CBD has become the darling of the wellness world, touted for its potential to ease everything from anxiety to aches and pains. For Illinois residents, dispensaries offer a seemingly easy avenue to explore these benefits. But are you really getting your money’s worth? The truth might leave you feeling more locked out than locked in with relief. A crucial factor often overlooked is dosage based on body weight, and it’s a key reason why many Illinois dispensary CBD products might be falling short, leaving consumers with lighter wallets and unchanged symptoms.
The science behind CBD dosing suggests that, like many substances, the amount needed to feel an effect can be influenced by your body mass.
Think of it this way: a smaller person will likely need less of a medication to feel its impact than a larger individual. The same principle applies to CBD. While there isn’t a universally agreed-upon “magic number,” many experts and studies point to a starting range of 1 to 6 mg of CBD per 10 pounds of body weight, depending on the severity of the condition being addressed and individual biochemistry.
Let’s break that down for a moment. If you weigh, say, 150 pounds, a low starting dose might be around 15 mg of CBD (1 mg/10 lbs), while a higher dose could be closer to 90 mg (6 mg/10 lbs). Now, take a look at the typical CBD offerings in many Illinois dispensaries. You’ll often find edibles, tinctures, and topicals with total CBD content ranging from 10mg to maybe 50mg per package or bottle.
Here’s where the problem arises. For someone on the higher end of the weight spectrum, or someone seeking relief from more significant discomfort, a single gummy containing 10mg of CBD is likely to have a minimal, if any, noticeable effect. Even a tincture with a total of 300mg in the bottle might only deliver a small dose per serving, potentially falling short of the amount needed to experience the purported benefits.
This isn’t to say all CBD products in Illinois dispensaries are ineffective. However, the prevalence of lower-dose options means that many consumers, especially those with higher body weights or more pronounced symptoms, are essentially under-dosing themselves. They might try a product, feel nothing, and conclude that CBD doesn’t work for them, when in reality, they simply haven’t taken enough.
The consequence? Wasted money.
Consumers are purchasing products that don’t provide the desired relief, leading to frustration and a potential dismissal of CBD’s potential altogether. It’s like taking a sip of water when you’re severely dehydrated, it might quench a tiny bit of thirst, but it won’t solve the underlying problem.
So, what can you do if you’re an Illinois resident looking to explore the benefits of CBD?
- Do your research: Understand the concept of weight-based dosing and consider your own body weight and the reasons you’re using CBD.
- Read labels carefully: Pay attention to the total CBD content in the product and the serving size. Calculate how much CBD you’re actually getting per dose.
- Consider higher-dose products: If available and within legal limits, explore products with higher concentrations of CBD. This might mean opting for a tincture with a higher total milligram count or looking for edibles with more CBD per serving.
- Start low and go slow: Even with higher-dose products, begin with a low dose and gradually increase until you find what works for you. Keep a journal to track your dosage and its effects.
- Consult a healthcare professional: If you have underlying health conditions or are taking other medications, it’salways best to talk to your doctor before using CBD. They can offer personalized advice on dosage and potential interactions.
The Illinois cannabis market is still evolving, and hopefully, we’ll see a wider range of CBD products with varying potencies to better cater to individual needs and body weights.
In the meantime, being an informed consumer is your best defense against spending money on products that simply don’t pack enough punch to deliver the relief you’re seeking. Don’t let under-dosed CBD leave you feeling locked out of the potential benefits, knowledge is your key to unlocking the right product and dosage for you.
Sources:
- “CBD Daily Dosage Calculator – CannaBIZ Collects.” CannaBIZ Collects, March 12, 2025. https://www.cannabizcollects.com/blog/cbd-daily-dosage-calculator
- “CBD Quiz & Dosage Calculator Chart – resolveCBD.” resolveCBD. https://resolvecbd.co/cbd-dosage-chart/
- “The beginner’s guide of CBD oil dosing – Canatura.” Canatura. https://www.canatura.com/a/the-beginner-s-guide-of-cbd-oil-dosing
- “CBD dosage: Benefits, safety, and side effects – Medical News Today.” Medical News Today, October 16, 2023. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327518
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