What Is CBD?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-intoxicating compound from the cannabis plant, Cannabid Sativa (also known as marijuana or hemp plants). CBD has incredible therapeutic potential to remedy a number of different conditions such as pain, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and more.
Although it comes from the same plant as THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD is not psychoactive. It is used in products like oils, creams, and gummies for consumption. It is one of the most heavily growing fields in terms of medical research and consumer consumption.
CBD has shown a lot of preliminary results that indicate it may provide a lot of help for various medical ailments. However, we are in the early stages of CBD research – more investigation and clinical research is needed overall. All of the possible benefits and side effects are not fully understood.
Will I get High From CBD?
No. Although CBD comes from the cannabis plant, it doesn’t contain any psychoactive compounds in it, meaning it won’t get you high. THC is the active compound from cannabis that will get you high – it is important when buying CBD that you read labels carefully to make sure they don’t contain a percentage of THC if you don’t want to feel its psychoactive effects.
Is It Related To Hemp? And What Is the Difference Between Hemp And Marijuana?
Chances are you’ve heard the words hemp, marijuana, and CBD all thrown around in similar sentences, let’s unpack what each are and how they relate:
There are two primary species of the plant, Cannabis sativa: hemp and marijuana. Both of these species of plant contain CBD, while only marijuana contains high quotients of THC. Hemp contains very small amounts of THC, but they are very minimal in relation, so much that the US Federal Government has legalized farm production across all 50 states of hemp plants.
So, CBD can come from marijuana or hemp plants. But either way, if it is pure CBD, it contains no traces of THC.
What Are The Health Benefits of CBD?
Pain Relief
More scientific research is needed to officially say if CBD is helpful in overall pain relief. However, many people swear by CBD and said it has helped them with their overall pain management for arthritis, back pain, muscle aches, and more. There have also been promising clinical trials linking CBD as an effective pain treatment with chemotherapy. There is also some evidence that CBD works best for pain management when coupled with THC. In addition, finding the right dosage can sometimes take a lot of trial and error.
Anxiety Relief
CBD may be very helpful for people with high anxiety levels. CBD can affect the way your brain’s receptors respond to serotonin, a chemical often referred to as the “happy chemical” as it controls overall happiness levels in the brain. CBD has been linked to lowering stress levels and overall better mental health. While more clinical research is needed, initial studies have shown correlations with CBD and stress relief, lowered heart rates, and even improving symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Sleep And Insomnia Relief
This is perhaps CBD’s most promising effectiveness. Many people take CBD to help with insomnia and falling asleep. CBD has a relaxing effect on the brain, and can help people fall asleep and stay asleep. You should ask your doctor for the right amount of dosage you should start with. It often takes a bit of experimenting to find the right amount. But when in doubt, always ask your doctor or start with a very low amount.
What Are The Different Ways To Take CBD?
There are two main ways you can take CBD: Orally or topically. For topical treatments, you can buy CBD and spray it on the skin, or you can buy it in cream form and massage it on to your skin.
For edible ingestion, you can buy CBD oil and put a few droplets underneath your tongue. You can also buy capsules or edibles such as CBD chocolates and gummies. Lastly, you can also use a vape pen to inhale CBD.
Overall, it matters what your goal is. Vape pens often have the fastest way of feeling the effects, but those effects also wear out the fastest. Edibles can take far longer to feel the effects, but generally have a longer lasting effect (four or more hours). For more targeted pain relief, you might be best rubbing a cream or spray on the desired muscle group or body part.
Who Uses CBD?
There have been different research studies and surveys conducted to find out who uses CBD. The largest demographic to use CBD is between 35 and 49 years old, according to Remedy Journey’s stats. In that same stat report, 55% of CBD users are women vs only 45% are men.
Source: https://remedyjourney.com/cbd-statistics/
Is It Safe? Are There Side Effects?
CBD is mostly well-tolerated by people. However, it can cause side effects such as fatigue and drowsiness, reduced appetite, diarrhea, and dry mouth. CBD can also interact with other medications in a bad way, so it’s obviously important to consult a doctor before trying it. Lastly, there is little data around what a proper dosage of CBD is.
How Do You Choose A CBD Product?
It is very important to buy CBD that is third party tested. What does that mean? It means that a third party (an entity that is not owned or affiliated with the brand of CBD) has tested and verified the right dosage on the label. According to this study, over 20% of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online were mislabeled – so it’s important to be diligent and buy from trusted sources who have gone through the proper third party testing.
Secondly, if any CBD companies or products claim to cure diseases, you should NOT buy from them. Again, while there is promising initial research on the effectiveness of CBD, nothing has been proven yet. Any company that claims it cures certain diseases is willing to lie to consumers – that is not a company worth trusting.
You should also check to see if there is a batch number associated with the CBD product. This means the company is following best practices and can easily recall products if needed.
How Much Of A Dose Should I Take If I’m New To CBD?
This is actually a tricky question because in all likelihood, it’s a different amount for everyone. It will depend on things like tolerance, height, and weight. Some blogs say between 20-40mg is a good starting point. In general, it’s probably the best idea to start with a low dosage and work your way up until you feel the desired effects.
Ok, But Is CBD Actually Legal?
Federally, CBD is legal. But, each of the 50 states have their own laws and regulations on CBD. Here is a comprehensive guide to what each state law is. Since CBD is often associated with the psychoactive THC part of marijuana plants, there has been a lot of confusion and balks to make it fully legal across all 50 states.
California for example, allows the manufacturing, processing, and selling of cbd non-food products (oils, creams, etc). However, it is illegal with all respects to CBD food products such as chocolates and gummies.
Is CBD stigmatized?
CBD is a massively growing industry and the stigma that was once attached to it is fading as people become more educated on the topic. Because it comes from the same plant as THC, it is often considered to be a class 1 drug, like marijuana. However, it has no psychoactive chemicals in it, and as people start to learn more about it, the stigma is fading fast. In addition, recreational marijuana is becoming legal in many states as well, so even while some people are misinformed about the relationship between cbd and thc, they still don’t view it as harmfully anymore since they often couple it with their views on marijuana.
Can You Travel With CBD?
You should have no problems flying with CBD products. Just make sure to follow TSA rules and guidelines, especially if you are taking liquid form with you.
Will CBD Show Up On A Drug Test?
The short answer is no, as long as you are buying CBD products that are third party tested and have no trace amounts of THC in them. This is why it’s important to buy third party tested products and triple check the label to make sure you are sure of the ingredients.
