CBD: What is it & Everything You Need to Know About it

CBD is everywhere. You can find the now famous compound in your local supermarket, at gas stations, and through online distributors. Additionally, the hemp-derived items are turning up on restaurant menus, at nearby coffee shops, and even massage parlors. If you want to take advantage of CBD health benefits, but don’t know where to start, here’s a quick guide to help.

What is CBD?

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is one of at least 545 compounds derived from the hemp plant. People have been cultivating hemp for over 12,000 years. The cannabinoid CBD was first isolated in 1940 and is one over 140 phytocannabinoids found in hemp. The plant’s compounds are safely removed using a CO2 extraction process that doesn’t leave behind residual solvents. Although it’s new for hemp, this is a standard botanical method that’s been used for essential oils and other plants.

How Does CBD Work?

The compounds in hemp interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is a complex cell-signaling system found in the body of all mammals. The ECS includes endocannabinoids or internal cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and enzymes. Discovered in the early 1990s, the ECS helps maintain symmetry or balance throughout the body.

Research shows that the ECS may regulate mood, sleep, memory, appetite, and pain. The body produces endocannabinoids. These internal chemicals and the hemp-based cannabinoids bind to the cannabinoid receptors, which are found throughout the body.

Is CBD Legal?

Yes! The industrial hemp-based products are 100% legal in the U.S. The 2018 Farm Bill signed into law on December 20, 2018, legalized phytocannabinoid product sales. This act legalized industrial hemp that contains less .3% of THC or less. Most states in the U.S. are following the federal guidelines.

What are the Health Benefits of CBD?

CBD health benefits vary, and research is limited. Many people use the phytocannabinoid to reduce anxiety and stress, improve sleep quality, and boost muscle recovery following intense workouts. Together, these factors can increase your overall wellness.

Another CBD health benefit is the ability to improve workouts. Distractions and even anxiety can diminish attention, lead to mistakes, and reduce the effectiveness of your weight training session. Using a small dose of CBD oil as a tincture or through vaporization has the potential to give you the boost you need.

How Do You Use CBD?

There are several ways to take hemp items. Each method varies by how long it takes to work and the duration. Additionally, consumers choose different ways based on why they’re using CBD.

Sublingual CBD drops:

Also known as tinctures, these use a carrier oil, such as hemp, grapeseed, and MCT, to deliver each dose under your tongue and into the bloodstream for results in less than 15 minutes. Keep in mind that the natural, plant-like flavor of hemp isn’t delicious. You may want to consider naturally flavored CBD oil to reduce the unpleasant taste. EZlief tinctures are available in orange, lemon, and peppermint. CBD tinctures last between four and six hours.

Edibles:

Are a fun way to take CBD. These tasty treats, such as candies, drinks, and gummies, are infused with CBD oil. Edibles are taken by ingestion, which means they don’t get into the bloodstream like sublingual methods and must go through the digestion process to take effect. There is no specific time because people don’t digest food at the same pace. The average time is between 45 and 90 minutes. Additionally, these should last between four and six hours, depending on the potency.  

Capsules:

Pills are a traditional way to take some CBD products. These have the same onset and duration of edibles. Capsules are often available in 25mg serving sizes.

Topicals:

These are lotions, balms, creams, and even transdermal patches that you apply to the top layer of skin. Consumers use topical applications for everything from relieving sore muscles to restoring moisture lost to naturally occurring free radical skin damage, such as overexposure to sun and aging.

Vaping:

Vaping is like smoking, but without the hot, burning chemicals going down your throat. This method requires a portable vape pen. The device heats the liquid indirectly, releasing a vapor cloud that you inhale. Vaporization is popular because it has the fastest onset, with consumers reporting a near-instant effect. This method has a much shorter duration. It only lasts 60 to 90 minutes before you’ll need to take another few more puffs. A common reason to vape CBD for fast stress and anxiety relief.

People also use vaping for a quick, natural boost to mental focus. Vaping items are also available in other flavors to improve the natural taste. These are available in pre-filled cartridges that twist into a vape pen or refillable containers that use vape juice or e-liquids.

What are the Risks of Taking CBD?

CBD’s popularity is partially due to its low risks. The phytocannabinoid-rich hemp oil only has mild side effects, which include nausea, moodiness, and drowsiness. These adverse reactions are rare and mostly occur in large doses. You can reduce the chances of experiencing these results and still enjoy CBD health benefits by using high potency products. Another way to decrease these side effects is to start with a low dose and slowly increase it until you find a serving size that provides the most benefit with the least amount of adverse reactions.

CBD may cause an issue with some medications. Information about these drug-to-drug interactions is limited. Most data surrounds people with existing liver damage or that are on drugs that already that increase liver disfunction.

Another consideration is THC. Despite the potential CBD health benefits, many oils contain .3% of THC, which isn’t legal and can cause difficulties with other areas of your life. To prevent problems before they arise, consider a phytocannabinoid-rich broad-spectrum oil that has no detectable amount of THC.  

Other potential dangers are possible when you buy CBD from unknown sources. Although the 2018 Farm Bill created a legal platform for selling hemp-based products, no one is regulating and testing items for safety. Instead, everything from the cultivation and harvest to processing and labeling is entirely in the hands of each brand.

This can make navigating CBD sales difficult and confusing. Here are a few tips to help you find your way:

• Choose hemp grown in the U.S.
• Ask about third-party testing and the items’ certificates of analysis
• Only use CBD that was processed using supercritical CO2 extraction
• Avoid artificial flavoring

Additionally, if you are under regular treatment from a physician, speak to them before taking exploring CBD benefits.