Pediatric and Adult CBD Dosing Guidelines

Important note: I have updated the Pediatric and Adult CBD dose guidelines from this blog post that I originally created in January of 2018. Please head over to the new post for the latest CBD info.

The information below in the original post remains sound, but I am working with a new supplier of Colorado grown organic hemp and they have made life easier for parents who want to give CBD by the drop. You can now purchase CBD direct through my affiliation with NuLeaf, click the picture to be taken to the website:

Organic CO Grown CBD from Hemp-Use code “NATMED20” for a 20% discount on purchases.

If you compare the info below to the info in the new Pediatric and Adult Guide to CBD blog post you will see that it is much more simple to work with one concentration of CBD. NuLeaf makes a single product, which means you don’t have to do advanced math to figure out how to give it to yourself or your child. Head over to the new post for the most up to date info:

New Guidelines

As a naturopathic doctor, I rarely see cases where CBD alone would be the only therapeutic agent I would use. For those with questions on the use of CBD for ADHD, ASD, anxiety, tic disorder, seizure disorder and other pediatric ‘disease constellations’ the use of CBD should be one part of a larger treatment regime. Therefore I offer 30-minute tele-health consults to help you get to the bottom of CBD dosing and understand the big picture. The fee for a phone consult is $120, put in a contact form and be sure to include your phone number and my office will contact you.

 

Here is the original blog post as published in January of 2018:

The most common question I get about CBD is: “How much do I take”? CBD is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis that is extracted from CBD rich strains of marijuana such as the Charlotte’s Web strain. The safety profile and the ability of CBD to control pediatric epilepsy without psychoactive or other side effects catalyzed the medical marijuana movement.  In the early 2000’s, families who could not get this medicine in their home states moved to Colorado, and the state is now a leader in research and production of CBD and other medical cannabis preparations.

The creator of the Charlotte’s Web strain, CW Hemp-The Stanley Brothers, make a hemp derived CBD extract that is standardized for potency and has near zero levels of THC. This post describes how to start yourself or your child on CBD, but before you undertake any new herbal medicine regimen you should consult a medical professional, preferably a naturopathic doctor.

The CBD dosing regimen below is specifically for the Everyday Advanced product by CW Hemp which has a 25 part CBD to 1 part THC ratio and 50 mg of CBD per ml of oil.

The product label notes to take a single adult dose of .6ml, which is 1/8 of a teaspoon, up to 3 times per day. A single pediatric dose is about .25 ml of Everyday Advanced, equivalent to 1/20th of a teaspoon, which yields 12.5 mg of CBD. To get accurate dosing you need to convert the teaspoon measures to number of drops.

Everyday Advanced is technically a fat based extract which is very different from an alcohol tincture. A thicker base (coconut oil in this case) will yield bigger drops versus a ‘thin’ alcohol tincture, so here is how to convert this product to drops…

Number of drops per milliliter: Herbal Alcohol Tincture vs. Herbal Infused Oil

  • 75% alcohol based herbal tincture at room temperature = 30 drops per ml
  • Herbal Infused Oil at room temperature = ~15 drops per ml

 

Everyday Advanced CBD Dose Titration for Children

For pediatric dose titration, start with one drop, 3 times per day. If well tolerated go to 2 drops, wait a few days. If no adverse effects are noted, you can go the therapeutic starting dose with is 4 drops 3X per day.

A good starting point for general pediatric CBD dosing is to start with .5mg CBD per pound of body weight, split across 3 doses per day. This is a therapeutic dose that you can increase under medical supervision and in response to the therapeutic need. CBD has a stellar safety profile but all cannabis products are biphasic which means they could have significant side effects at both very low or very high doses. Use of CBD to treat pediatric epilepsy could employ a 5-10X higher dose but this is obviously an extreme use case. Each condition I treat with CBD necessitates an individual prescription for the patient to achieve exact dose titration.

Example: A 70-pound child should take 35-40 mg of CBD per day, split over 3 doses taken with food. 4 drops of Everyday Advanced will yield 12.5 mg of CBD.

Everyday Advanced CBD Dose Titration for Adults

A starting dose of CBD for a 140-pound adult is 1.2 to 1.8 ml of oil per day to yield a daily dose of 60-90 mg of CBD. The Everyday Advanced label suggest taking .6ml (one-eighth of a teaspoon) two to three times a day, which provides 30 mg of CBD per dose.

Example: A 140-pound adult should take 70 mg of CBD daily (.5mg of CBD per pound of body weight) split over 3 doses taken with food. If desired results are not obtained and the CBD is well tolerated, you can double the dose after one week and then wait two weeks. If you again have not achieved the desired results you can go as high as 2mg/pound/day.

Final Notes

  • It is important to know the exact amount of CBD and THC in any cannabis based medicine you consume and understand how the CBD:THC ratio affects the medicine and its uses.
  • AFFILIATION: I receive commission when purchasing NuLeaf CBD through this site.
  • The only known contra-indication for CBD is to not take it with grapefruit as that combo could have negative impacts on enzymatic activity in the body.
  • You should always buy from a reputable source with strong standards for purity and potency.
  • Per FDA guidelines, this post does not constitute a recommendation to take CBD or cannabis products.
  • Other formulations of CBD not discussed here include liposomal, nano-particle and homeopathic.
  • Please reach out directly to me by putting in a contact for if you have specific questions on CBD.
  • I cannot provide any medical advice in the comments.

 

In Health,

Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

82 thoughts on “Pediatric and Adult CBD Dosing Guidelines”

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, thanks for your comment. I have updated my CBD dose guidelines on a newer blog post: you can determine the dose based on body weight. I do offer short 30 minute tele-health calls to review dosing guidelines and how to change the CBD dose based on how well it is working and what kind of results to look out for.

      1. Hi there,my granddaughteris blind with ONH and SOD,she also has autism.She takes hydrocortisone and levothyroxine would she be able to take the CBD oil for her autism.
        Kind Regards Dawn

        1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

          Hi, CBD has a stellar safety profile and is not contra-indicated for any age group. I can’t give specific advice in the comments. You can call or email my office to schedule a time to speak.

    2. My 10 yr old son takes 3 drops of CW original ( which used to be advanced) total. One in the morning two at night. Although this is a low dose it put his auto inflammatory and arthritis pain in complete remission after 4 months. He also has a grain free diet. For specific recommendations, I suggest you see a ND or FunctionalMedicine dr.

  1. Hello I have a 12 year old daughter that is 102 pounds who was diagnosed with ADHD. What would be a good amount of CBD oil? The oil I have has 1 percent THC. Thank you for your help. It’s greatly appreciated.

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Adam, I updated my dose guidelines to make it easier for parents to determine the proper dose of CBD for pediatric ADHD and other syndromes, head over there for hopefully a simpler, easier to understand guide to CBD. Also, we now recommend the brand NuLeaf Naturals as they have the same purity and standards as CW Brothers but make one concentration (50 mg/ml) that is easier to give in dropper form. In Health, Dr. Murphy

      1. hello I have a 8 year old who hasn’t been officially diagnosed with ADHD but shows many signs and symptoms of it
        i recently bought cud infused Gummies hoping that this is going to help or at least calm her and allow her mind to focus more
        are you able to tell me the dose of cod i can give my child.

        thank you please email me if thats easier

  2. I have 15 year old son with anxiety and high functioning autism. He would be 175 cm in height and is quite lean. I am very interested in commencing him on CBD Oil. Could you please provide me with a reputable brand to buy and also the therepeutic dose required.

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Annabelle, CBD dosing is based on weight, not height. My new guidelines for pediatric CBD dosing are now published on my blog, check that out for updated info. We now recommend NuLeaf Naturals for CBD which is Colorado grown and they ship to 40 countries. Head over to my store or click the picture above to get more info on purchasing CBD from NuLeaf.

  3. I have a 3 year old son he has ADHD can I give him the cbd gummies what mg and how many a day plz help..

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, Sorry I can’t give specific advice in the comments but I will email you. Anyone reading can get in touch with me via the contact form or pre-pay to schedule a tele-health consult. Determining the proper dose of CBD for pediatric use requires monitoring as the dose changes over time based on how well the patient responds and the desired outcomes you want to achieve.

      1. Nicole Gillespie

        RE a 3 1/2 ur old boy who is very hyperactive and add as well, I was curious about the gummies too. Is that too young of an age to give them cbd?

        1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

          There is not a strict age limit for giving CBD-the problem with gummies is that kids can choke on them. Just check with a doctor before starting CBD and if you do decide to give it, make sure you get a reputable brand that is standardized.

      2. Hi. I would really appreciate advice in order to start giving cbd oil to my 7 year old daughter. She doesn’t eat much and has some twitching which drs assumes it is Tic syndrome. But her loss of appetite is really concerning. I hope that cbd oil could help with that. I would like to know how you feel about it and if you could e mail me with dosage info

      1. I hve a 13 year old son tht is 150 pounds he has tourette’s, adhd add OCD how much CBD would I be able 2 give him

        1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

          Hi, I can say that, in my clinical practice, I have seen CBD work very well for Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD. CBD is best known for its anti-seizure properties and calming effect on the nervous system so this is something you should look into under the guidance of a naturopathic doctor in your area. I can’t give specific advice via the comments section on my blog, but if you call my office to schedule a phone call, I will be happy to speak with you.

          As a note for any for any reader, I am unable to give specific advice in my comments, it is best to email or call my office to schedule a time to speak. Thank you!

  4. I have some questions about cbd oil and giving it to children with ADHD. I know you cant answer specifics on here so would you be able to email me please ?

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      We did email, I don’t have ‘track back’ installed yet so if you did not get my email or if it went to spam, please put in a contact form.

  5. Hi Dr. COLLEEN,

    I am from Edmonton, Canada, and I want your advice on which CBD oil is the best to treat ADHD for a 6 year old boy.

    I await your reply.
    Thanks

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Yemmie, I recommend NuLeaf Naturals and have a link above and in the store where you can purchase internationally. No matter where you buy CBD, always be sure to purchae North American grown, organic CBD extract. You can buy CBD lovingly cultivated by professionals who have extracted, STANDARDIZED and TESTED for THC content, or buy an industrial waste product from China’s hemp industry sold cheaply over the net. Choose wisely!

  6. For an adult taking it for Add/focus issues, must it be taken every day for the benefit or just on the days needed?

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Yes, a typical herbal medicine therapeutic regime starts with a larger ‘loading dose’ and then tapers to a ‘maintenance dose’. You should take it daily to maintain the desired level of CBD and other active constituents. Dosage and response rate should be measured regularly, every 3-6 months, with your healthcare provider. CBD should be a part of a larger overall therapeutic plan to manage adult ADD/ADHD and there are many other great herbs that can benefit.

  7. CW Everyday Advanced has 43 mg per 0.5 ml. If you take a 1 ml doss, your getting 86 mg. The article says that one dose gives you 50 mg, so how does this add up?

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      The label states that each .5ml serving contains approximately 43mg of hemp extract per 0.5mL serving. The hemp extract is not 100% CBD so you need to understand the potency or percentage of active constituent (CBD) when making the correlation to dosage.

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      My recommendation in this article is based on the potency of CBD in Everyday Advanced which is standardized to a potency of 50 mg of CBD per ml. Forty percent of this product is something other than active CBD.

  8. What is the dosing amount for a 15 yr old boy weighing 129 pounds? Bought charleytes web hemp oil, the regular one with olive oil in it.

  9. My child fractured his femur and has been having terrible leg spasms at night when sleeping. Do you think that CBD oil could potentially help reduce the amount of pain he feels during the spasms or maybe stop the spasms entirely?

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, sorry to hear about your son and thanks for the interesting question. CBD first came onto the scene for its remarkable ability to stop certain seizure disorders. These disorders are often determined by genetics and are inheritable, so the ability of CBD to stop spasms due to fracture is another thing altogether. You can apply CBD topically with a CBD cream or lotion, other options are arnica creams and also capsaicin creams for pain relief.

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, I will email you now. The contact form sometimes doesn’t work so encourage all to email drmurphy@natmedworks (dot) com

        1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

          Yes and you can always put in a contact form or call my office during business hours. In health, Dr. Murphy

    2. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, I emailed you and you can always put in a contact form or call/text my office during normal business hours (pacific timezone). I can schedule a 30 minute tele-health call, check email for details.

  10. Can you please tell me how much cbd shall I give my son, who is 64LB and has seizures/ADHD and aggressively chews on his shirts to the point not only they get drenched but hole in the shirts. any help will be greatly appreciated. I have bought from CWHemp cbd hemp oil original formula.

    Thank you very much.

  11. My son is 3yrs old very hyper active and very hard for him to concentrate and to sleep as well. Hes 39lbs and 41inches tall. What is the recommend dosw to start with?

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Nicole, My office just emailed you. CBD dosing is confusing because the number of drops depends on the concentration but also the therapeutic considerations. I offer a 30 minute tele-health consult that can help answer your questions, check your email for info. In health, Dr. Murphy

      1. I am very interested in speaking to u regarding my 6 year old 48 lb boy. He has some special needs including seizures . Can we set up a call

        1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

          I am sorry this response is so delayed but I don’t get much time to respond – the best way to reach me is via my contact form or phone.

  12. A 3 years old and weighs around 40lbs and has been diagnosed with level 2 Autism. I’m looking into giving him pure CBD oil but want to know the specific dosage to give him for the best results. Look forward to hearing back, thanks.

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, I would work with a medical professional to understand the dosing. As with all forms of herbal medicine, you typically don’t give the same amount day after day. For example, you may do a loading dose and then taper based on self-reported feedback from the parent regarding the child’s behavior. The focus of this article is to help people understand how to give an exact dose to a child, but how much to give and when should be directed by a medical professional. Please email me if you want health coaching via phone.

  13. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

    Hi, you need to determine the concentration of the CBD you want to give: how many milligrams per serving. As a rule of thumb, an adult of 140 pounds would take about 70 or 80 mg daily-most people tolerate CBD very well, but some are very sensitive to it. Also, the formulations and consistency of CBD products can be lackluster. Before I recommend a dose to anyone for the first time, I would want to know that they are using a highly reputable brand that is standardized to a potency and the receiver is not ‘sensitive’ to CBD.

  14. I have a grandchild who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder with several developmental delays and is non-verbal She will be 3 in Jan. 2019 and weighs approx 30 pounds. Have children this young tried and benenfited from cbd oil?

  15. Looking for the best brand to give a child. He has been diagnosed with ADHD. And we would like to see if cbd helps. He is 7byears old and 50lbs. If you could recommend a brand and dose that would be great. Thank you

  16. Hi my son is 5 and having epileptic seizures daily, even though he is taking daily meds. Can you email me a dosage for CBD? He weighs 50 lbs. thank you!

  17. Looking for help for my grandson. 5 months old hypertonic, traumatic brain injury in utero. We would like to try CBD but are not sure if dosage levels. Can you help us?

  18. Hi, I recently purchased green roads brand CBD oil for my insomnia. It’s 550mg, and 37mg/ml. Ive tried it a couple of times but it hasn’t helped me. My 14 year old daughter suffers from depression, anxiety, and attention problems. She is 100 lbs. Would you know how much of this oil I would give to her? Thanks.

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Julia, my office just emailed you. You can schedule a 30 minute tele-health consult with me, see email for scheduling. I can help you determine proper dosing so you know whether or not CBD is right for your condition. In Health, Dr. Murphy

  19. Hi my son has oesophageal reflux and cannot get over to sleep at night due to anxiety after trying everything else and not wanting him to take pharmaceutical medicine long term I would like to try him on cbd but need to know the correct dosage please…..

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Carol, My office just emailed you. I can schedule a 30 minute phone tele-health consult regarding your comment and you can contact my office during business hours to schedule or just reply to our email. In Health, Dr. Murphy

      1. Hi my grand daughter 8s 4 months old with malformation of the brain which causes so many different types of seizures. Shes on two seizures meds already but we tried the oil and it seems to be helping she weighs 11.5 pounds how much cbd oil would I use for her.

        1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

          I am sorry to hear about your granddaughters condition. I hope you can find local medical professionals that will consider the use of CBD. The ability to control seizures is the first documented case of THC/CBD providing scientifically proven benefits so this is absolutely an area worth exploring – but I can’t give specific advice in the comments. You can reach me via the contact form to discuss more. In health, Dr. Murphy

  20. Dr. Murphy,
    I emailed you through your “contact us” portal a few weeks ago regarding dosage recommendation for my 47lb child.
    Would you be able to help?

  21. Jacqueline Bailey

    Hi Dr Murphy,

    I am looking for information regarding dosing CBD in a 12 yr old child with ADHD who is not on medication. We would use a good quality CBD oil with no THC 33 mg/ml. His estimated weight is 90 lbs.

    Thank you,

    Jacqueline Bailey

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi Jacqueline, my office just sent you an email. Because there are so many formulations of CBD out there, I am switching to work with a supplier that has a single concentration: 50 mg/ml. I want to make this as simple as possible.

  22. Pingback: Pediatric CBD Blog Post Goes Viral. Lessons learned from a sometimes-blogging Naturopathic Doctor - Natural Medicine

  23. Stephanie Williams

    Hello,
    My 6 yr old son is ADHD and ODD and I have recently purchased/Ordered the CHarlottes Web CBD oil “full strength” 30mg. from their website. I am curious to know, do I give him one half of the dropper? Would 30mg last him the whole day or would twice a day give better results?

    1. It’s been years, but if you see this Reply, I’m wondering how this all worked out. My 5 yr old has high-functioning ASD and ADHD and bad anxiety. I’m a fan of Charlotte’s Web CBD over other brands and looking into it for him.

  24. Hi I live in Central New Jersey and wondering if you can recommend a Dr. who is pro CBD. What type of Dr should I be looking for? Thank you

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, I have worked with CW but they make many formulations and concentrations. I work with NuLeaf since they have a solo concentration which makes it easy to use in pediatrics. I can’t give specific advice in the comments. You are welcome to call or email me to schedule a time to speak, or make an appointment with a local naturopathic doctor in your area.

  25. So the last 5-6 days my 2 and a half year old son has been having trouble sleeping through the night, which he has never had problems with before. I had bought some CBD oil 7mg for myself n have given him 3 small drops orally at night
    the last 3 nights for him to sleep, is that ok for his age???

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, It is normal for toddlers to go through periods of irregular sleep problems. I can’t give specific advice in the comments, but CBD has a stellar safety profile and is not contraindicated for any age group. If you want to call or email my office (my contact form is wonky) I would be happy to schedule a time to speak.

  26. I have a 4 month old 14lbs with severe GERD and was curious about starting CBD, he is in so much pain and on many prescription drugs. What would be the dosage and the mg I should start with?

    1. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi-Thank you for your question and I hope you can find a local naturopathic doctor to work with on this complex issue. I am available by phone to discuss your question. I cannot give advice via the comments. Please call my office or email me drmurphy (at) natmedworks.com

    2. Dr. Coleen Murphy ND, LAc.

      Hi, I cant provide medical advice in the comments. The best way to ask a question privately is to put in a contact form and include your phone number. Thanks you.

  27. hi .my baby boy is 2 years old n he weighs 7 kg..he is a cerebral palsy child.he dont sleep well.i hve cbd oil.but dnt know how much amount i hve to give to treat his insomnia and mood..

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