The CBD industry has evolved rapidly over the last few years. Tinctures and capsules used to dominate the CBD market, but recently, a variety of other CBD product types have emerged. In addition to hundreds of different orally ingested CBD product options, you now have access to high-quality CBD products that you can either smoke or vape. In this guide, we’ll cover five of the most effective, efficient, and enjoyable ways to ingest CBD.
1. Capsules
Capsules are one of the old standbys of the CBD industry. It’s relatively easy to extract CBD-rich hemp oil from hemp flower, combine it with a carrier oil, and put it inside a gelatin capsule. Capsules vary widely in terms of quality and potency, but the average CBD capsule contains between 10mg and 50mg of CBD.
Most people are used to taking daily vitamins or other types of supplements, so adding a daily CBD capsule or two into the mix doesn’t require an adventurous attitude. Taking CBD capsules is easy, which makes this ingestion method efficient since it doesn’t disrupt your day. In terms of potency, however, there are better options than CBD capsules.
When you take a CBD capsule, it dissolves in your stomach, releasing CBD into your digestive tract. Before it can reach your bloodstream, however, this CBD is filtered by your liver, resulting in a significant potency reduction. It’s estimated that only around 10-20% of the CBD you ingest orally is absorbed, which might make you think twice before you make hemp capsules your default CBD ingestion method.
2. Tinctures
Like capsules, tinctures are ingested orally, so the CBD they contain is mostly filtered out after you swallow your tincture. By holding your tincture under your tongue before you swallow it, however, you can take advantage of sublingual absorption, which is a highly efficient mechanism for introducing CBD into your bloodstream.
The lingual artery under your tongue is only separated from the inside of your mouth by a thin, permeable membrane. When you hold CBD oil under your tongue, it passes through this membrane and enters your bloodstream directly, bypassing your liver’s filtration mechanisms. We suggest that you hold your CBD tincture under your tongue for around 30-60 seconds to take full advantage of this high-bioavailability CBD ingestion method.
3. Edibles
These days, CBD is available in a wide variety of different gummies, cookies, crackers, and other snacks that release this non-intoxicating cannabinoid into your digestive tract. CBD edibles suffer from the same inherent issue as any other type of orally ingested CBD product—a large portion of the cannabidiol they contain is filtered out by your liver. As is the case with CBD tinctures, however, this problem has a simple workaround.
Simply chew your CBD edibles thoroughly before you swallow them. If you decide to try CBD gummies, for instance, chew your gummies until they almost fully dissolve in your mouth before you swallow. That way, the CBD in your gummies will have a chance to absorb through your lingual artery and enter your bloodstream directly. Even with this simple trick, CBD edibles aren’t the most efficient CBD products on the market, but they’re a hit with kids and people who don’t like the taste of CBD oil.
4. Smoking
Now, let’s delve into one of the most efficient and effective methods you can use to ingest CBD—smoking CBD flower. Over the last couple of years, a handful of high-quality CBD flower brands have entered the market, and it’s now possible to smoke hemp the same way you smoke weed but without getting high.
Indoor-grown CBD flower sometimes contains up to 25% CBD, and when you choose organic CBD flower, you don’t have to worry about agricultural toxins, heavy metals, or other contaminants. Not all CBD flower on the market is made equal, but there are certain growers out there who produce hemp buds that are just as dank and delicious as top-notch marijuana but with less than 0.3% THC.
Some manufacturers offer CBD flower in pre-rolls that look just like joints. You can take these pre-rolls with you and enjoy the benefits of inhaled CBD conveniently on the go. Otherwise, grab a few grams of CBD-rich hemp nugs, grind them up, and smoke them in a pipe or a bong.
When you inhale CBD, this cannabinoid bypasses your liver, and it absorbs directly into your bloodstream. The effects of CBD flower are usually noticeable within a minute or less, and smoking CBD provides one of the most potent cannabidiol experiences available while remaining non-intoxicating. Sativa, indica, and hybrid CBD flower strains are available, so you can choose between energizing, relaxing, or balancing terpene blends depending on your mood.
5. Vaping
We can understand if smoking hemp isn’t your cup of tea. Even though organic, well-cultivated hemp flower doesn’t contain any additives, toxins, or other contaminants, it isn’t strictly healthy to inhale incinerated plant matter. Luckily, there’s a solution for CBD consumers who are averse to smoking that still offers incredibly potent and fast-acting effects.
Like smoking hemp, vaping CBD bypasses your liver and delivers immediate and intense benefits. There are lots of different CBD vape cartridge options on the market, and some of the lower-quality offerings consist of isolate CBD combined with common vape oils like PG and VG.
High-quality CBD vape cartridges, however, are made with full-spectrum hemp flower extract, which contains CBD along with all the minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that are also present in hemp flower. At the top of the totem pole you have live-resin CBD vape cartridges, which are produced with a cryogenic extraction process that captures the full terpene richness that CBD-rich hemp flower expresses in its prime.
Most CBD vape cartridges are compatible with standard batteries, and they’re offered in various potency options. If you want to enjoy a thoroughly flavorful CBD vaping experience, choose a CBD vape cartridge with added cannabis terpenes.