Why Do I Need to Put CBD Under My Tongue
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Author: Jason Beverly
These studies have brought us more insight into the ways that CBD can be medicinally beneficial and increased our understanding of each administration method. Millions utilize the marijuana plant’s non-psychoactive component every day for countless reasons, so there is luckily no shortness of information out there to get you started on your CBD journey.
In recent years, the widespread popularity of cannabidiol, most commonly referred to as CBD, has captured interest amongst the masses, sparking progress in areas of research, and has thus allowed for the growth in options for consumers.
How Do I Take CBD Oil Under My Tongue?
As there are many options for taking CBD available on the market today, finding the right method for you will depend on your preference. Many choose to take their CBD in the form of an oil tincture by placing a few drops under their tongue and it is often recommended to those trying CBD for the first time. This method, known as sublingual administration, works because the area beneath the tongue has numerous capillaries and the mucous membranes there have a brisk ability to absorb, making the sublingual method the fastest way to get CBD into the bloodstream. While there is no exact “dosage” of CBD and the amount of CBD concentrate per bottle will vary, a great starting point would be to put five drops (roughly 1 mL at a 500 mg dose) under the tongue for one minute before swallowing. This can be done three times a day or as needed, depending on how you wish to adjust your dosages after familiarizing yourself with the process.
Tinctures of CBD that you place under your tongue are not the same as distilled vape cartridges; this is a common mistake made amongst new consumers due to the visual similarities between CBD tincture bottles and vape juice bottles, among other factors. Vape oils are formulated in a particular way that allows them to be atomized easier and they are not for ingestion. Additionally, it is important to tell your doctor before you plan to use CBD because they will be able to tell you if your current medications list (which will include both prescription and over-the-counter medicines) allows you to do so safely. Researchers at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine found 57 medications to cause serious and possibly dangerous drug interactions with cannabinoids. This is a comprehensive list, but it is still important to ask your medical physician first as not every medication listed is affected by just CBD products; some are only affected by THC and some medications may not even be mentioned.
How Does Using CBD Under the Tongue Work?
One of the benefits of using CBD oil under the tongue is the little risk of degradation that the compound will suffer on its way to the bloodstream. Through this method, the CBD only needs to worry about salivary enzymes, whereas taking a CBD gummy orally would degrade the compound as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract, thus lessening the bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the portion of any given compound that enters circulation once it has been brought into the body. Studies published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information tell us that if you take CBD by letting it dissolve and diffuse under the tongue, the absorption rate will be 13-19%, and in some cases, it can be up to 35%. In contrast, a CBD gummy taken orally has the bioavailability of 10-20% and even can be as low as 6%.
Do I Swallow CBD Oil?
You can safely swallow CBD oil as opposed to placing the product under your tongue, but the bioavailability will be much lower than it is when CBD is absorbed sublingually. Swallowing the small remaining liquid that may be left over after using the sublingual method to take CBD is safe to do and it will be absorbed into your blood through the gastrointestinal tract. However, swallowing your dosage of CBD instead of holding it under your tongue means the effects may start to kick in 45 minutes to up to two hours later.
Due to the absorption rate falling on the lower end when CBD is taken via the oral route, you may realize that you will need to take more to get a parallel effect. Nonetheless, if waiting a while longer for effects to begin and using, and therefore buying, more tincture products is well within reasonable parameters in your mind, then it is completely fine to swallow CBD oil.
What Are Some Other Ways of Taking CBD?
Aside from tinctures, CBD comes in the form of various candies, vape pens and cartridges, snacks, lotions, and more. Caramels, gummy bears, and cinnamon hard candies are just some of the edible choices for CBD products, and there are capsules of CBD that can be swallowed as well if straightforward methods are more your style. Vape pens are inexpensive and simple to operate, so for those who vape their CBD in the pen’s attachable cartridges, an absorption rate of 34-46% is the range of possibility.
For anyone wanting an extra special treat, CBD-infused cereals, nuts, and even cheese flavored crunchy, puffed corn chips are sold in some parts of the U.S. and online. External uses only apply, but for joint and muscle pain, CBD topicals, balms, and lotions have become staples to many, including those suffering from arthritis, due to the naturally occurring compound’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
What Has CBD Been Clinically Proven to Help With?
In studies conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), researchers found CBD to possess pharmacological activity and determined CBD to give many (but not all) of the therapeutic aids that CBD retailers claim in their marketing. It was reported that CBD is neuroprotective, meaning that it can be helpful in the managing of certain symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), and multiple sclerosis (MS) to name a few.
They found that CBD is effective in reducing chronic neuropathic pain and has anti-inflammatory capabilities to help patients with diseases like murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and Crohn’s disease. Anyone dealing with intense nausea can find CBD to be of anti-emetic use and those with sleep difficulties can find comfort in the sedating effects too. Moreover, this research also concluded that CBD has the power to tame spasticity and tremors in MS patients and even ward off the adverse anxiety effects of taking marijuana that contains THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the main active ingredient of the cannabis sativa plant that makes a person feel “high”.
Conclusion
Commonly, people are using CBD oil under their tongue as the most basic, quickest method to administer and begin to reap the compound’s many clinically studied and proven perks. Fortunately, if taking CBD through a tincture isn’t for you, loads of other alternatives exist that are available to experiment with, no matter what you’re using CBD for. Getting started is exciting, but it’s always best to do your research first to ensure you’ll be getting the most bang for your buck out of the CBD products you buy.
