CBD Overdose: Is It Really Possible?

As you are probably well aware CBD has grown exponentially in popularity in the past few years. By now the majority of Americans have at least heard of CBD, even if they don’t fully understand what it is.

But as things like this grow in use, there naturally comes with it more misuse. One question on the mind of many is whether or not it is possible to overdose on CBD. And, if you can overdose on CBD, what are the effects and what does it really look like?

We want to take a closer look at the science behind it and whether or not one can actually overdose on CBD. We will also address whether your pet is prone to overdosing on CBD. The bottom line is how much is too much CBD? Is there a limit and then what are the side effects?

CBD is a component of marijuana which is why it is sometimes viewed in a negative light. There are hundreds of different components found in marijuana and CBD is one of these. THC is the most well-known and most associated with marijuana.

THC is probably the main reason that many people and governments still shy away from CBD. It is understandable that there is questioning around the use of THC. It is a psychoactive ingredient that causes people to feel ‘high’ and it is a mind-altering substance. Something like that does have the potential to be an issue for people.

The problem is that CBD tends to get lumped into the same category as its counterpart, THC. CBD does not exhibit any of the psychoactive effects on the human body or mind. It does not get you ‘high’. In fact, to quote directly from the World Health Organization, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential”. They also go on to say “To date, there is no evidence of public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD”. 

Those are some very concise and convincing statements to say that as of now, CBD does not appear to be addictive in any way. However, there are still some that do feel CBD can be an addictive substance.

Overdose could mean different things to different people. The actual definition of overdose means “an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug”. 

CBD is generally considered to be safe. The WHO did a comprehensive study that concluded that CBD is well-tolerated in people even at high doses as much as 1500mg per day. On top of that there are not any known cases of fatalities associated with taking too much CBD.

When you couple all of this with the fact that CBD is not toxic to humans and actually has very few side effects you will come to the conclusion that, no, you cannot overdose on CBD.

For even further evidence that you cannot overdose from too much CBD, we refer to a clinical study conducted by the National Cancer Institute. In this study, they concluded that cannabinoid receptors, the ones that CBD binds with, are not located in the brainstem areas that control respiration. This is in contrast to opioid receptors. Because cannabinoid receptors are not found in the brain stem they concluded that lethal overdoses from cannabinoids do not occur.

This is not to say that excessive use of CBD will not have any negative impact on your body. The National Cancer Institute did go on to say that cannabinoid receptors are found in other parts of the body and too much CBD can lead to things like tachycardia, hypotension (low blood pressure), muscle relaxation, and decreased gastrointestinal motility.

So, we’ve determined that too much CBD does not cause a lethal overdose as one would think about with many prescription medications or opioids. But, there can still be some ill side effects from taking too much CBD. So then the question becomes how much is too much CBD?

Well, that is a question that cannot be simply answered by a general number of milligrams of CBD per day. The truth is that too much CBD will mean different things to different people. Studies by the World Health Organization have shown that CBD is well-tolerated up to 1500mg per day. That is a very substantial daily dose of CBD!

If it was well-tolerated by that person without negative side effects then they can obviously handle even more. There will undoubtedly be other people who would start to experience negative side effects of CBD well before 1500mg per day.

The honest answer is that there is not a one size fits all answer. The best thing we can recommend is to find the best CBD products from the best CBD brands and start slow. As you feel comfortable you can then begin to increase your daily dose until you experience the results you are looking for.

If you follow manufacturer recommendations, along with a slow increase in CBD intake amount, it is an almost fool-proof way to make sure you are not taking too much CBD. A little common sense goes a long way.

Whether or not you can build a tolerance to CBD actually turns out to be an interesting subject. It’s also a question that you can find different answers to, depending on who you ask. The general consensus on this matter is that your body does not build up a tolerance to CBD. Let’s take a closer look to try to understand this a little bit better.

We know that THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana and that CBD also is found in marijuana, along with being found in hemp. There have been extensive studies that show that the human body does develop a tolerance to THC and its effects. This means that over time you will need more THC to achieve the same results. 

From what researchers can tell CBD does not appear to work in the same way as THC. What this means is that you are not likely to build up a tolerance to CBD as you would when taking THC. In fact, some scientists even suggest that you may actually achieve a reverse tolerance effect.

Reverse tolerance happens over time as you continually take CBD that you may actually require less of it to feel the same effects. So it’s possible that over time you may not have to buy as much CBD because you can experience the same results with even less.

Reverse tolerance in regards to CBD needs more scientific research and scientific evidence to back it up. While it’s true that there are CBD users who have taken the same amount for years with no reduced effects and seemingly no tolerance build-up. There is not enough scientific evidence to say that CBD actually interacts as having a reverse tolerance effect.

We’ve determined that CBD is considered safe, not addictive and that you won’t experience a lethal overdose in a traditional sense as with many drugs. But you can still take too much CBD to where it is not good for you and can have a negative impact on your body. So if you get to the point of too much CBD what are the types of side effects that you could experience?

Negative side effects from using too much CBD can include:

• A drop in your blood pressure that is temporary
• Feeling drowsy
• A change in your appetite
• Dry mouth
• Diarrhea

As you can see the negative impact that CBD can have on some people is much milder than with most prescription medications. 

Pet owners are increasingly turning to CBD in an effort to help their pets with everyday aches and pains and to help calm their high-strung personalities. Pet owners from around the globe have reported some very promising results from giving CBD to their pets. But they also wonder about the possible impacts of giving their pets too much CBD. Can pets overdose on CBD?

We are happy to report that our pets respond to CBD in a very similar way as humans. You will not cause your pet to have a lethal overdose from taking too much CBD. However, your pet could experience some negative side effects if you do give them too much CBD. 

Some things to watch for from your pet from too much CBD are:

• Change in appetite
• Noticing that their coordination seems off (not walking or running well, not catching a ball well)
• They seem overly tired or lethargic
• Diarrhea

You can very easily avoid these types of situations with your pet by simply following the manufacturers recommendations on the amount of CBD to give them. If you do this then your pet will not have any chance of getting too much CBD. 

We have talked about the possibility of becoming addicted to CBD and determined that it is not addictive. But could CBD help break addictions from other drugs that are addictive?

Drug overdose and drug overdose deaths are a serious issue. In the US alone there were 67,367 drug overdose deaths according to the CDC. That number was actually a decrease from the number of drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2017. This is a problem that should not be ignored. Can CBD possibly help someone who has a drug addiction?

Drug addiction can be a very dangerous thing and should be taken seriously. If you or someone you know are addicted to drugs please seek help. It can be deadly.

There are studies that have indicated that CBD may help reduce drug cravings or anxiety associated with drug use. So basically they found that CBD may help with some symptoms of drug addictions but don’t go so far as to say that CBD might actually help break a drug addiction.

Unless further evidence and research are conducted we prefer to take a safer approach when it comes to CBD and trying to break a drug addiction. We recommend that you seek professional help if you are having issues with drug addiction. Too many lives are lost each year to drug overdose and it is not something to be taken lightly.

CBD use has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years and is expected to continue to grow. That means more and more people will have access to CBD and will be using CBD. We hope they experience positive effects as so many others have already. Be sure to buy the best CBD products from the best CBD brands. That is the best place to start.

You can rest easy knowing that CBD is considered to be safe to use. On top of that, it is not thought to be an addictive substance. This is important as drug addiction is such a major issue for so many people. Even further, if you do take too much CBD you won’t experience and overdose as we normally think of overdosing. Too much CBD is not fatal.

As with too much of just about anything there are some negative side effects that you may experience if you overindulge with CBD.

The bottom line is that we need to be responsible with the way that we use CBD. If you follow the recommendations of the manufacturer then you should not have any issues whatsoever.