How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work?

CBD can get to work within a few minutes of taking; it is dependent on the method of consumption. 

Millions of people use CBD daily to experience its health effects, like lower stress and anxiety, pain reduction, and sleep enhancement. Yet, many basic things about CBD and CBD vape pens, in particular, remain less than clear. Thus, many individuals want to know how long CBD takes to work vape.

Here, it is interesting to note that there are massive differences in various CBD products. Some work quite fast, and others take very long to start acting. There is also a massive difference in the bioavailability of various CBD supplements.[1]

How fast and long any product works depends on the intake route. It appears that oral ingestion is one of the least effective ways of using CBD oil. Studies show that CBD has very poor bioavailability; thus, only minute amounts of CBD make their way to the bloodstream when ingested.

Thus, first and foremost, it is vital to understand that CBD oil is not for ingestion. CBD oil cartridges for vape pens works best when taken sublingually.

It appears that the dorsal side of the human tongue is rich in blood supply and has a thin outer covering. Thus, anything that comes in contact with the dorsal side of the tongue is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Hence, if you ingest, only a small amount of CBD will enter the bloodstream and only start acting after 20-30 minutes. However, if you take CBD sub-lingually, it will start acting almost instantly. Thus, to ensure that CBD oil works fast, keep a few drops of the oil below the tongue for a minute or two before ingesting it. This will provide it enough time to start acting.

Of course, for health benefits, it is vital to use CBD regularly. Although most CBD will be eliminated from the body in a day, a small amount may remain or persist for a few days.[2] This means that with every dosage, one would experience even more effect. Hence, one would experience peak benefits only after a few days. Moreover, remember that though CBD oil starts acting quickly, its peak action is also achieved slowly over the days.

To sum up, it would be correct to say that best 2000mg CBD oil starts acting almost immediately when taken sublingually. However, one would need to take it regularly for a few days to experience maximum benefit. Most people can expect to achieve peak effect after three to five days of regular CBD oil intake.

Millar SA, Maguire RF, Yates AS, et al. Towards Better Delivery of Cannabidiol (CBD). Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13:219.

Welty TE, Luebke A, Gidal BE. Cannabidiol: Promise and Pitfalls. Epilepsy Curr. 2014;14:250–252.