Last updated: October 2026
To take CBD oil orally, shake the bottle, put your drops under your tongue, hold them for 60 to 90 seconds, then swallow. You can also swallow it in food, a milky drink or a capsule. Take it with or after a meal, start low at the same time each day, and give it two to four weeks.
How to take CBD oil: step by step
- Shake the bottle gently so the CBD is evenly mixed.
- Fill the dropper partly and count your drops; you don’t need a full dropper.
- Drop under your tongue, keeping the dropper from touching your mouth.
- Hold for 60 to 90 seconds, then swallow. It’s a tidy habit, but don’t worry if you swallow sooner: a 2024 UK trial found drops and capsules of the same oil gave similar blood levels.
- Take it with or after food, ideally a meal with some fat.
- Close the lid tightly and store in a cool, dark place. See how to store CBD oil.
Don’t like the taste? Follow with a drink, use a flavoured oil, or try capsules. See what CBD oil tastes like.
Researching CBD and pain? Our best CBD oil for pain UK guide covers strengths, spectrum and lab reports, and what the research does and does not show.
Our pick
Broad Spectrum CBD Oil is just broad spectrum CBD and organic MCT oil; 2 drops of the 1,000mg give about 10mg. Prefer capsules? Broad Spectrum CBD Capsules hold 10mg or 25mg.
Add Broad Spectrum CBD Oil 500mg to bag Or add the 10mg capsules
Broad spectrum with 0% THC, every batch third-party lab tested, made in the UK. For adults only. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Free UK delivery over £45, 14-day returns on unopened items.
How to take CBD oil orally: four ways
Orally means by mouth. All four ways end with the CBD swallowed.
| Way | How | What’s known about absorption |
|---|---|---|
| Under the tongue (sublingual) | Hold the drops 60 to 90 seconds, then swallow | Similar blood levels to capsules in a 2024 UK trial |
| Swallowed straight away | Drops on a spoon | Same route as capsules |
| In food or drink | Stir into yoghurt or a milky drink | Needs some fat: CBD doesn’t mix with water |
The studies are small, but food seems to matter more than method. A 2020 review estimated about 6% of an oral dose reaches the bloodstream on an empty stomach, and about four times as much with a high-fat meal. In a 2024 UK trial, drops under the tongue and capsules peaked at the same time, about 4 hours after the dose, suggesting most of the oil is swallowed before the mouth absorbs it.
See CBD oil vs capsules, cooking with CBD and CBD tea.
How many drops?
| Evopure oil | Strength | CBD per drop | Drops for about 10mg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Spectrum, Flow, Sleep or Relief (10ml) | 500mg (5%) | About 2.5mg | 4 |
| Broad Spectrum, Flow, Sleep or Relief (10ml) | 1000mg (10%) | About 5mg | 2 |
| Broad Spectrum (10ml) | 2000mg (20%) | About 10mg | 1 |
| Evolabs Orange, Cherry or Natural (30ml) | 500mg | About 0.8mg | 12 |
| Evolabs, any flavour (30ml) | 1000mg | About 1.7mg | 6 |
| Evolabs Orange, Cherry or Natural (30ml) | 2000mg | About 3.3mg | 3 |
For more on dosing, see how much CBD to take. The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication. See CBD daily limit UK.
When to take CBD oil
There is no single best time. Take it with a meal, because food raises how much CBD you absorb several times over, and at a similar time each day so your routine stays consistent. Morning or evening is down to what fits your day, and some people split it between the two. For the detail, see our guide to the best time to take CBD oil, and for what the blood-level studies show about timing, how long CBD takes to work.
Other ways to take CBD: skin and vaping
| Method | How it compares | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Capsules | Similar blood levels and timing to drops of the same oil in a 2024 trial | Exact dose, no taste. See CBD oil vs capsules |
| Balm or cream | Applied to the skin, not swallowed | Used on a specific area. See CBD balm |
| Vaping CBD e-liquid | Inhaled, so it reaches the blood fastest | We don’t sell vapes. The NHS says vaping is not completely harmless and non-smokers should never vape. Never vape CBD oil drops. See can you vape CBD oil? |
Common mistakes
- Taking it on an empty stomach, then wondering why it feels weak.
- Judging after one or two days.
- Not counting drops, so the dose changes every day.
- Stacking several CBD products without adding up the total.
- Buying hemp seed oil by mistake. See hemp oil vs CBD oil.
Still not noticing anything? See why isn’t CBD working for me?
Safety
- Medicines: CBD can interact with some medicines. Check with a pharmacist. See CBD and medication.
- Driving: don’t drive if CBD makes you drowsy.
- Who shouldn’t take it: under-18s, and people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Side effects: drowsiness, diarrhoea and appetite changes, mostly at higher doses. See CBD side effects.
Related guides
- Which CBD oil to buy in the UK.
- CBD oil strengths explained: mg, % and drops.
- Prefer a fixed amount with no measuring? See our guide to the best CBD capsules in the UK.
- Prefer something to rub in? See our guide to CBD balm and how to use it.
- Our easy CBD brownie recipe.
- CBD coffee: how to mix the oil so it doesn’t float.
- Our CBD bath bomb recipe.
- CBD cake recipes, with the CBD per slice.
- Dislike the earthy taste? See cherry and other flavoured CBD oils.
- For evenings, see the best CBD oil for sleep.
- Love Hemp atomiser spray vs drops.
- Using a high-strength oil? See how to take Orange County CBD oil for mg per drop by bottle size.
- Wondering what you will notice once it kicks in? See what does CBD feel like?
- Prefer it in food? How to make CBD butter at home walks through the recipe and dosing.
- With a 20% oil, one drop is about 10mg: see 2000mg CBD oil drops explained.
Sources 7
- Crockett J et al. A phase 1, randomized, pharmacokinetic trial of the effect of different meal compositions, whole milk, and alcohol on cannabidiol exposure and safety in healthy subjects. Epilepsia, 2020.
- Millar SA et al. A systematic review on the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans. Front Pharmacol, 2018.
- Perucca E, Bialer M. Critical aspects affecting cannabidiol oral bioavailability and metabolic elimination, and related clinical implications. CNS Drugs, 2020.
- Johnson DA et al. Cannabidiol oil ingested as sublingual drops or within gelatin capsules shows similar pharmacokinetic profiles in healthy males. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res, 2024.
- Taylor L et al. A phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose, multiple dose, and food effect trial of the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of highly purified cannabidiol in healthy subjects. CNS Drugs, 2018.
- NHS Better Health. Vaping to quit smoking.
- FSA. Cannabidiol (CBD) guidance.
