Cannabidiol: CBD has medical benefits and is not psychoactive
Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is one of the most well-known naturally occurring cannabinoids (component of cannabis plants), second only to THC. It is known to have no toxic or psychoactive ingredients. That means it doesn’t get you “high” and does not cause undesirable side effects as do many prescription drugs. As we like to say, “The Side Effects of CBD are Health and Happiness.”
First isolated in 1940 by two groups of independent researchers, cannabidiol exists in both hemp and cannabis. There is research being done today on the differences in effects and benefits depending on the extraction process, the starting material (hemp or cannabis) and whether it’s a whole flower or isolated extraction.
Cannabidiol is sold widely throughout the United States and internationally, as are hemp products including food, soap, clothing, and dietary supplements. Humans have used hemp for its beneficial properties for centuries. It is one of the earliest plants cultivated by our ancestors. Hemp proponents point out that it was an impetus for civilization, as it was quite possibly the first crop our ancestors ever planted. As early as 8,000 B.C. we were using hemp cord. Throughout our history, we’ve used its fiber, seeds and oils for health benefits, protein, clothing, rope, fuel and food.
Cannabis, Hemp and Industrial Hemp Are Sources of CBD
In Europe and the United States, the difference between the definitions of cannabis and hemp primarily depend on the THC content in the flowers. If the THC content is below 0.3% in the USA and 0.2% in the European Union, the plant is classified as hemp. Anything higher than these levels and the plant is called cannabis.
In recent years, cannabis cultivators have been breeding high-CBD strains of cannabis such as AC/DC, Valentine X, Charlotte’s Web, Harlequin, Cannatonic and Sour Tsunami.This marks a reversal of a trend that lasted for decades, in which cannabis cultivators were breeding out CBD in favor of THC-dominant strains for the psychoactive effect. When cannabidiol is present in cannabis and the cannabis is inhaled or ingested, the psychoactive effect of the THC on the user is usually minimized.
Some CBD products, especially within the USA, are made from “industrial hemp.” This type of hemp does not have flowers and the CBD is harvested from the stalks. It takes a lot more starting material from industrial hemp to get adequate amounts of CBD than it does from cannabis/hemp.
How Does CBD Help You?
CBD Helps A Whole Person, Not Just A Condition. It acts upon the endocannabinoid system to help restore the body to homeostasis. The endocannabinoid system is thought to be the most important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining human health. It was discovered and named in the mid-1990s. The receptors for cannabinoids
Why Do Full Spectrum CBD Oil Products Get Better Results?
Being a distributor in the California market since 2014 helped us to understand which CBD products were helping people find relief from their ailments. We’ve worked with hundreds of products over the years and determined that full spectrum products, rather than CBD isolate products, were consistently providing the relief people hoped for.
With the proliferation of CBD isolate products, we recently wrote a blog about the results between CBD-only products versus products made from whole flower CBD. It’s important information for every consumer primarily concerned with medicinal benefits to understand. For example, “pure” CBD as being marketed by merchants who sell CBD isolate is not the most desirable type of supplement for medicinal value. As a metaphor, would it be healthier to eat an orange or to chemically extract the vitamin C from an orange and consume it on its own, with none of the other healing properties available in the orange?
Read our blog about why whole flower is preferred over isolate
World Health Organization Concludes Cannabidiol Safe and Effective
In December of 2017, the WHO released a report in which they conclude that CBD is safe and medically effective. They noted that “several countries have modified their national controls to accommodate CBD as a medicinal product.”Please submit your feedback and experience!
We Love Hearing From You!
