The most common question I have faced hasn’t been on the
recommended dosage, the legality
of CBD oil or which is the
best CBD oil available, it has been around why people’s lips go numb after
taking it.
Considering how many people go through this process, I decided to dedicate an article to the subject, which I hope many of you find useful. In fact, I originally wrote this article back in 2019, but I have continued updating it over the years as it’s remained one of the most common questions I receive from readers and followers on social media.
Lack Of Information
Let me start by saying I’m not a doctor, I’m not a registered dietitian, nor am I a health expert, I try my best to gather information and share it with the community.
Having said that, I tried to research this subject and found
virtually nothing! The best I could find was 3 forums where people shared their
experiences, but no informative pieces explaining this reaction.
From that point, I contacted a number of CBD brands, reviewed the available research and any connected studies discussed the subject with healthcare professionals, as well as analysing hundreds of comments on the subject from forums to feedback from users, so to get a broad view of the potential reasons.
Most Common Answer
The most common reasoning I was offered was in relation to the THC levels. Following a number of studies, it is believed that trace amounts of THC may contribute to that slight numbing of the mouth area and potentially cause a little tingling on the lips.
This is not a bad reaction, but it does highlight something around the accurate dosages which brands are offering. Surely, we should hypothetically all have the same response to each product we use, when they are stating the same amount of THC, however this is rarely the case (speaking as someone who tests hundreds of them).
It is very hard to ensure precise amounts with these tests, but you should always check whether a brand is willing to provide their third party lab test results before making a purchase.
If they refuse or don’t have it readily available, this could mean one of two things. They might either not have the lab test results (run to the hills) or their results might not match what they are stating.
In fact, independent testing has found that some didn’t have any CBD in their bottles, or drastically differing cannabinoid levels to what they’re advertising. The most common culprit is the edibles, such as gummies, as the quantity is so low, sometimes it can reach zero. This is why the FSA’s Novel Foods authorisation process begun, to ensure quantifiable testing was taking place in order to deliver the stated dosages.
Just the same, the quantities can be higher and this is the same with THC, hence some of the products are arguably not allowed, due to having more than a trace amount of THC.
But again, the evidence is still lacking that it is 100% related to THC
Side Effects Of CBD
While we often talk about the positive effects of CBD oil,
it is worth discussing some of the potential side effects you can have from
supplementing. The vast majority of tests showed no side effects at all, but a
couple did show some signs in a few individuals, such as a dry mouth, drowsy or
light
headed and low
blood pressure.
None of the official sources claim anything around the mouth becoming numb, but this could simply be that the industry is growing and expanding so quickly that the online information simply isn’t up to date or offering accurate details.
I’ve spoken a lot about CBD oil, but a follow up question I got was ‘can edibles make your tongue numb‘, at which point the answer seems to be yes according to a few others who have also felt this. I personally have only felt the numbness with the oil and not with various gummies I’ve tried, but others claim they have felt it, so we have a collective answer of yes!
Many of the gummies actually utilise CBD isolate rather than broad or full spectrum, meaning it will only contain CBD with no other cannabinoids present, which could be the reason why your mouth doesn’t go numb with gummies.
Reaction
Sifting through a number of the forums, it appeared that the majority of people who had this reaction were scared they were having an allergic reaction and stopped taking it.
My question to them would be how seriously were they affected? On a personal level, I feel a slight tingling and it disappears after about 5 minutes, however some of the comments stated it would stay for an hour and completely numb the mouth and tongue, to the point you would expect at a dentists.
I wouldn’t want to comment on whether they are having an allergic reaction, as I wouldn’t want to give medical advice, however if you have a stronger reaction or it stays for a longer period of time then you should stop using the product or swap brands.
As I previously mentioned, if the THC is much higher than quoted then another brand that more accurately works out their dosages could potentially solve the situation. Just the same, you can get products that contain zero THC, which might be worth a try.
I hope this has helped to clear it up for some people, there
is an annoying lack of information around these subjects and no definitive answers
online, so I will make sure to update this blog post as time goes on and as I
speak to more specialists and experts.
Why It Seems Less Common Today
This was an article I initially wrote almost 7 years ago and it absolutely exploded, as so many people were seeking an answer.
One significant thing that has happened in the UK market over the past couple of years is that most of the CBD oils on the market are now an isolate, meaning no other cannabinoids are present other than cannabidiol. This means that there should be little to no detectable THC found, hence the potential drop off in the numbess of your lips.
This is frustrating, a factor brought on by some of the strict rules in place with the UK’s Novel Foods Authorisation process and dossier’s to qualify with regulations, however it also means less people have made comments about their mouth going numb after usage.
Something interesting as well, this no longer happens to me very often, perhaps it was slightly related to tolerance, but I know the products I used to get were often broad/full spectrum rather than the isolates on the market I test nowadays.
Post Views: 9,494
