How to Get the Most Out of Every Dollar You Spend on CBD

There are many ways you can use CBD, and the different methods are not created equally. How you choose to take CBD will have a direct impact on how much of that CBD will become active in your system. This, in turn, affects how much bang for the buck you are getting.

After all, if you buy a CBD gummy containing 1000mg of CBD, and 95% of that CBD goes to waste during the digestive process, you still paid for a full 1000mg. Wouldn’t it have been better to choose a consumption method that wasted less?

Here’s what you need to know about CBD consumption to get the most out of every dollar you spend.

Understanding Bioavailability

If you have looked into CBD use beyond the surface level, you have probably heard of bioavailability. This is a pharmacological term that refers to the percentage of a given drug that will reach “systemic circulation” after the drug is administered. In other words, how much of it will actually have an impact on your body and health, rather than being wasted by your body’s various waste disposal systems.

This is important because while different CBD consumption methods have different rates of bioavailability, the price of CBD products increases according to the amount of CBD they contain. Even though some methods are a lot more wasteful than others.

If you are looking at bioavailability alone, you’re better off getting 500mg of CBD in oil form than buying a gummy containing 1000mg of CBD. The oil will have more of an impact.

Here’s how different consumption methods affect the bioavailability of CBD. Most of these apply to Delta-8 THC as well, which is another hemp byproduct that’s been gaining popularity. If you haven’t heard of it, check out what is Delta 8 THC.

CBD Oil

Despite its name, there is no such thing as “CBD oil”. These products consist of CBD extracts diffused in a carrier oil — olive oil is a popular carrier choice.

If you let CBD oil sit under your tongue and be absorbed by the mucous membrane, its bioavailability ranges between 15 and 35%.

CBD Edibles

The bioavailability of edibles is one of the lowest among all CBD consumption methods. It ranges from 6% to 19%, and it’s more often than not on the low end of that spectrum.

This is not to say that edibles offer no advantages — the slow burn of digestion also means that the effects of edibles last the longest of all options in this list. You’ll be able to feel the calming effects of CBD for six hours or longer after ingesting an edible.

CBD Vaping

Health officials are still debating whether or not vaping is safe. But if you already vape regularly, you’ll be happy to know that there are CBD e-liquids available in the market. On top of that, CBD vaping offers the best bioavailability of all consumption methods, with rates between 34% and 64%.

This means that, in theory, vaping CBD will let you get the most out of every dollar you spend. Although in practice, the novelty of CBD e-liquids often means that buying CBD oil offers the best value, even when you factor in the lower bioavailability.