“Why CBD Didn’t Work for You (And Why It Should Have)”
You tried CBD.
You were hopeful. Maybe even desperate.
And what happened?
Nothing.
So you chalked it up to hype. You tossed the bottle in a drawer next to your expired magnesium and forgotten turmeric.
And you went back to suffering.
But what if the problem wasn’t you?
What if the CBD industry is broken?
What if—just like your labs—what you were told was “normal” was never even close to what your body actually needs?
I’m Dr. Kristen Lindgren, and this is The Dysfunction Files.
Today, we’re unpacking why CBD didn’t work for you—and why it absolutely should have.
Let’s get into it.
OK, before I get into the reasons CBD ‘did nothing’ for you, I feel there are still swirling questions and mysteries around what CBD is, how it’s different from hemp, its relationship to marijuana, and everything in between.
Let me just speak to that for a sec at a high level. Hemp and marijuana are sister plants in the family known as Cannabis sativa. The legal difference is the THC content. Cannabis contains all of these compounds called ‘cannabinoids’. There are more than 120 of them. But the two major cannabinoids, or heavy lifters with all the medical benefits in cannabis, are THC and CBD.
Hemp contains mostly CBD; marijuana contains mostly THC. We’re good so far? Ok. According to the farm bill of 2018, hemp was made legal at the federal level, like in all 50 states, so long as it contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight of the plant. So are all hemp strains legal? No – again, only the ones that contain less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. So when people say ‘it’s just weed,’ the answer is – kind of. But not legally. State by state there are different rules when it comes to the legality of THC content.
Here in WI, any cannabis plant containing more than 0.3% THC is illegal for any reason whatsoever. Even in states where marijuana is “legal” it is technically illegal according to the feds. Currently, THC in marijuana is still classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance under the US federal Controlled Substances Act. Right there next to cocaine and heroin. That means the government believes it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse – yes this is outdated and clearly controversial. Interestingly, this applies only to the THC in marijuana and not that 0.3% in hemp, even though they are exactly the same molecule. See how fast this gets muddy.
Because this episode is on CBD and not THC I’m going to try my best to stay in that lane although if you watched me before, you know I am historically a terrible driver. Let’s get into the reasons why ‘CBD didn’t do anything for you’.
Reason 1: You Were Sold Garbage
Let’s start with the obvious.
Much of the CBD on the market is garbage. It’s not been third party tested, it’s not full spectrum, it’s got a bunch of fake crap added to it and it’s likely been sitting on a shelf since, well, 2018.
You’ll find there are 3 main types of CBD – full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate.
Full spectrum is exactly what it sounds like – they extract all the oil from the plant, put it in a carrier, and voila. Full spectrum CBD products contain all of the cannabinoids (remember there are more than 120) that include the tiny amount of THC and all the other terpenes and plant compounds that make CBD actually work. All of these things working together is referred to as ‘the entourage effect,’ where plant compounds work together to enhance each other’s impact. Remember, hemp contains mostly CBD, so even though there’s all this other stuff in hemp, we typically call it CBD or CBD oil and not hemp oil. There is something called hemp seed oil. Contrary to popular belief, there is no CBD in hemp seeds. Some people use this for cooking, but again, there is no CBD in hemp seed oil.
Broad spectrum CBD products contain everything the full spectrum ones do MINUS the THC. All the cannabinoids weigh a little differently, so there’s fancy equipment out there that can kind of siphon that off but leave all the rest of the good stuff in. Full spectrum is best because that’s how God made it, but if you happen to have some moral hang-up or intolerance to THC, broad spectrum is the next best bet.
Lastly, there’s something called CBD isolate. This is pure cannabidiol, which might sound sexy, but it’s not. It’s been stripped of THC, the terpenes, and plant compounds as well as all the other cannabinoids. No entourage effect here – no synergy. I’m calling this garbage, but this is what is in a lot of ‘premium’ CBD products from giant online retailers. They do this because it’s cheap and they can call it ‘CBD’. Which it technically is, but that’s not how CBD works. So you bought a CBD tincture from a gas station and ‘it didn’t do anything’?
Of course it didn’t.
Reason 2: Wrong Dose. Wrong Delivery.
So here’s a little-known secret: CBD doesn’t absorb particularly well.
Bioavailability matters. Sublingual tinctures are absorbed much more effectively than your average CBD gummy or capsule – unless those gummies or capsules are made with high-quality extracts. And if we’re talking about topical use—same rules apply. It has to be formulated properly, with the right carrier oils and emulsifiers, to get through the skin and into your system.
And dosing? Most people are taking way too little. Therapeutic doses for most people start around 25-50mg, and for some conditions, go much higher. For pain, insomnia, autoimmune, inflammation, or cancer, doses can range from 100-300mg/day or more, depending on delivery. So if you took a 10mg CBD gummy and nothing happened, the CBD didn’t fail; you were likely underdosed.
Also, CBD isn’t like taking a Xanax or an aspirin. It builds in your system over time..
Just like an adaptogen or vitamin D, CBD often takes weeks of consistent dosing before your system levels out.
Reason 3: You Have An Endocannabinoid System (And It’S Probably Deficient)
Most people have no idea that the human body even has an endocannabinoid system. All mammals have this – dogs, cats, cows, whales. We have an endocannabinoid system because our bodies make cannabinoids – two of them, to be precise. Anandamide, which is named after the Sanskrit word ananda, meaning ‘bliss’, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. There’ll be a quiz on this later. The ECS regulates your nervous system, mood, inflammation, immunity, sleep, memory, digestion, and pain. Well, basically everything. You can safely assume all roads in the body run through the ECS.
When this system is depleted or dysfunctional—something called clinical endocannabinoid deficiency—you can experience:
- Fibromyalgia
- IBS
- Migraines
- Insomnia
- Unexplained inflammation and pain
In other words… you.
If your ECS is out of balance due to chronic stress, toxin exposure, trauma, illness, or nutrient deficiency, CBD can help restore that balance. But it takes time. And it works best when supported with lifestyle, nutrition, and yes—sometimes other cannabinoids.
It’s not about the quick fix. It’s about restoring equilibrium.
Big Pharma Hates That This Works
Still not convinced that CBD actually works? Let’s talk about a drug called Epidiolex.
It’s a pharmaceutical version of CBD that GW Pharmaceuticals patented to treat seizures. For real.
They took what nature gave us, manufactured a fake version of it in a lab, slapped it in a bottle, and got FDA approval.
And the minute that happened? Farmers and clinics got hit with all these weird regulations. Natural cannabinoids are still lumped in with controlled substances. Sound familiar?
Why?
Because you can’t patent a plant.
But you can profit off a synthetic version and pretend you invented it.
There is no money in wellness people.
But there is a lot of money in chronic illness, controlled substances, and patented cannabinoids.
You didn’t fail CBD.
The system failed you.
A few other points.
What is Delta-8?
Remember all those other 120 different cannabinoids? CBD and delta-9 THC are the “major cannabinoids” but there are all these other “minor” cannabinoids. Delta-8 THC is one of these. It’s mildly psychoactive compared to delta 9 THC and rides a legal loophole, but it’s still THC. Legal – if it comes from a hemp plant that fits the ‘less than 0.3% delta 9 THC rule. Again there are lots of these minor cannabinoids – most of them we don’t even know what they do. But some we do. For example.
- CBN — good for sleep
- CBG — anti-inflammatory, gut support
- THCv — appetite suppression, focus
These cannabinoids are sometimes isolated or stacked in blends for specific effects. Sometimes it’s helpful. Sometimes it’s just marketing.
Will I piss hot on a drug test if I’m using CBD? test positive?
Yes you can! Delta 8 and delta 9 products are THC and the cheap urine tests at work don’t care if that THC came from a legally sourced hemp plant or a college dorm room bong. Even tiny legal amounts of THC in full-spectrum CBD can accumulate and trigger a drug test. Not always, but it’s possible. If you’re in a zero-tolerance job, go THC-free. Go broad spectrum or CBD isolate, or just wait until the government removes this ridiculous rule altogether. Oh – but officers, go ahead and take your Adderall, Ativan, and Vicodin – those things are fine.
What To Look For In Real Cbd — And What We Use
I’ve been growing my own certified organic hemp for the past few years. I’m not saying I’m good at it, but I’m learning!
Thankfully we also partner with an incredible local organic grower, and the difference is night and day. The CBD from our plants is rich in terpenes, robust in cannabinoids, and smells like something alive—not like basement extract.
Years ago, we sourced everything from Colorado. But the quality was inconsistent. Some batches were okay. Others were total garbage.
So now? We grow it. We extract it. We make it ourselves. Tinctures, gummies, specialized blends for sleep, cancer, anxiety.
We even make our own CBD pain cream—formulated with hemp extract I personally made. The feedback has been amazing. I’ll drop some pictures below so you can see what real, vibrant hemp looks like—and what it means to actually know where your medicine comes from.
Closing Thoughts On Cbd And How It Can Work For You
So CBD didn’t fail you.
You were misled – underdosed, overcharged, and handed a product designed to disappoint. Or to make you believe only a product synthesized by big pharma to look like CBD actually works.
But your body was built to heal.
And when you give it the tools it needs—including real CBD made from real plants grown by people who care—your biology responds.
So here’s your takeaway:
If CBD didn’t work… it probably wasn’t CBD.
But real plant medicine? Made clean, dosed correctly, and given consistently?
That’s not hype. That’s healing.
That will do it for me! Thanks so much for tuning in, everyone. I’m Dr. Kristen Lindgren, and if you found this episode useful or entertaining, please like the channel, leave a comment, and share this with a friend.
If there’s something you’d like to hear more about, drop it in a comment below or send an email to our clinic—we’ll include it in the show notes. And lastly, if you’ve thought about trying CBD or already have and it didn’t work for you – stop in to our brand new location and give real CBD products handcrafted right here in WI a try. We’d love to see you.
Until next time, stay curious, question everything, and remember, you are in control of your own healthcare.
I’ll see you for the next one—bye for now.
