For northerners, it’s wintertime, as you’ve most certainly ascertained by looking out your window, seeing your breath in the air, or taking very careful steps as you made your way along the sidewalk. You might have also gleaned this change in seasons by the fact that driving to the supermarket has, once again, become something of a challenge. You now have to deal with snow on the windshield, ice on the roads, heaters dying at the worst possible time, and snow and ice blowing around even on clear days. On top of all that, even if you feel ready for these challenges, if even one other person on the road fails at the task, that also spells doom for you and other cars in the area.
This is why it’s now more important than ever to make sure that you’ve got all of your wits about you. Krampus doesn’t come for naughty children, but fate does come for reckless drivers. So yes, indeed, it’s time to talk about CBD again.
But Isn’t CBD Made from Marijuana?
Actually, no, it isn’t. To answer it for the more discerning among you, we’re going to get a bit technical. The part about it being made from cannabis is technically true. However, cannabis has two major varieties: marijuana and hemp. The main distinction is that marijuana is high in Delta 9 THC. It is the chemical that causes the head high in users. Therefore, you should never consume marijuana before driving. However, hemp contains less than 0.3% Delta 9 THC by law. This trace amount is not enough to cause any psychoactive effects. So products made from hemp oil extract (e.g., CBD) can be safe to use while driving, depending on your individual reaction to it.
What It Does To You
CBD oil has many different uses; not the least is relieving uneasiness and balancing mood. It also balances a lot of the body’s natural processes and helps the body achieve homeostasis.
Now, the more discerning of you might have perked an eyebrow up at what you just read: relieves apprehension and balances mood. Usually, these are accomplished by relaxing or sedating the user. Doesn’t that seem a little antithetical to the whole “staying alert” thing?
Take the Low Road (Dose)
So, stick with us for a minute because this is important. According to studies on rats and humans, lower doses of CBD promote wakefulness, but higher doses produce the opposite effect and promote sleepiness and drowsiness. Yeah, somewhat weird, right?
Therefore, it’s important that, if you take CBD oil, you do so in tiny amounts if you want to be awake and alert enough to handle winter driving. How much is a “tiny amount”? Well, everybody is different. But on average, it seems that doses of 15 mg are at that invigorating sweet spot. That dose is easy to measure out if you are using a tincture. If you use edibles, you need to adjust the amount you bite into to get the correct dose. Remember, unlike tinctures or vaping, edibles will take up to two hours to kick in. So keep that in mind when you are testing this out.
Speaking of testing, it’s a good precaution to try the lower dosage on yourself at home, just to be sure. Take the smaller dose and see how it affects your awareness and alertness functions while you do something sedate like watching TV. If you stay alert and awake, then you’re good to go.
Another option available if you’re willing to use other CBD products instead of straight oil is CBD-infused coffee. Not only does the infusion take away some of the side effects you might experience from raw coffee, like headaches and jitters, but it also compliments the caffeine in the dosage that it’s in and increases its effectiveness. However, if you use tinctures, you can just add the tincture to your coffee.