I drank CBD tea for a month and here’s what happened

I have felt the immediate calming effects of CBD tea before. And I often use it to calm my nerves or reduce my anxieties so that I can go to sleep. Its use, however, is sporadic and random. I wondered what effects more steady ingestion of CBD would have on my life, so I undertook the experiment of drinking CBD tea for one month.

As a lover of science and the scientific method, I devised an open experiment to record and analyze my findings over the time that the tea was taken.

 

 

 

 

The CBD tea experiment

 

Question

 

What will one month of CBD tea do for me?

Research

 

CBD, cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis that has numerous health benefits on the body. Its uses range from easing PMS to relieving Parkinson’s symptoms. To learn more about what CBD can do for you, head over here.

I have researched and written about CBD countless times. I am fully aware of its healing properties and uses. I have even used it several times for dedicated purposes. However, I have not used it as a lifestyle enhancer. That is the basis of this experiment – to see what effects regular usage of CBD has on the body and lifestyle of the user.

In order for an accurate test, a baseline situation was required as a comparison tool to more accurately determine the changes from regular CBD consumption.

The baseline week was done one week before the CBD tea test begun. For seven days I recorded my mood, my sleep, my anxiety levels and any out of place bodily issues.

I noticed a host of problems, nothing that I didn’t know already, namely:

• difficulty falling and staying asleep
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• high anxiety levels
• mood swings
• dysthymia (high functioning long term persistent depression)
• migraines
• sore muscles after exercising

 

 

My Hypothesis

 

I believe that CBD will help with my sleep problems, my anxiety and pain management.

I believe that these effects will only show up near the end of the month.

 

 

My Method

 

I committed to having one cup of tea in the mornings with breakfast, and another an hour before bedtime. I also had check-ins with myself every morning, noon and evening to fill out my questionnaire to keep track of my progress and to note any changes that I might be seeing.

To my dismay, and for a reliable test, I also quit smoking cannabis, which is my preferred method of using cannabis.

I had matcha green tea for breakfast and turmeric ginger tea at night.

I did this for 30 days.

 

 

The Data I Collected

 

Day 1

 

 

 

Day 3

Evening check-in: I am about to have my evening tea. So far, nothing obvious had changed but I have found the practice of dedicating time for me to quietly sit and drink my tea quite relaxing and calming.

 

Day 7

Morning check-in: I am starting to feel more at ease in the mornings. My anger and dismay at having to get up are noticeably reduced. I wouldn’t say I’m looking forward to going to work, but the dread has definitely reduced. I think my sleep is better.

 

Day 8

Noon check-in: I forgot to have my morning tea. I am having it now.

Evening check-in: I noticed a lag in my concentration just after midday. I wonder if it was a result of the late CBD or if I just overate at lunch?

 

Day 9

Evening check-in: Went to pole class. Muscles are sore. No pain relief it seems.

 

Day 13

Evening check-in: I had quite a stressful day at the office today. I am growing tired of the sexism in the office. I even had an extra cup of tea around 2 pm to calm down a little (forgive me). While I was on edge, I did not feel overwhelmed in the way I normally would have. I found I was more rational with dealing with the situation.

 

Day 15

Morning check-in: I got my period. Great (rolls eyes). I am curious to see how it affects my period, if at all.

 

Day 18

 

 

 

Day 20

Morning check-in: Period over. Yay! I think the CBD is helping somewhat. My sleep has noticeably improved, even while on my period when it’s the worst. As long as I don’t actively resist the urge, I tend to fall asleep within an hour of my evening tea. And I seem to be sleeping through the night. My dreams are a bit hazy. I can’t seem to remember most of them, but I do feel rested in the mornings, so there’s that.

 

Day 26

Noon check-in: I overdid the chilli in my bacon and cheese toasted sandwich and my tummy is grumbling unhappily. Come to think about it… I haven’t had a lot of involuntary gurgling coming from it recently. My poop is still varied, but in terms of stomach noises and bloating, it has reduced significantly.

 

Day 30

Evening check-in: I am going to miss having this moment every evening for myself. I think I will continue.

 

 

 

 

 

My Analysis

 

At the end of the thirty days, I collated the data and examined them next to the baseline survey. I also used data acquired from my FitBit to supplement the results. Below are my findings.

 

Week 1

There was not much of a change in my first week – as expected.

 

Week 2

I noticed an improvement in my sleep. From the data I had acquired from my FitBit, I saw that the number of times I woke every night was steadily reducing. It also made getting up in the mornings less of a pain. While I still wasn’t keen on going to work, I found that I was less angry about it.

 

Week 3

I got my period that week and this was where I noticed the biggest change to my life. My cravings were noticeably reduced. Normally I’d eat 2-3 family-sized bags of chips over my period, but this time I didn’t feel the need to eat them. I also found that, while I did get a headache, it was not the vomit-inducing migraine I normally get. That was the biggest relief. My flow was unnaturally heavier, however. That concerned me.

 

Week 4

This was when I started taking notice of the absence of symptoms in my life. Bloating, as a result of my IBS, reduced significantly. My moods seemed more stable. My anxieties seemed more manageable. Things that once brought me to dread became little more than annoying circumstances. I felt more at ease. My resting heartbeat, which was quite high as a result of my consistent anxiety was, on average, lower than usual.

 

 

 

My Conclusions

My dysthymia was generally more manageable with my sleep becoming more regulated, and my moods being more stable. My general state of anxiety was also more manageable with the edge seemingly taken off. This conformed to my expectations.

While the CDB did help with the bloating from my IBS, the consistency of my poop was variable as ever. It was not a complete solution.

With regard to my pain management, while my period migraine was significantly less painful, muscular pain was unaffected by the CBD. I was surprised by this.

 

 

 

 

Experiment over … what now?

 

I was surprised by the far-reaching effects of the CBD. While I have researched and written about CBD, it different experiencing it first-hand.

I still prefer smoking as a means for sleeping as the effect is more immediate and much harder to resist than with CBD. It is also better for muscular pain management.

As for the continued use of CBD, I will definitely be incorporating it more significantly in my life, especially for period management. I doubt that I will be taking it twice a day from now on – more like once every two days or so – as it gets a little expensive.

Unrelated to the experiment, I also found that I loved having those few moments in the day that I dedicated to myself. I will definitely continue to do that from now on, trying out other teas.

 

 

May all your days be high ones!

 

Evarínya

 

 

 

 

Stay with us for the upcoming events:

• the launch of Bloem & Moi herbal teas!
• the new Conscious Cannabis Club Podcast!

 

Exciting times ahead!