This is probably one of the most common questions we get from people new to CBD.
It's actually pretty funny (once you've been around CBD for a while).
One of our partners found out about CBD first after perimenopause rocked her world.
After a year of tinkering, trying, and testing different products and uses, she found the right fit for her.
With amazing results for sleep and anxiety (plus benefits for weird joint pain in her heels and thumbs!).
She brought this news to our other partner and even a bottle of CBD tincture.
We were sitting in a restaurant in San Francisco when we gave her the CBD to try.
She was very apprehensive at first.
You would think we were given here some party drug!
"What am I going to feel with this??"
She looked down at the bottle with a grimace.
At that time, she didn't have all the information on safety and benefits regarding CBD.
It was a plunge into the unknown!
She (eventually) placed the CBD drops under her tongue and then swallowed after about 30 seconds.
She braced herself.
For impending doom!
It never happened.
Scanning her body for any strange effects, she eventually settled back in her chair.
Other than a touch of calm, the effects we're pretty benign.
This is happening 1000's of times a day with new CBD users everywhere!
Let's look at how CBD might make you feel and let's also answer some common questions about CBD.
Can you feel CBD working?
So... what does it feel like when you take CBD?
Generally, you don't have a big "feeling" after taking CBD.
This partially depends on the state you're in and why you're taking it.
If you're just taking it for wellness and general health, the effects are pretty benign.
It's more a question of what you DON'T feel for specific issues.
If you're taking it for an issue however like anxiety, you may feel relief from those symptoms.
Find out why with our comprehensive look at CBD's effects
There are a few issues where the effects become more pronounced in the lessening of symptoms:
- Pain
- Anxiety (see CBD and anxiety here).
- Depression
- Sleep
- High Blood Pressure
- Allergies
- Skin issues (psoriasis, itching, hives, etc)
- Autoimmune symptoms
You may feel the effects of CBD quite a bit more in these situations.
That's the point!
It's also great because we can tell pretty quickly if CBD helps us.
Some issues may see fast responses while others need CBD to build a bit.
In general, people express that CBD makes them feel calm.
This is expected based on how it affects Anandamide, our "bliss" molecule in the body (also a cannabinoid).
Learn about the lady who doesn't feel pain or anxiety due to Anandamide here.
Why then do people new to CBD expect to feel like they're going to start melting?
Will CBD make me feel high?
There's an association with CBD and Cannabis or pot.
More importantly, people assume that CBD will have similar effects to THC.
THC is psychoactive in that it can make you feel "high" (and anxious and hungry and paranoid depending on your chemistry).
CBD does not have this effect.
Research has shown a great deal of data that it is not psychoactive.
CBD will not make you feel high.
If you're looking to get high from legal CBD, we're sorry to disappoint.
If you're looking to get access to many of CBD's health benefits without the high, we're happy to oblige!
Many people take CBD for sleep. How does it make you feel in terms of alertness or tiredness?
Learn all about CBD versus THC for anxiety or even why CBD is protective against THC's effects.
Will CBD make me feel sleepy?
CBD is not a sedative.
It will not knock you out.
That being said, there's lots of research on how CBD helps with sleep.
Few people report drowsiness feelings with CBD but this may be a result of CBD removing the impediments to their sleep (anxiety, pain, etc).
Interestingly, some people report energy and focus!
CBD is called "biphasic" which means that it can have opposite results depending on where your system is depleted.
We have a natural system that governs sleep and energy for example.
The main actors are hormones.
CBD works to help balance this system.
It's in this way that it can make people feel sleepy or energetic depending on where they're deficient.
Research showed that CBD aided duration and quality of sleep but did not affect waking hours alertness!
Check out can I take CBD in the middle of the day to understand this.
That's more than we can say for the standard sleep aids prescribed!
Oh... and without the nasty habit-forming thing.
CBD is not shown to be habit-forming.
Check out CBD versus benzos to understand the difference.
More on that below!
Will CBD make me feel calm?
This is the most common response by CBD users in terms of how they feel.
Calm. At ease.
This is why anxiety is the top reason for people to search out and use CBD.
There's lots of great research on how CBD helps with anxiety and depression.
Again, it's not a sedative or a spacey calm.
CBD is not a sedative.
It doesn't feel like a wet blanket!
Just a general sense of calm and ease.
Check out the article on how CBD can make you feel calm.
Will CBD make me feel withdrawals?
Research is showing that CBD is not habit-forming.
Habit-forming is a word for additive.
The scientific word is hedonic.
THC, it's cousin may have habit-forming qualities.
This is not the case for CBD.
In fact, CBD is showing great promise for helping with addiction for other substances including:
- Alcohol
- Opiates and opioids
- Nicotine
- Cocaine
- Meth and other stimulants
Check out all the research on CBD and addiction here.
We went deep into CBD for benzo withdrawal here.
Wrap on how CBD makes you feel
One important note...there can be a big difference between full spectrum CBD and CBD isolate.
We get emails all the time from people who have reactions to CBD full spectrum which goes away with CBD isolate.
Check out CBD full spectrum versus CBD isolate for anxiety or why CBD made me feel worse.
This is usually a function of two things:
- Histamine or allergic reaction to full-spectrum plant material and/or THC
- Bad product with contaminants and no 3rd party testing
There's lots of bad product on the market.
If a brand doesn't make their 3rd party testing readily available, run don't walk!
We test ours twice and it's available at top of every page.
Keep in mind that everyone is different.
We all have different chemistry, genetics, and states of health!
Test CBD at a smaller 25-30 mg dose to see how it makes you feel!
Then…
Let us know below!
Let's help each other explore this new option to feel better and be healthier.
Always work with a doctor or naturopath with any supplement!
The information provided here is not intended to treat an illness or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.