Everything in moderation, right? It’s a common idiom that outlines the danger of having too much of any good thing. Even seemingly harmless substances can produce some unwanted side effects.
Rhubarb can give you kidney stones, cherry stems and pits contain trace amounts of cyanide (yes, cyanide) and apparently nutmeg oil can leave you tripping balls. But, does CBD require the same level of wariness? With CBD being heralded as the cure-all medicine since the passing of the Farm Bill, it’s worth asking: can you overdose on CBD?
Well, no.
Right out of the gate, let’s clear that up. There is no evidence out there that cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, can cause an overdose.
However, it is still fair to wonder if there could be an adverse reaction to CBD in high doses. The amount of CBD products flying onto the shelves of dispensaries and 7-Elevens alike is formidable. The product has been gaining popularity rapidly, and wholesalers are seemingly eager to cram it into anything and everything. CBD lube, CBD pillowcases, CBD suppositories, you name it. Hell, they’ve even started marketing it for dogs, cats, and horses.
So, with this sudden surge in CBD consumption, it may be time to ask how much is enough, and how much is too much.
Can CBD Be Harmful In Large Doses?
The article run by Weedmaps references a 2018 publication from the World Health Organization. The publication serves as an overall review of CBD, from it’s chemical makeup to its potential therapeutic uses and, relevant to the question at hand, its potential dangers.
The WHO publication cites data from an outside study where just under 200 individuals suffering from a rare epileptic disorder were administered CBD on a daily basis. At times, they were given as much as 200mg per kilogram of body weight. For the God-fearing American, that’s just under 100mg per pound.
Just to be clear, that means that a 160-pound individual would, at certain points of the study, be consuming around 15,000mg of CBD every day. Your average CBD gummy will have, perhaps, 25-50mg of CBD in every dose. If you were to eat 15,000mg of CBD in gummy form, your primary fear wouldn’t be an overdose, it would be getting surrounded by a horde of stoned Oompa Loompas shoddily singing to you about the virtues of self-restraint.
The study found that many of the patients consuming the CBD were experiencing very encouraging decreases in the amount of seizures they were having. However, around half of the participants also reported not-so-encouraging affects such as vomiting, convulsions, diarrhea, and excessive sleepiness. Other patients had liver enzyme levels that read up three times what they should be, which can be a sign of impending or ongoing liver failure.
The study was quick to note, though, that there may have been other causes for these side affects, such as a bad reaction between the CBD and the existing seizure medication the patients were taking. It stated that further research will be necessary to determine if CBD was the sole cause of these side affects.
What’s The Verdict?
All in all, it really does come down to being reasonable. Even if CBD overdose isn’t a reality, it could very well be true that excess consumption could leave you with some troubling symptoms. To avoid the likelihood of this happening, some common-sense measures can be taken. You should always educate yourself on the products you’re consuming, CBD-based or otherwise. If you are consuming CBD products in the hopes of alleviating a physical malady of some kind, start slow. Take the recommended dose, give it time, and go from there. If you give CBD the respect that it deserves, it is overwhelmingly likely that it will give you the same.
