With all of the hoopla in the media these days surrounding cannabidiol, you may be wondering what CBD is, its benefits, how to read labels and the correct amount to consume.

So, what is CBD?

Let’s look under the hood to discover more.

What Is CBD And What Are The Health Benefits? 

Derived from hemp plants, CBD triggers particular receptors in the brain and nervous system, resulting in serotonin release. This release can reduce anxiety, depression, muscle soreness and more in both humans and canines.

One of the most significant benefits of CBD is combatting insomnia. As Portland-based startup Mendi states, “The common benefit people notice with CBD is better sleep, because if you have less pain, stress, anxiousness and reduced inflammation, you’re likely in a more calm state and less likely to have disrupted sleep.”

Understanding CBD Labels

Let’s break down what to look for on CBD labels, some of which may include THC information:

• The products: Do you prefer mints, Starburst-like candies, chocolate bars, or even sodas? CBD labels will tell you things like flavors and ingredients.
• Milligrams: This is your starting point. Most labels will encourage microdosing, so you don’t take too much (more on that in a bit).
• Suggested Use: Unless you’re told otherwise by your doctor, follow all suggested use information.
• Time: Many labels will tell you how long it takes for the product to kick in, which can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 90.
• Nutritional Facts: Like grocery store items, total fat, sodium, carbs and more are typically listed.
• CBD to THC Ratio: This is critical because THC may be illegal or require a medical card depending on what state you live in. Know your state’s laws and those you may be visiting. The last thing you want is to bring illegal substances across state lines unknowingly. And because THC is the psychoactive agent of the plant, consuming it is a very different experience than CBD-only items.

CBD Dosage: How Much Is Too Much (Or Too Little)

There’s a hilarious saying in the cannabis world when it comes to products possessing THC: “You can always have more, but you can never have less.” If you’ve ever scarfed down an entire THC-loaded brownie, you probably learned this lesson the hard way.

This axiom should always be respected, but do understand that because CBD does not contain the psychoactive agent found in THC, you don’t need to be afraid of a “bad trip.”

However, there’s no reason to take more CBD than required. If you don’t know how many milligrams to take, dispensaries are known for providing expert advice via email, online chats, phone, and inside brick and mortar stores. Explaining your pain points, what you’re looking to achieve, and, if you’re comfortable, physical attributes like gender, height and weight can help the experts determine the ideal dosage for you.

Dogs tend to become a part of the family quickly. We are very connected to our furry friends, and we tend to notice everything that happens to them.

Most dog owners are always on the lookout for tips to keep their pets healthy and in a good mood. CBD is the latest thing in dog food supplementation and many are still unsure when and why to add this to their dog’s diet.

We’re going to discuss the benefits, potential side effects, and right dosage of CBD for your dog so you can use it safely and without worry. To see an example of a specialized dog CBD product, click here.

For another interesting article on this topic Click Here

Since dogs have, more or less, the same endocannabinoid system as humans, they can reap the same benefits as us. Here are the conditions that CBD may help dogs overcome or at least keep under control.

1. Pain relief – One of the primary uses of CBD in humans and dogs is to assist with managing chronic pain. This is especially true when talking about neuropathic pain. If your dog has a condition he/she deals with daily, CBD use should be a serious consideration.
2. Anti-Anxiety – Dogs can develop anxiety due to multiple reasons. For example, they may have survived abuse or were abandoned, so they develop separation anxiety. If you notice your dog experiencing excessive fear and anxiety CBD can help manage that.
3. Seizures and spasms – CBD is a natural anticonvulsant, and as such, it can be suitable for treatment and prevention of spasms, tics, seizures, and tremors of various sorts.
4. Improved appetite – This is a commonly discussed benefit of CBD use. Keep in mind, if your dog gets its appetite back and starts getting overweight, you should stop using CBD as they no longer need it.
5. Insomnia – Sleeplessness is a dreadful condition making dogs lose focus, unable to hold their temper, making them irritable, etc. CBD is often used to improve sleep and can help with long-term sleep regulation.
6. Skin conditions – Due to the connection between the endocannabinoid system and skin regulation, CBD can help with rashes, scar healing, etc.

There are numerous other possible benefits, but we wanted to show you the most widespread reasons animal lovers consider using CBD with their dogs. Let’s see what some of the potential downsides of CBD use are.

The most well known side-effect of using CBD to treat dogs is possible sleepiness (which is the desired effect in some cases).

Keep in mind that cannabis is not typically considered safe for your dog, and the reason is that it contains THC. However, a dog targeted CBD hemp oil does not have dangerous THC levels, even though some human variants might. In a lot of cases, people give their dogs CBD oil intended for human use, and the THC levels are not always appropriate for animal use, so keep in mind that they can’t always be used interchangeably.

The reason why people tend to do this is that dog CBD products tend to be more expensive, but in most cases, the money isn’t worth the hustle of worrying if you did everything right.

This is where it gets a bit tricky.

The right dosage for your dog will depend on two things:

1. Your dog’s weight;
2. The strength of the formula you are giving them;

The math you should be doing when calculating for your dog’s weight is this: 0.2mg of CBD per pound.

Most CBD products have a specific formula strength, and it is usually displayed on the label. This shows how many mg of CBD the liquid contains per ml. For example, a 75 mg formula usually contains 2.5 mg of CBD per ml. However, there can be other variations of formula strength and these should be considered before actually giving any CBD product to your dog.

This means that a dog that weighing 25 pounds, using a 75 mg formula should get 2 ml of CBD to hit that 5 mg sweet spot intended for its weight.

The general advice is to start with a dosage smaller than the proposed dosage and take it from there. Sometimes you won’t even need to max out the suggested dosage to get the benefits you are after. This is especially true if you are giving your dog CBD just for the general benefits.

For more information on how to better understand dosage Click Here

We hope we managed to make the use of CBD for dogs a bit less of a mystery. Of course, before you give your dog CBD, you should consult a vet and see if your dog can manage the therapy.

The CBD products intended for dogs make things quite a bit easier as the treats and oils come with dosage instructions and don’t contain anything that may harm your dog. Good luck!