you up for a good day. If you feel the effects start to wear off midday, you may want to split your dosage half-and-half between the morning and afternoon for a consistent, prolonged result. Taking it too late in the day may, however, result in overstimulation at bedtime.
- Restful nighttime sleep – If you become drowsy and relaxed with CBD, ingest your gummies a couple of hours before you intend to sleep. Two hours should be enough time, but if you find the effects work quickly on you, take them closer to bedtime. The CBD should be out of your system by morning, giving you a good night’s sleep without any morning-after grogginess.
- Aches and strains – As a top tier athlete who needs to soothe their aching muscles while on the go, try taking your CBD gummies spread throughout the day for more consistent relief. If you feel especially roused or restless, take them earlier rather than later.
Find Your Rhythm with Resilience CBD
Everyone’s different. On the one hand, individuality and uniqueness are wonderful; on the other, it makes it a little bit harder to decide when to take your CBD gummies.
This guide can help you make informed decisions about when to schedule your daily doses, but it’s all a matter of trial and error at the end of the day.
Luckily, Resilience CBD gummies come in an easy-to-portion 10 mg concentration that you can take with you wherever. With such convenience, you can pop one in one of our company’s gummies on your way to a stressful meeting, after some hardcore endurance training at the gym, or when you get on the train at the end of a long day.
If it works for you, then it works!
Written by: Michael Tatz | Linkedin
Michael Tatz is the Co-Founder of Resilience CBD, and a passionate leader in the health & fitness world helping others rise to and crush their wildest goals. A former Division 1 college wrestler, Army Officer, and investment manager at Goldman Sachs, he has pushed his body and mind to the limits on the mats, dressed in camo, and in the boardroom.
Today, he spends his time leading Resilience CBD to develop the absolute best recovery products for athletes everywhere. Resilience was founded after CBD personally impacted Michael’s life, and the brand was built to partner with everyday athletes in pursuit of conquering their most difficult challenges, rebounding after their toughest performances, and rising to their goals that once seemed impossible.
