How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System and How Long Do The Effects of CBD Last?

If you are interested in the world of herbal medicine or have simply heard the term CBD thrown around in casual conversation, the fact remains that it is a highly talked about compound. There’s good reason for that too. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring hemp or Cannabis sativa-derived compound that is known for its medicinal benefits. It is available in many forms ranging from vapes and gummies to dog treats. It is mainly touted for its anti-inflammatory properties, chronic pain relief attributes, and its ability to help combat insomnia amongst many other things. With so many potential benefits, it is hard to argue against its widespread use.

As the CBD community continues to expand and branch into new forms and products, a question asked by many people interested in giving it a try is how long the effects of CBD effects last. As with most questions that should have a simple answer, the answer to that question is…it depends. The effects of CBD are heavily dependent on the way that you choose to consume it and the metabolic processes of your body. Some methods of consuming CBD will produce longer lasting effects while others will only produce short-lived effects. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of CBD and discuss how long its effects last based on some common forms of consuming it.

What Is CBD?

CBD, also known in more formal terms as cannabidiol, is the second most prevalent compound in the Cannabis sativa plant. CBD falls only behind the primary active ingredient in marijuana, THC, in terms of its sheer naturally occurring amount in the plant. In its purest form, CBD can exist without the presence of THC, meaning that it does not produce any psychoactive effects.

While CBD is often extracted from regular, psychoactive marijuana, it can also be derived from hemp plants, which contain less than 0.3% THC content. In fact, CBD is the most prevalent compound in the hemp plant. In 2018, the Farm Bill was passed which separated hemp from the legal framework that makes marijuana illegal. As a result, hemp-derived CBD products containing less than 0.3% THC have been deemed federally legal. While hemp-derived CBD has been legalized, it is important to pay special attention to labeling and lab test results as CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC are still considered federally illegal and could potentially cause a failed drug test.

How Does CBD Affect the Body?

As with most of the other compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant, CBD affects the body by interacting with your central nervous system. However, cannabidiol does so in a slightly different way than other psychoactive compounds like THC. Instead of interacting with C1 and C2 cannabinoid receptors, CBD binds more effectively with serotonin receptors. CBD is also known to react with other targets like sodium, potassium, and calcium channels, which all have a corresponding effect on the body.

How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System?

Like THC, CBD has a half-life in your body from the moment that it is either ingested, smoked, or applied. A half-life is the amount of time that it takes for your body to metabolize and get rid of half of the consumed substance. It typically takes four or five half-lives to eliminate CBD from your system entirely. Each method of consuming CBD has a slightly different half-life, with some methods taking longer to flush out of your system entirely. The half-life of CBD also depends on how often you consume it and your metabolic rate as some people process it faster than others.

As a general overview, CBD’s half-life can range anywhere between an hour and 5 days. Orally consumed CBD generally has the longest half-life of any CBD product, taking anywhere from 2-5 days. Oral CBD consumption is followed by smoking or vaping CBD, which has a half-life of 31 hours. Finally, CBD tinctures and oil have a half-life of 1.4-10.9 hours.

Since it takes multiple half-lives for CBD to no longer be traceable, the amount of time that it takes for CBD to leave your system is a multiple of the timeframes listed above. For chronic oral CBD users, it could take anywhere between 10 and 24 days to completely be eliminated. For frequent CBD smokers it could be a week. For CBD tincture or oil users it could take 10 hours to 2 days to dissipate completely.

How Long Do The Effects of CBD Last?

This is a question commonly asked by people who are entering their first foray with cannabidiol or who are interested in trying it for the first time. While the question might be straightforward, the answer isn’t so cut and dry. The first thing that you have to remember is that CBD does not produce any psychoactive effects, meaning that you won’t experience a high like you would from marijuana. With that being said, the therapeutic benefits of CBD will start to taper off around 2-8 hours after ingestion or application.

One of the main factors that dictates how long CBD effects last is the method that you choose to consume it. There are a few common ways to use CBD. Ingesting CBD orally is perhaps the most common method, which can be done in multiple forms including capsules, gummies, or tinctures. Vapes are another common way to intake CBD through inhalation. CBD has also been proven effective when applied topically, or on your skin.

How Long Do CBD Gummies Last?

All of these methods of consuming CBD vary in terms of how long the cannabidiol takes to take effect and how long the effects last. Ingesting CBD orally takes the longest to produce effects, as it has to travel through the digestive system and into the liver where it is metabolized. Overall, that process can take around an hour on average. With that being said, orally ingesting CBD produces the most prolonged effects which can last for around 6-8 hours.

How Long Do CBD Tinctures Last?

Another very common method of consuming CBD is with a tincture. CBD tinctures are alcohol-based CBD extracts that are typically packaged in a small bottle with a squeeze dropper. CBD tinctures are often preferred to other forms of CBD as they are an extremely easy way to take CBD and the effects onset faster than other oral ingestion methods. CBD tinctures are usually taken sublingually, or beneath the tongue. Unlike gummies or capsules that have to travel through the digestive system, with sublingual CBD consumption, CBD is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth. This faster method of CBD absorption means that effects will set in at around the 30 minute mark. While tinctures have a slightly shorter absorption time than other CBD oral ingestion methods, the effects are also significantly shorter. A 2-3 drop CBD tincture does typically wear off in around 2-4 hours.

How Long Does A CBD Vape Hit Last?

One of the fastest ways to introduce CBD into your system is through smoking it. That can either be through smoking hemp flower, like the Silver Owl Baked Cherry Pie CBDA strain, or through a CBD vape. When absorbed through your lungs, CBD enters your bloodstream almost immediately, meaning that the effects set in rapidly. While smoked CBD produces nearly immediate effects, they don’t last nearly as long as with oral ingestion. Typically, a few CBD vape hits will only produce effects for around 30 minutes to an hour.

How Long Does Topically Applied CBD Last?

Topically applied CBD is a more recently discovered way to use CBD which can help with inflammation, joint aches and pains, and muscle discomfort. Unlike the other ways of consuming CBD above, topically applied CBD enters through the skin in the applied area. For that reason, topical CBD never enters into your bloodstream or travels through your digestive system. Instead, it works locally by activating the endocannabinoid receptors in your skin. This process typically takes the longest of all of the above methods to produce effects. Topically applied CBD takes around 2 hours to absorb. While the wait time might sound extensive, it continues to provide relaxing effects for around 5 hours after application.

How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System Takeaways

Whether you are using CBD for its anxiety relieving properties or pain relief properties, it is one of the best compounds available on the market currently. CBD’s benefits are extensive and proven which makes it a widely used substance around the world. It is also available in a variety of forms and products, which make it easy to incorporate into your lifestyle.

Unlike THC which binds to the C1 and C2 cannabinoid receptors in your brain, CBD interacts primarily with serotonin receptors and other auxiliary systems. For that reason, pure CBD won’t cause you to fail a drug test. With that being said, some people are still interested in how long it takes for CBD to leave their system entirely. CBD hal-lives depend on how you choose to consume it and your body’s metabolic rate. For most people, CBD will be entirely out of your system within 10 to 24 days.

The effects of CBD are also entirely dependent on your consumption method. While gummies and topical CBD take a while to be absorbed into your bloodstream and skin respectively, they produce the longest lasting effects ranging from 6-8 hours. For those looking for shorter term relief, smoking or vaping CBD is your best option as the effects set in almost immediately and only last for around 30 minutes to an hour.