What is CBD?
Cannabidiol or CBD is a non-psychotropic cannabinoid compound with enormous therapeutic potential. Cannabinoids are chemicals that trigger the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body.
Scientific and clinical studies have shown that CBD may effect many conditions.
Academic research centers in the United States and elsewhere are currently studying the effects of CBD on a multitude of health problems.
How does CBD work?
With the explosion of CBD products in the last few years, and with plenty more on the horizon, it can be hard to know which ones work best for you, or even what the differences between them are.
We work with three combinations of the hemp plant; Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum – both considered whole plant, and CBD Isolate, a single molecule.
- Broad Spectrum includes terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoids, and CBD. THC has been entirely removed.
- Full Spectrum includes terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoids, CBD, and 0.3% THC, a non-psychoactive percentage.
- CBD Isolate is a single molecule removed from the hemp plant.
What is the Best CBD Product to Start with?
When beginning to use CBD, it is important to discover the appropriate product that best matches a specific body type. The other important point to discover is the milligram amount that is necessary to achieve optimal results. Topical products can be helpful for localized issues. An oral sublingual application will work more systemically and can be useful for finding ones milligram amount, as you can gradually and easily increase your milligram.
Does CBD Interact with other Medications?
Yes. CBD inhibits the cytochrome P450 enzyme, which is involved in metabolizing many drugs. Compounds in grapefruit inhibit the same enzyme group, which is why physicians advice patients not to eat grapefruit shortly before or after taking a medication. By inhibiting cytochrome P450, CBD can either reduce or increase the effects of other drugs. In some situations, it may be advisable for a physician to monitor a patient’s blood levels of other medications while taking CBD.
How do I Know What Amount of CBD I Should Take?
Amounts of CBD are very individualized. It is recommended that everyone begin with a low (5 milligrams) while gradually increasing by 5 milligrams until desired results are achieved.
Will I Flunk a Drug Test if I Medicate with CBD-Rich Cannabis?
Yes, you may fail a drug test even if you experience no mood-altering affects from your CBD-rich product. Drug tests are generally geared toward identifying THC, not CBD or other cannabinoids. But, if one medicates with CBD-rich cannabis that has a small amount of THC, less than .3%, the THC may register on the drug test.
Why do Some CBD Products Work Better Than others?
As a consumer, it is important to ask where the CBD is sourced from and whether it is grown organically, or free from pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and heavy metals. The other important question to ask is if a particular product has been third party tested. Each batch of CBD hemp oil needs to be retested to verify purity and match percentages with the initial lab test. If percentages don’t match up, then the content won’t be correctly represented on a label and thus won’t have the same benefits.
Do you Know Where Your CBD was Grown?
The hemp plant is known as a bio-accumulator, which means that it sucks up contaminants and unwanted heavy metals from the surrounding soil through its root system. This makes it important to know where your hemp products are sourced from and that they’ve been screened for the proper contaminants.
Is your CBD Organic?
Regulatory rules are changing daily relating to the use of the word Organic on CBD products. From a consumer’s perspective, it’s more important to know how your CBD is grown.
Documents like the Certification of Analysis, or Chain of Custody will provide the necessary evidence. Hummingbird Organic is another term that describes organic growing practices that protect the plant from contaminants.
Can CBD be Harmful?
We work with three parts of the plant, whole plant (broad spectrum/full spectrum) and CBD isolate (single molecule). Each, are available in multiple delivery systems. When beginning to use whole plant CBD, the majority of people will gain momentum with no adverse indications. However, research shows that some individuals will experience a detox process that includes things like fatigue, dry mouth, headache, or fast heart-rate. These will usually pass rather quickly. For people that are sensitive to broad/full spectrum, or are seeking more energy in the daytime, we work with CBD isolate, a single molecule. CBD in this form has the same properties and effect on the nervous system, but without the entourage effect from the other components of the plant. As you can see, there is an initial experimental phase that one has to undertake when seeking the benefits of CBD.
Will CBD Get you High?
If your CBD product contains 0.3 percent THC, or less, research indicates this to be a non-psychoactive hemp product.
Is CBD Legal?
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp (defined as cannabis with less than 0.3 percent THC) in the United States and removed various derivatives of hemp, including CBD, from the purview of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Controlled Substances Act. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) views CBD as a pharmaceutical drug. And because the FDA has already approved CBD as a pharmaceutical (Epidiolex) for treating two forms of pediatric epilepsy, the FDA maintains that it is illegal to sell hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement. The DEA, meanwhile, retains jurisdiction over CBD derived from marijuana (cannabis with more than 0.3 percent THC), which is still prohibited under federal law.