The Science Behind MONQ +cbd Dosage
MONQ loves bringing you blends with science-backed benefits to help you live your best life. This is why we’ve combined the potent benefits of CBD with terpene-rich essential oils to create an entourage effect, leading to an enhanced aromatherapeutic experience.
MONQ+cbd diffusers each contain 100 mg—or 10%— CBD, and 0.00% THC, the intoxicating psychoactive compound in marijuana that causes a “high.”
In order to harness the potent benefits of CBD, it is important to select an optimal dose and route of administration, which have both been extensively detailed in scientific literature. Based on these studies, MONQ has selected CBD doses and routes of administration that we believe will provide the most benefit.
MONQ is committed to not only providing products designed to promote overall wellness but also to educating individuals about those products. So, highlighted below is an overview of the properties of CBD, as well as the scientific literature that backs the MONQ + blends.
What Is CBD
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound derived from the hemp plant, a member of the cannabis family, which has less than 0.3% THC. Unlike THC, a psychoactive compound that produces an intoxicating effect, CBD provides benefits without a high.
It produces these benefits by acting on the endocannabinoid system, which has essential functions in the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, immune system, and all major organs.1 In other words, CBD has the potential to enhance mental and physical health.2,3
Given these extensive benefits, finding an optimal CBD dose and route of administration is especially important as it allows individuals to experience CBD’s benefits to the greatest extent possible.
It is important to note that the majority of studies use oral CBD administration, which is a less bioavailable route of administration. MONQ+ products focus on vaporization. Highlighted below is an explanation for how data on CBD bioavailability informed this decision.
CBD Bioavailability
Bioavailability refers to the degree and rate that an administered compound is absorbed into the bloodstream. Bioavailability is an essential tool to measure the introduction of a compound into the body and how much is needed to constitute an effective dose.
The bioavailability of a compound is determined by measuring its blood concentrations at various time intervals after it has been administered. All drugs that are administered intravenously have a bioavailability of 100% because the dose is delivered directly to the bloodstream. Other methods of administration, as well as individual biochemistry, affect bioavailability.
Internal
When ingested, CBD must enter the gastrointestinal tract and experience degradation from digestive factors and metabolism by the liver. This reduces the speed at which CBD will reach the bloodstream and also reduces the amount of CBD available. Bioavailability of CBD through oral administration has been measured to be between 5% to 20%.4
Vaporization
CBD can be vaporized, causing it to interact with the membranes of the lungs within the alveoli and bronchial tubes. This is by far the fastest route of administration, and CBD’s effects can be felt within just a few minutes. The bioavailability of vaporized CBD is the highest of all CBD administration methods, at around 60%. Nevertheless, the effects will not last as long as with oral administration and the effects of vaporized CBD will wear off within one to three hours.
Mucosal Absorption
The oral and nasal cavities are lined with very vascular mucous membranes. CBD has been shown to be absorbed very effectively into the bloodstream via these mucous membranes. When users breathe MONQ in the mouth and out the nose, vaporized CBD is in constant contact with and absorbed by the mucous membranes and into the bloodstream.
Topical
CBD can also be passed directly through the skin to deliver its benefits to affected areas topically. This method has been compared to oral administration in terms of efficacy, but there is reason to believe that the transdermal route provides better absorption compared to oral use by providing a more prolonged and controlled route of delivery.5
CBD Dosage
There has been a wide range of studies about what constitutes a therapeutic CBD dose. A 2019 publication from the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provided a systematic review of this information and compared 35 studies where CBD was administered to clinical populations.6
The CBD doses provided in these studies ranged from <1 to 50 mg/kg/d (around <62 to 3100 mg/d for an adult). Studies included in the review that included a high dosage of CBD administered over a prolonged period of time found little to no side effects. The reason that this dosage range is so broad is that it is believed that different CBD doses may be effective for different conditions.
The review ultimately concluded that CBD offers a wide efficacy range between <1 and 50 mg/kg/d, but studies with positive outcomes tended to use doses closer to the 50 mg/kg/d range of this spectrum. However, the researchers also acknowledged that different plasma concentrations of CBD may be required for attaining different effects. For instance, with CBD, lower doses have been shown to be more effective for stress relief.
The combination of these findings underscores the fact that even at low doses, CBD can provide significant therapeutic benefits, especially when paired with a more bioavailable method of administration.
As mentioned previously, each MONQ + original diffuser contains 100 mg—or 10%— CBD. For diffuser use, this equates to around 5–10 mg CBD/day when used as directed. As noted in both of the studies cited above, even a relatively low dosage of CBD was enough to achieve desired effects when administered orally. Because vaporization offers higher bioavailability, this compounds the effects of this dosage further.
Additionally, because MONQ diffusers should be breathed in through the mouth and out through the nose, this allows for CBD delivery intranasally. This has been shown to be a highly effective CBD delivery system, with studies showing that intranasal use of CBD formulations results in rapid CBD absorption and 34–46% bioavailability.7
Because of the instructed use of MONQ diffusers then, MONQ products not only stimulate the olfactory bulb but are absorbed into the oral and nasal mucosa, increasing the bioavailability and lowering the dose threshold.
For topical applications, more research needs to be done to understand the most effective dose. That said, there is evidence that pairing CBD with terpenes, such as those found in essential oils, can improve the effectiveness of the therapeutic components in CBD, as well as topical absorption.8
Final Thoughts
A range of information featured in scientific literature led MONQ to determine the CBD dosage found in the MONQ+ line. By combining an effective CBD dose with terpene-rich essential oils, the MONQ+ blends leverage the entourage effect to magnify the therapeutic benefits of CBD. With MONQ+cbd you can experience the most convenient and elevated aromatherapy experience.