A journal can be a valuable tool for patients and consumers who are trying to establish an optimal treatment regime with CBD. Consistently logging information within a journal may prove helpful.
The type of product you use will impact dosing requirements.
- Products made with purified CBD (e.g., CBD isolate and CBD distillate) seem to have a narrower therapeutic window than full-spectrum products.
- Individuals taking products made with purified forms of CBD must be more precise and deliberate when finding the right dosage because not only will they find too little CBD ineffective, they will also find too much CBD ineffective.
- Individuals using a full-spectrum product should attempt to find the smallest dose that provides maximum therapeutic effect in order to minimize potential for side effects and unnecessary expenditures.
- Given the variation in the types and forms of CBD products and individual responses to CBD, patients must go through a process of trial and error to find the correct dose for the condition(s) being treated, and the correct dose may change over time due to age, tolerance, body fat percentage, genetics, metabolism, and other factors.
Create and Maintain a CBD Dosing Journal
Helpful information to include in your dosing journal:
- Date/Time: Record every time you consume CBD or a CBD-containing product with the current date and time of day.
- Amount: Record the amount of CBD consumed (milligram estimate or other consistent measure).
- Cultivar (Strain): If using high-CBD flower or a broad- or full-spectrum CBD concentrate, record the name of the cannabis variety (cultivar) used. If you don’t know the name, write a detailed description of the product. If you used CBD isolate, note that here.
- Form consumed: Record whether you used dried flower, a concentrate, a tincture, a spray, an edible product or drink, or a topical product.
- Cannabinoid and terpene content: Record the cannabinoid (e.g., THC, CBD, CBN) and terpene (e.g., myrcene, linalool, pinene) content of the product used. If you have this information available to you, write down percentages of each cannabinoid and terpene. If you’re using edibles, a description of preparation may be helpful.
- Mode: Write down how you consumed your medication (S=smoke, V=vapor, E=eat/digest, T=tincture or spray, TO=topical).
- Therapeutic effects: List any positive effects that you experience (physical, mental, social, behavioral, etc.).
- Negative side effects: Record any negative effects.
- Timing: How quickly did you experience the first therapeutic effect(s)? When did you feel the peak of relief? When did it start to noticeably dissipate? How long until effects were gone?
- What prompted your CBD use: List the specific factors that told you it was time for medicine, as well as the general symptoms or conditions being treated (e.g., pain, nausea, anxiety, etc.).
- How did you feel (mindset): Record your mood and feelings before and after you used CBD.
Reference: The Patient’s Guide to CBD
A free publication brought to you by Americans for Safe Access
The goal of this guide is to be an informative and useful reference document that will be shared with others so that patients, doctors, and regulators can make informed decisions regarding CBD.
Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists, and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic uses and research.
The information presented does not constitute medical or legal advice. Individuals should discuss the use of cannabis products (including those derived from hemp) with their physician(s) before using any products.