You’ve read the articles and heard the stories: Cannabidiol (CBD) changes people’s lives. From calling it “Nature’s Xanax” to the baffling amount of products out there, you figure ‘Why not give it a try?”, right? 

You do your research and find that CBD may reduce inflammation, ease painful muscles and joints, help you sleep, relieve anxiety, and even give you a sense of calm. So, there, you’ve decided. You want to see what all the buzz is about and experience the magic for yourself. 

You find a brand, you buy the product, you get that package on your doorstep, and then…NOTHING.

Now, you’re thinking, is all this CBD hype just a scam? Is it just “snake oil”? You’re wondering if you just wasted your money.

Sound familiar? 

If you have tried CBD without getting the desired effect, know that you are not the only one. However, that does not mean CBD is fake and the industry nothing but a scam. Before you give up completely and think people who are into CBD are just full of it, consider that there may be a reason the CBD supplement you bought may not be working for you.

This article will guide you through the 8 possible reasons CBD is not working for you and why you are not getting the life changing benefits CBD has brought to so many others.

The 8 reasons CBD may not be working for you;

1- You purchased a poor-quality CBD product

2-You’re taking the improper CBD dosage

3-You haven’t used CBD long enough

4-CBD can’t fix an unhealthy lifestyle

5-You have unrealistic expectations

6-You’re not using the proper consumption method

7-You may have a tolerance to CBD

8-You’re endocannabinoid system is adjusting

1. You purchased a poor-quality CBD product.

As it grows in popularity, CBD supplements are popping up everywhere, from gas stations to quick-service retailers. You may have even been offered free samples if you just pay shipping.

Unfortunately, scammers are taking advantage of people and not labeling products honestly or accurately. In fact, many of these products are very low quality and may not even have any CBD in them!

One group of researchers did a study of 84 CBD products and found that only 31% of them contained the amount of CBD that had been advertised. The FDA actually sends warning letters to these companies, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

The next time you are looking for a CBD product, the number one thing you need to check for is third-party lab results. If a company does not share lab results of their products, it’s very possible their products are not trustworthy and they may be misrepresenting the amount of CBD contained or have harmful contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.

CBD companies should be fully transparent and share a certificate of analysis for every product they have so consumers don’t have to blindly trust their CBD products contain the promised amount of CBD and are free from harmful contaminants. In fact, the best brands typically have a QR code on their products to make it easy to see these lab results. 

2. You’re taking the improper CBD dosage.

There are many misguided expectations about what the effect of CBD is and how long it takes to experience these feelings. While it’s true that some users feel noticeable effects right away, this is not usually the case. Like most nutritional products, it usually can take a few weeks of consistent daily use to observe a real impact.

The misconception that CBD is a miracle cure and works immediately is damaging because many first time users find themselves disappointed when they don’t get the desired effect right away. When using CBD supplements for health benefits, it’s important to set realistic expectations and recognize it takes time, patience, and awareness. 

CBD is very individual and trial and error is required. 

Many people report that a good starting CBD dosage is somewhere between 20 to 50mg per day, while others take upwards of 100mg a day. This brings us to the question of bottle potency. Many products contain around 10mg per dropper, so trying to take an effective dose is challenging, expensive, and overall ineffective. 

In other words, that cheap bottle containing 250 to 500 mg of CBD is giving you what you pay for. To work out the dose of the product you are looking to purchase is fairly simple. Take the full CBD value and divide it by however many milliliters is in the bottle. 

For example, Wisdom Essentials CBD tinctures all have 1000 mg of Cannabidiol in a 30ml bottle. 

1000 / 30 = 33mg of CBD per dropper. 

3. You haven’t used CBD long enough.

Exploring the effects of CBD is not as simple as taking a couple of Motrin and calling it a day. While it’s true some people report they receive almost immediate benefits from CBD, many people say it can take a few weeks to really get the benefits. 

Give yourself time. Adjust your doses and try to keep a journal of your daily doses and any changes. You will find your sweet spot once your endocannabinoid system, or ECS, is in balance. 

Again: one size does not fit all. Patience is key, and while it may be frustrating to keep trying with little results, you may end up feeling very grateful that you didn’t give up.

The fact is, the long term effects of CBD, such as its anti-inflammatory properties, require daily use for two to four weeks for the benefits to be felt. It takes a little time for CBD to interact with your body’s cannabinoid receptors and the immune system to trigger a response from your cells creating pain-killing, anti-inflammatory effects.

According to Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, MD, Ph.D. Professor of Neurobiological Psychiatry, “The most effective neuropathic pain relief occurs after at least one week of daily CBD treatment”. In other words, even though some people have quick reactions and success, CBD supplements take a little time to affect balance in our bodies.

4. CBD can’t fix an unhealthy lifestyle.

Harsh, but true. CBD supplements, as the name implies, build on top of your diet and lifestyle. It’s not a cure-all. 

It helps support your bodily balance, but it can’t make up for everything, especially a bad diet, lack of exercise, over-drinking, and so on. In order to get the full benefits of CBD and maintain true wellness, you need to take care of all the pieces of the puzzle. Learn more about mind, body, spirit health. 

5. You have unrealistic expectations.

Are you expecting to feel a buzz? You may be mistaking CBD for its cousin, THC. 

CBD is non-psychoactive and, therefore, will not give you a “buzz” or make you feel “high”. CBD is not intoxicating in any way. Instead, it can give you a sense of calm, or relaxation which some people may equate to a “body high”, but you will not get “stoned”.

Most report that CBD doesn’t make you feel anything, and that it’s more of what you don’t feel. It takes away feelings of stress, discomfort, or anxiety. It leaves you with less tension, inflammation, and pain, which results in a sense of wellbeing and relaxation. It may be subtle for some but profoundly impactful.

6. You’re not using the proper consumption method.

It seems like there is a new CBD product coming out every day. You can find everything from CBD toothpicks, pillows, coffee, and lube. So, if you have been trying a consumption method with lackluster results it’s possible a different form may work better for you.

Here are some common forms of CBD:

• Tinctures
• Vape Oils
• Topicals
• Capsules
• Drinks
• Powders
• Edibles, such as gummies or chocolates

A factor to consider is bioavailability which refers to how much of the CBD you take actually gets into your bloodstream. For example, if you eat or drink a CBD product, it has to go through your digestive tract and liver before you absorb it and the amount that ends up in your system is going to be low.

On the other hand, if you take a CBD tincture sublingually (which means under your tongue), you’re absorbing it directly into your bloodstream. This way, you will get a higher dose which will affect your body quicker and get more noticeable results with a tincture than a product that has to go through your digestive system to process it.

The most effective method also varies on what type of relief you are looking for. For instance, a topical balm won’t help you with stress or anxiety where a tincture could but that same topical balm could give you great relief for your sore muscles or aching joints.

7. You may have a tolerance to CBD.

As with dosage, timeline and strength, you may have a high tolerance to CBD naturally. This could be because of genetics or metabolism. In fact, a psychiatry professor noted as many as 20% of people may have a genetic mutation that makes them naturally produce more endocannabinoids which is similar to cannabinoids but produced by your body. If this is you, you will likely want to increase your dose a little more.

If you’ve been taking CBD for some time and it suddenly stops working, you may possibly have hit your tolerance level. You can fix this by taking a short break for a few days and then going back to your regular dosing routine. Reset breaks have been reported as a beneficial strategy for those who often use CBD.

8. Your endocannabinoid system is adjusting.

Just like a fingerprint, each person has a unique endocannabinoid system (ECS) that responds differently to CBD. The ECS is one of the largest systems in the human body and is made up of millions of cannabinoid receptors throughout your central and peripheral nervous systems. It supports your body in maintaining equilibrium in response to environmental changes including stress.

Scientists around the world are still studying to understand the ECS fully. Nevertheless, studies show that our ECS is responsible for vital human functions and processes such as:

• Stress response and sleep regulation
• Cardiovascular system
• Mood, memory and social behavior
• Digestive processes
• Neuroprotection and muscle movement
• Inflammation and pain

Our bodies are filled with neurotransmitters and receptors (CB1 and CB2) mostly primed to interact with cannabinoids. However, for many reasons some people have deficient ECS that take time to “activate” to a level where cannabinoids and the ECS interact at a high enough level to create change.

In other words, everyone’s ECS is unique in its makeup and functionality. Just like anything else in your body, you may have more or less receptors than the person next to you and those receptors may even function differently as well.

Overall, you can have the wondrous effects of CBD that everyone else is raving about. If you have yet to experience it, just be patient. Give your body time, adjust your dosage, and keep track of any changes. You will find your sweet spot once your body is in balance with your new regimen. 

If you are interested in giving CBD a try, take a look through our shop of carefully curated CBD products.