How Long Do CBD Gummies Last?
So you finally decided to listen to your friend and buy a bottle of those CBD gummies that your coworker has been telling you that they love to take after work to help them relax and to balance their thoughts. You’ve read some articles online about proper dosage and are now sitting there asking yourself “How long do these gummies last and how long will I have to wait for them to kick in?” Well, you’re not the first CBD newbie to ask these questions and you will certainly not be the last. You asked your friend and just got a shrug and an answer of “Not long,” but you’d like a more specific answer because you have stuff to do and places to be so you hit up Google and Reddit and found that a lot of other people have asked this question before you.
While, unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all simple answer to that question, there is a more reliable answer than when you tried to figure out how many CBD gummies were right for you. This guide should serve to make it easier for you to figure out how long your CBD gummies last and how long it will take before you start enjoying the many benefits CBD gummies provide. You’ve found the answer to the most important question re: how many you should take and we’re here to help answer the second most important question: how long will these CBD gummies last?
By now you know that CBD gummies come in all sorts of different flavors, shapes, CBD concentrations, and formulations. The length of time that CBD edibles like gummies last depends on a variety of factors, including an individual's body chemistry, metabolism, and the quality of CBD oil used. However, on average, CBD EDIBLESlike gummies usually last anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. However, depending on the quality of CBD oil used in high-grade CBD gummies, they can last up to eight hours. This is all influenced by whether or not you have a fast metabolism.
A faster metabolism translates into a faster metabolization and absorption of CBD by your body. Your metabolism, your body composition and fitness level, your most recent consumption of food, and the potency of the gummies can all affect how long you will be able to enjoy your gummies. When it comes to your metabolism, it’s important to note that your metabolism affects both the duration of the effects of CBD gummies and how long it will take to kick in. If you have a relatively quick metabolism, you will be more likely to feel the effects sooner, but they will probably be more short-lived. Your body will process and then remove the CBD from your system faster—faster effects, earlier end. However, if you happen to have a slower metabolism, your body will probably need more time to process and break down the CBD. The CBD might take longer to kick in but also longer to go out of effect.
As for your body composition and fitness, you should note that CBD is a fat-soluble compound, which means that our bodies store a portion of it in our fat cells. It usually takes longer for people with a higher percentage of body fat, or a higher BMI, to completely flush the CBD out of their systems. Intense, fat-burning exercise, such as doing a lot of intense cardio, may speed up the process.
As we mentioned above, how long CBD gummies last can also depend on whether you have recently eaten and on the potency of the gummy. A full stomach can slow your digestion and your metabolism—more stomach contents for the CBD to work through—while an empty stomach will do the opposite and CBD can zip right through it like an empty freeway. Perhaps a no-brainer to you, but stronger, more potent gummies will take longer to move through your system entirely. This also affects how long the CBD remains in your system.
How long does it take to feel the effects?
This is a commonly-asked question and the answer to this question, like the answer to so many other CBD-related questions, will change from person to person. Generally, it will take about an hour after eating a CBD gummy for you to start to feel it but it really can vary between 30 minutes and 90 minutes, depending on a few factors we’ve already discussed. You may notice the effects kick in a little sooner than your friend even if you take them at the same time. It depends on the same factors we covered above that affect how long your CBD gummies last. Namely, whether your stomach is full or empty, your individual metabolism, and your individual body composition.
Eating CBD is one of the slower ways of getting CBD into your system as it takes time for CBD gummies to be fully digested and absorbed before you feel anything. If you have a full stomach, your digestive system will have to work harder and for longer before it can break everything down. However, If your stomach is empty, your CBD gummy is the only thing that needs to be dissolved. If you read the previous blog post, you will recall we discussed bioavailability. If you didn’t, that’s ok. Bioavailability refers to the leftover amount of CBD that circulates in the bloodstream after its ingestion. A certain percentage of CBD is destroyed by your stomach acids so bioavailability can be affected by a full stomach versus an empty stomach. Not all CBD gummies have the same bioavailability so if you want to maximize the bioavailability of your CBD gummies, you might consider buying CBD gummies formulated with added fatty acids such as hemp oil. By that logic, if you eat a meal rich in fatty acids, like fish, you might feel your CBD faster than if you just had a lot of carbs for dinner.
Just as your metabolism will affect how long your CBD gummies last, it will also affect how quickly your CBD gummies start working. Just as your metabolism affects how your body processes food into proteins and carbohydrates, CBD gummies are also a component of your body's breakdown, which is affected by your metabolism. You will absorb CBD more quickly when you have a faster metabolism in your CBD gummy.
When we refer to your body composition, we’re more specifically referring to your body weight and mass, the medication habitually in your body, and your digestive enzymes. When it comes to your weight and mass, you should note that heavier people usually require greater doses of CBD to have the same effect as a smaller person. On the flip side, it can take more time for a heavier person to process this higher CBD concentration. The medications you take regularly can also affect how long it takes for the CBD gummies to kick in. Some prescription drugs can change the rate at which your body digests substances, CBD gummies included. As for your digestive enzymes, gastric enzymes (stomach acids in layman's terms) are responsible for breaking down the food you consume, which assists your body to absorb the nutrients. It’s probably obvious, but when you eat CBD gummies, a certain amount of the CBD will pass through your stomach acids, so a stronger gummy may be required to achieve the same effects that a sublingual tincture or vaporized CBD does might achieve.
When Should I Consider Taking More?
This will generally depend on the effects that you are seeking and the strength of the CBD gummy that you’re consuming. In a nutshell, a lower dose of CBD is better for energy and concentration. Higher doses will help control chronic pain and anxiety, and may even help improve your sleep. In our previous post, we discussed it is best to start with a lower dose in order to determine your own individual response, and if you don’t quite reach your desired effects, you can eat more until you are satisfied. We recommend first eating a CBD gummy with an empty stomach, and then seeing how your system handles it–a blank slate test if will. If, after about an hour you don’t feel anything, try a half of a gummy or, if you’re feeling bold, another full gummy. You’ll most likely start to feel the effects of your CBD gummy after this.
How Many Can You Eat Per Day?
A 2017 study on CBD found that humans can safely consume up to 1500mg of CBD oil per day, but, frankly, that is way too much. Nobody needs to consume that much CBD and too much CBD can lead to unwanted negative side effects. There really isn’t a maximum recommended dosage when it comes to CBD because everyone is different and handles CBD differently. Most people can handle eating a few CBD gummies over the course of a day. Again, how many CBD gummies you can eat per day depends mostly on the strength of your CBD gummies.
How Long Do CBD Gummies Take To Work?
As we discussed above, how long it takes for CBD gummies to work depends on a few factors such as gummy strength and your body. But in a nutshell, it should take between 30 minutes at the short end and 90 minutes at the longer end, with an hour being normal for most people.
How Long Will CBD Last in My System?
Even if this is your first time trying CBD, you’re probably aware that even after the effects of CBD have worn off, the CBD may still be in your system. The same applies to other cannabinoids like THC and delta-8 that you ingest. CBD may remain in your system for some time because of CBD’s half-life. All compounds and substances, such as alcohol, THC, or various medications are subject to a half-life, or a period of time during which one half of their concentration is eliminated from the body. Researchers have not yet nailed down the exact half-life of CBD, but most estimates indicate that the half-life is around a day or more. Some sources say between 18 and 32 hours, while others claim one or two days.
Just as an arbitrary example, let’s say that the half-life of CBD is 24 hours. After consuming a 100mg CBD gummy, your body would have 100mg of CBD in its system immediately after consumption. 24 hours after consumption, your body would have 50mg of CBD in it. 48 hours after consumption, your body would contain 25mg of CBD. 72 hours after consumption, your body would still contain 12.5mg of CBD. By now, you probably get the idea. As you recall from high school chemistry, the concept of a half-life shouldn’t be foreign to you.
So in a nutshell, there is no definitive answer as to how long CBD will last in your system. However, most sources conclude that CBD can remain in your system for about five days, in ever-decreasing concentrations.
You’re most likely asking this question because you’re wondering if CBD will show up on a drug test. If so, then the answer is probably not. The broader answer is: it depends. If the CBD product that you’re consuming is from a reliable manufacturer and contains below 0.3% THC, then it likely won’t trigger a positive result on a drug test. If, however, the CBD in your gummy is impure and happens to have a higher quantity of THC, then you very well might fail a drug test. Basically, if you make sure you BUY HIGH-QUALITY CBD GUMMIESfrom a reliable source, you should be fine.
When Should I Take My CBD Gummies?
Like so many of the answers to the questions on this post, there’s no straight answer for CBD users. Some CBD users eat a few each morning while others pop in a few after work while yet others consume their CBD gummies a couple of hours before bedtime. When you should take your CBD gummies depends on how long it normally takes your CBD gummies to kick in, the duration of the CBD’s effects, and, lastly, on your desired effects and why you’re using CBD in the first place.
If you are taking CBD gummies because you are seeking to treat your aches, pains, and inflammation, when you take your CBD gummies may be different than if you’re seeking to treat other issues. When you take your gummies also depends on the severity of your aches and pains. If you lead an active and athletic lifestyle and you need to soothe your body aches, you might consider spreading your doses throughout the day for more consistent relief.
If you are taking CBD gummies because you want more restful sleep, obviously you would want to take your CBD gummies before you go to sleep. If CBD makes you feel drowsy and relaxed, you should eat your CBD gummies a couple of hours before you want to go to sleep. Generally, two hours should be enough time, but CBD affects everyone differently so if you discover that the effects work rapidly on you, you will obviously want to eat them closer to bedtime. Because even the best CBD gummies don’t last longer than a few hours, you won’t feel any of the lingering grogginess that you might suffer from after using alcohol or prescription sleep medication like Ambien.
Lastly, if you’re taking CBD gummies for energy and focus, then you’ll probably want to take your CBD gummies earlier in the day or at different times throughout the day. If CBD helps you feel reinvigorated and in good spirits, a CBD gummy or two first thing in the morning, perhaps before work or a workout, will set you up for a pleasant day. If you feel the effects start to subside by the middle of your day, you may consider taking half in the morning and half in the late afternoon for amore consistent, longer-lasting result. Be warned, however, that eating your CBD gummies too late in the afternoon or evening may result in an abundance of energy or even overstimulation by the time you’re trying to go to bed.
Conclusion
To sum up what we discussed above, how long it takes CBD gummies to kick in and how long you can expect the benefits of CBD to last can vary quite a bit depending on the purity of the CBD in your gummies, the strength of the gummies you buy, your metabolism and body chemistry, how much food is in your stomach, and the bioavailability of your CBD. Generally, it will take about an hour for your CBD gummies to kick in completely. As for how long the effects of your CBD gummies will last, three hours is what most people experience. When you should take your CBD gummies as well as how many you should eat will mostly depend upon your needs and how your body handles CBD. Starting small is always a good idea but at the end of the day, it will be up to you to find what works best for you. CBD gummies are a great and tasty way to enjoy the many benefits of CBD and using this guide you can make informed decisions about when you should eat your CBD gummies to get the most out of them.
