5 Must-Know Facts About CBD
The CBD industry is growing rapidly, but misinformation regarding its nature is definitely troubling. While an increasingly large number of people use CBD products, many ignore the basics; for example, not everyone knows the difference between CBD and THC, and their respective effects.
So, what exactly is CBD, and what are the main facts to consider?
Here is what you should know:
CBD is a cannabis compound
CBD derives from two varieties of cannabis: marijuana and hemp. The cannabis plant makes about a hundred different chemicals, known as cannabinoids; those chemicals are also naturally produced by the human body, and they are involved with bodily functions like sleep, pain sensation, etc.
The prominent chemical in the cannabis plant is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); this is the compound causing the “high”, meaning the psychoactive intoxication. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most abundant chemical in cannabis, and it has the ability to interact with our existing cannabinoids, increasing their effect
CBD is non-intoxicating
A common misunderstanding is that CBD is not of a psychoactive nature; the correct phrasing is that it is non-intoxicating. CBD is psychoactive, given that it affects mental processes of mood and cognition in a direct manner. The most prominent psychoactive effect of CBD is a feeling of calmness, a well-known and most wanted result of the consumption of cannabinoids. Those effects and qualities of CBD are probably what causes the misunderstanding.
However, CBD is non-intoxicating, in the sense that it doesn’t cause the “high” that THC does; the latter is psychoactive and intoxicating, since its effects can temporarily impair users.
CBD Is Not Federally Legal
The fact that CBD is non-intoxicating doesn’t make it legal everywhere; technically, it is still prohibited in certain states ―even in regions where recreational cannabis is permitted! For example, while an adult aged 21+ can legally consume marijuana in the state of California, the legality of CBD is still a question; in Idaho and South Dakota, CBD is definitely illegal.
Since the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, industrial hemp is legal within limits. This means that hemp-derived CBD with a percentage of THC smaller than 0.3% is legally allowed, but with laws varying from state to state, you can never be too cautious.
CBD has a range of medical benefits
While CBD oil is known to often relieve chronic pain by interacting with the accordant neurotransmitters, it has also been scientifically proven that CBD affects sleeping patterns and the feeling of anxiety. According to a study published online on Jan. 7, 2019, byThe Permanente Journal, a single dose of 600 milligrams (mg) of CBD managed to decrease anxiety in people about to give a public speech. Moreover, participants who took a CBD dosage of 25 mg daily for the duration of a month reduced their anxiety level and had better quality of sleep, with the effect lasting several months.
Another interesting medical benefit of CBD is related to its potential positive effects on epilepsy. It has beenshown in studies that individuals experiencing a large number of seizures daily have found that CBD can decreasethe frequency.
The most prevalent medical properties of CBD are the following:
| Properties | Effects |
| Anti-oxidant | Helps with neurodegenerative disorders |
| Anti-inflammatory | Helps with inflammatory disorders |
| Antiemetic | Helps with nausea and vomiting |
| Anticonvulsant | Suppresses seizure activity |
| Anxiolytic | Helps with anxiety disorders |
CBD is gaining popularity and in time, with proper guidance, monitoring and informed decisions, it could offer a non-toxic alternative for soothing a wide range of health conditions.
However, caution is advised. CBD hasn’t been a part of the medical field for very long; there hasn’t been a satisfying number of clinical trials on humans, hence there are still a lot of questions to be explored. Longitudinal studies have yet to show the long-term effects of CBD on brain structure and general health, and we have to wait before a wide enough patient community exists for a decade-spanning CBD clinical study to be thoroughly completed.
You can view recent CBD studies here.
CBD dosing is undefined
Given the wide range of benefits, CBD products can be used for a number of different conditions. However, there are no exact guidelines and measurements regarding the dosing. It’s different for everyone, and it can be a while until you’ve found the dosage that works for you. A reason for that could be that our cannabinoid receptors have genetic mutations; therefore, our body’s reaction to a certain dose of CBD can be quite different than the way another individual will react. In other words, an effective CBD dose for one person may not work for another sufferer of the same condition. Of course, there are several variables that determine how effective and beneficial a CBD dose can be; those include the method of consumption, the product itself and the percentages of contained cannabinoids, and most importantly, the patients’ respective physiology.