CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the many compounds found in plants of the cannabis family. While we often have an idea of cannabis as a product that gets you high, CBD is more of a soothing product. CBD impacts your CBD 1 and CBD 2 receptors in your endocannabinoid system. There is no sense of euphoria disconnection as you might feel after using THC products. However, for those who struggle with nerve discomfort, insomnia or severe anxiety, this product can take the edge off such symptoms. If you’re considering a detox, the question must be asked: Does CBD help or harm sobriety?
One of the indications for an addictive substance is whether or not you can build up a tolerance to the product. Your first beer may have left you loopy, but as you drank more, you had lower reactions to each beverage because you built up a tolerance. Many CBD users find that they can actually lower their dosage to protect them from the same symptoms.
Does CBD Interfere With Detox and Treatment
Many folks who have avoided detox because they are addicted to opiates and the detox can be quite painful. If you started using opiate painkillers to manage nerve pain and haven’t found a medication that gives as much relief. CBD can help to manage some of these pain symptoms.
However, there are drug treatment professionals who are not comfortable with this supplemental use of cannabis products. While it is possible to get CBD with no THC at all, such as CBD isolate powder, most with nerve pain or severe anxiety who gain benefits from CBD use a broad spectrum product, which may include some THC. Because THC causes a euphoric rush and a feeling of disconnection, some addicts may use CBD with THC as a replacement for the drug they’re currently detoxing from.
Controlling and Managing Your Dosage
If your CBD use is shown to give you relief from nerve pain, you may want to talk to your detox care team about microdosing with CBD. While a full dose with CBD can leave you feeling very drowsy, which may not be an effective outcome from your pain management medication, microdosing by one of the following methods may serve:
- applying a topical lotion or cream
- taking a capsule with a meal containing fat
- using a vaping pen
You can also dose with CBD gummies and with an edible grade of oil. No matter what you and your team decide, carefully review which products work in what tools and situation. An oil that works under your tongue should never go on your skin or in a vaping tool. The liquid in a vaping tool should never be taken sublingually; while oils for sublingual use will burn, the juices that go into vaping pens are alcohol based and will burn much more cleanly and reduce your risk of injury.
Transferring Your Addiction
Fundamentally, you need to determine if you want to be on CBD as a maintenance drug. Because you can’t build up a tolerance to CBD, you won’t need more each time you find a dosage that works, and you can take it in full, medium or microdoses to see exactly what you need, CBD may be a drug that you can track in a private journal that allows you to determine your best dosage for now.
If you choose to dose yourself with CBD to try to manage pain, whether emotional or physical, make sure that you carefully track your dosage and your results. For example, some find that a microdose can make it easy to manage pain but impossible to use as a sleeping aid. A full dose may reliever your pain, but you won’t be able to get out and enjoy because you’ll be sound asleep. There are many who are concerned that using CBD may lead to transferring your addiction instead of successfully detoxing and moving into treatment. However, even if you were in the market for a new addiction, CBD is a very poor choice. Not only can’t you build up a tolerance to CBD, but eventually you may find that you can lower your dosage and get the same results. CBD simply can’t get you high. Ready to get started? Call us today at 772-266-5320.
