CBD Dosage Calculator & Chart: How Much Should You Take?

In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about dosing cannabidiol (CBD).

We’ll discuss how to determine your CBD dosage, the best doses for different uses, how to dose different CBD products, and more. We’ve also provided a CBD daily dosage calculator and cart for easy dosing calculation.

Want to quickly determine your CBD dosage? Use our calculator below:

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid found in the hemp plant. It’s one of more than 100+ cannabinoids that naturally occur in hemp. Due to its wide range of therapeutic benefits and non-psychoactive effects, CBD has become one of the most popular cannabinoids. 

Preliminary research indicates that CBD may have therapeutic potential for addressing physical discomfort, mental stress, sleep, and more.

How Much CBD Should You Take?

The average starting CBD dose is 20-30 milligrams (mg) per day. However, the amount of CBD that you, specifically, should take, is dependent on a variety of factors. 

The main factors to account for when determining your dosage are:

• Your use case (i.e. why you’re taking CBD): Different uses call for different CBD dosage strengths to see good results. 

• Your body weight: Factoring in how much you weigh ensures your dose sizes are attuned to your body. 

These first two factors can be built into a formula that allows anyone to calculate their ideal starting dose. 

Other CBD dosage factors to account for – that aren’t as easily measurable – include:

• Symptom severity: Even if you use a specific dosage strength for a given purpose, depending on your symptoms, you may need a larger or smaller amount of CBD.
• Body chemistry and tolerance: Everyone has different body chemistry, and CBD tolerance varies between people. You might need more or less than other people to feel the same effects – it depends. 

CBD Dosage by Condition or Use

Based on why you’re using CBD, you’ll want to start with a different amount. In this section, we’ll cover our recommended CBD dosage strengths for all the main reasons people use it.

Note that over-the-counter CBD products aren’t an FDA-approved treatment for medical conditions, and these dosage recommendations aren’t medical advice. 

Instead, they are rough estimates based on doses people have found success with (based on our experiences serving thousands of customers over the past 6 years). 

Once you determine your dosage strength, see our calculator (above) or chart (below) to determine your dosage.

CBD dosage for anxiety and stress

It’s best to start with a low-strength CBD dosage for anxiety or stress, then slowly increase it. 

Since anxiety and stress will feel different for you than it will for anyone else, you’ll need to experiment to find your perfect dose. Observe how you respond to the CBD, then adjust accordingly. 

You can use the following formula for a low-strength dosage: 

(0.1) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily CBD dosage in mg for anxiety or stress

CBD dosage for pain and inflammation

It’s best to take a medium-strength CBD dosage for pain and inflammation. This will ensure you experience the physical comfort you’re looking for. 

You can use the following formula for a medium-strength dosage: 

(0.3) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily CBD dosage in mg for pain or inflammation

As you go, depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may realize you need to graduate to the high-strength formula. Still, starting lower ensures you don’t feel any strong side effects, especially if it’s your first time taking CBD. 

CBD dosage for sleep

Although using CBD for sleep requires quite a bit of experimentation, it’s generally best to start with a low-strength dosage. 

You can use the following formula for a low-strength dosage: 

(0.1) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily CBD dosage in mg for sleep

Once you’ve taken this dose a few times, you can begin to adjust it based on your needs – you might want a lighter dose to help you get into a relaxed mood, or you might want a stronger dose to address stronger mental or physical discomfort that’s preventing you from getting good sleep. 

CBD dosage for other uses

Here are our recommended CBD dosage strengths for other conditions and uses.

Keep in mind that for medical conditions, you should consult with your doctor beforehand to determine whether it’s safe to take CBD (due to drug interactions) and how much you should be taking. 

Still, we’re able to provide rough benchmarks from anecdotal evidence:

General Relaxation & Wellness – low

Depression – medium

Sore Throat – medium

Muscle & Joint Support – low

Migraine – medium

Nerve Pain and Sciatica — medium

Tendonitis — medium

Epilepsy – high or pharmaceutical strength

Cancer – high or pharmaceutical strength

Nausea — low

Insomnia – medium

ADHD – medium

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs) – medium

Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS) — medium

Gout – medium

Menopause Support – low

CBD Dosage Chart

With your ideal dosage strength in mind, find your weight on the chart below to determine your CBD daily dosage:

CBD Dosage Best Practices

Getting your CBD dosage right goes a long way, but here are a few other things you’ll want to keep in mind to get the best experience possible: 

Talk to your doctor first

If you want to take CBD for a condition that you’re receiving medical treatment for, you need to speak with your doctor first. 

You’ll want to ensure that CBD would be effective for your use, and that it won’t interfere with any treatment or medication you’re already receiving. 

Be consistent

Taking one-time doses of CBD isn’t effective; you need to take CBD daily for at least 1-2 weeks so that it can build up in your body and begin supporting your endocannabinoid system. 

Once this duration has passed, you can assess how your dose is working and whether you need to adjust it. 

Start low and slow

Unless you have experience with consuming cannabis or hemp, it’s always best to start by taking a small amount of CBD, once a day. 

This will help your body adjust to the CBD, and it’s also a good way to get settled into your routine if you have any anxiety surrounding how CBD might make you feel. 

Remember that it’s not an exact science

The insights we provided in this article are estimates based on anecdotal evidence. While they are a good starting place, ultimately, every person is unique and will feel the same dose differently. 

As you take CBD, remember to listen to your body and adjust your dose based on how you’re feeling. 

How To Take CBD: Types of Products

When it comes to taking CBD, you have many different options for delivery methods. Here’s a bit about each. 

For reference:

• Average Bioavailability: The percentage of the CBD you consume that your body actually uses. In other words, the efficiency of a given delivery method (our calculator and chart factor this in). 
• Onset Time: The time it takes to feel the effects of CBD through a certain delivery method.

Oil

Average Bioavailability: 20-30%

Onset Time: 15-20 minutes

CBD oil, which consists of cannabinoids and carrier oil, is taken under the tongue and absorbed through the blood vessels in the mouth, rather than swallowed.

As a result, it’s slightly more bioavailable than other CBD delivery methods.

Edibles

Average Bioavailability: 10-20%

Onset Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

The most common type of CBD edibles are gummies, which provide a great-tasting, fixed-dose way to consume CBD – great for therapeutic use, where you’ll be taking the same amount consistently. 

CBD drinks are another option here – they’re a great choice for relaxation (and a great replacement for alcohol if you’re at a party).

Capsules

Average Bioavailability: 10-20%

Onset Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Capsules (or softgels) are CBD oil enclosed in a gel capsule. Capsules are quick and tasteless and, like edibles, offer a fixed-dose consumption method.

Flower and vapes

Average Bioavailability: 30-40%

Onset Time: 5-10 minutes

Smoking CBD-rich hemp flower or inhaling CBD through a vape are two additional ways you can consume CBD.

Although there are health downsides to inhalation, smoking flower or vaping CBD offers extremely fast-acting effects. 

CBD Oil Dosage: How Much CBD Per Dropper?

Generally, the packaging on the edibles, drinks, or capsules you buy will provide straightforward dosing advice.

But CBD oil tinctures can be confusing to dose, because you have to figure out how many mg of CBD are in one milliliter (ml) of oil, which is equivalent to one dropper. 

The amount varies depending on the total amount of CBD in the bottle (these numbers are based on the standard 1oz/30 ml bottle):

100mg bottle = 3.3mg CBD per 1ml

250mg bottle = 8.3mg CBD per 1ml

500mg bottle = 16.7mg CBD per 1ml

1000mg bottle = 33.3mg CBD per 1ml

1500mg bottle = 50mg CBD per 1ml

3000mg bottle = 100mg CBD per 1ml

5000mg bottle = 166.6mg CBD per 1ml

3 Steps to Determining Your Perfect CBD Daily Dosage

To sum up CBD dosage in three simple steps, here’s what you need to do to find your perfect daily amount:

1. Figure out why you’re taking it

Find your condition or use for CBD in the section above about CBD dosage strengths. With your dosage strength formula in mind, go to step two.

2. Calculate your dosage

Based on your dosage strength, you can either use our CBD dosage calculator or our dosage chart to determine your dosage.

You can also use the formula for your strength that the resources in this article are based on:

• Low strength: (0.1) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily CBD dosage in mg
• Medium strength: (0.3) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily CBD dosage in mg
• High strength: (0.5) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily CBD dosage in mg

3. Pick the right product

With your dosage figured out, it’s time to pick the perfect product to go along with it. Review the section above about the different ways to take CBD to gain insight into which option is the best for you.

Then, click here to explore CBD products.

Conclusion: Determining Your CBD Dosage

Although we have rough guidelines to go by, the fact is that everyone will respond to CBD differently.

The research that’s been done on CBD dosage has rendered very mixed results, as some studies have looked at chronic illnesses, while others have investigated CBD use for everyday therapeutic applications.

As a result, most of what we know is based on anecdotal evidence – first hand experience. So if CBD doesn’t work for you right away, experiment until you find the right dosage and product.

CBD Dosage: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions customers commonly ask us about determining their CBD dosage:

Can you take too much CBD?

While CBD isn’t fatal, you can take too much. If you take hundreds of milligrams of CBD (think 100-300mg), especially in the beginning, you’ll likely experience negative side effects, including nausea, dry mouth, drowsiness, diarrhea, reduced appetite, and fatigue.

How much CBD can you safely take in a day?

There is no exact upper limit to the amount of CBD you can take in one day, but generally people don’t take doses exceeding 500mg, even for more heavy-duty therapeutic uses. 

Is 10mg of CBD a lot?

No, 10mg of CBD isn’t a lot. While a 10mg dose can be a good starting place, most people find that their sweet spot is a bit higher (30-50mg per day). 

Does CBD get you high?

No, CBD won’t get you high. Even full-spectrum CBD, which contains up to 0.3% THC, doesn’t contain enough THC to produce a high.

Is CBD safe?

Yes, CBD is safe. Apart from short-term side effects, there is no long-term negative health impact of using CBD — at least not if you take it in the recommended amounts.

Is CBD legal?

CBD is federally legal in all 50 states in some form as long as it is extracted from hemp and not marijuana. It’s all the same plant, but plants containing less than 0.3% THC by dry weight are considered hemp.

Note that some states may have restrictions on different forms or uses of CBD.