How to use CBD tinctures is a topic on the minds of many consumers. You can easily follow the instructions on your hemp oil bottle, but are there tricks and tips on what or what not to eat when ingesting your CBD oil? Can cooking with CBD oil impact the effectiveness of CBD? Should you take CBD if you are on other medications? With so many questions, we turned to Dr. Michelle Sexton, a naturopath who fittingly goes by the title of The Endocannabinoid System Doctor.

Dr. Sexton has been spreading the good word of CBD benefits to patients and students in California and beyond for the past 12 years. “I work with a lot people who have been told by conventional medicine that there is nothing else for them, or who have tried every therapy with low benefits,” Dr. Sexton says. We chatted with Dr. Sexton to learn more about her work, along with extracting (see what we did there?) tips on how and when to consume CBD products with food.

Your work focuses mainly on the endocannabinoid system, which is how we receive and process cannabidiol products. Can you explain a bit about what you do?

I am the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) Doctor. The ECS system fits perfectly with naturopathic medicine, which seeks to treat the cause [of ailments]; not symptoms. Particularly, it is the principle of treating the whole person, because the ECS is expressed in every tissue in the body – and the healing power of nature, because this system is one of homeostasis.

I have developed a unique system approach for evaluating the endocannabinoid system in my patients, and I use this assessment to guide their individualized treatment plans.

When did you begin your work in the cannabidiol CBD realm?

I have been working clinically with cannabis since 2008. It was around this time the CBD renaissance began – with families who had children with pediatric epilepsy and breeders in Northern California who had developed CBD-dominant chemotypes. I presented the first data at the International Cannabinoid Research Society on the impact of CBD on the lives of these children and families.  

Which issues or ailments are your patients currently targeting with CBD and hemp oil?

My practice is focused on medical cannabis as a substitute for opioid medications. CBD oil can mitigate the psychoactivity of THC, and may help reduce drug cravings in this patient population. I have some patients using CBD oil for anxiety. I treat a lot of neurological diseases – Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Restless Leg Syndrome. Hemp, cannabis and CBD can all offer these patient populations improvement in quality of life and relief from some symptoms.

Are there rules on cooking with CBD oil to follow?

A high-fat meal will slow the time until CBD oil peaks in the blood stream, but increase the level. Additionally, there may be drug interactions that patients should speak with doctors about [before] using CBD hemp extract, if they are on other medications.

Are there negative CBD effects on the metabolism, like weight gain or loss?

No. There is no evidence of this in any of the known pharmacology – in animals or in humans.

When is the best time of day to consume cannabidiol, and how many times a day should a user take CBD oil?

It is unknown if there is a ‘best’ time of day; one to three times per day depending on what it is being used for.  

Learn more about CBD dosage and consumption information here.

Any advice on how to use CBD tinctures with so many options on the market?

Cannabinoids are fat-loving, so [ingesting them] with other fats is the best way. A true tincture is an alcohol-based extraction. I’m typically using oils, or a plant CBD extracts that are delivered in olive, coconut or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil.

When it comes to CBD tinctures, are certain carrier oils more suitable/healthier than others?

This is not known, as no one has compared them. Coconut oil, the source of medium-chain triglycerides, is absorbed in the gut a bit differently from longer-chain oils, but no CBD companies have provided any proof that one CBD hemp oil carrier is better than another. In general, poly- or mono-unsaturated fats are healthy.

Do you have any tips or tricks on CBD tincture uses for pickier eaters?

I recommend putting it on a cracker with peanut butter or a piece of bread with butter. Take cannabidiol CBD with other fatty foods to improve bioavailability.

Ready to buy CBD oil? Before you do, learn how to choose the best CBD oil available for online purchase.