You might have heard the term cannabidiol (CBD) frequently in the healthcare industry over a few years. This compound is now creating a buzz in the medical field for the large number of health benefits it carries. CBD is now present in a large number of products including medicines, dietary supplements, healthcare products, beauty and skincare products, and even in hair care products.
The ability of CBD for controlling a wide range of diseases made it one of the desirable natural cure for different diseases. Hence, people are now using this compound for treating a large number of physical and mental illnesses. So we are listing some of the important information you want to know about this compound for deciding whether it is useful for you.
What Is CBD?
As many of you already know, cannabidiol is a compound present in the cannabis plants. This is one of the active cannabinoids present in this plant that carries a lot of medicinal properties. There are more than hundreds of cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, and CBD is one among them. CBD can be derived from cannabis plants using different extraction processes. However, the CBD used in the CBD products that are available in the market today is derived from the hemp plants, which are a particular breed of the cannabis plant that is used for industrial purposes.
Can CBD Make You High?
Because of its origin from the cannabis plants, which are known for their intoxicating effects, many people believe that CBD will also create euphoric effects. However, this compound, when stands alone, will not create intoxicating effects, as it is not a psychoactive compound. The “high” associated with cannabis is created by another cannabinoid called THC, which is the psychoactive compound present in this plant. But the amount of THC will be very low in CBD products which is not enough for inducing high. Hence, it is safe for human consumption.
In addition to this, CBD will be mostly derived from the hemp plants, which contains only a small amount of THC in it. Hemp plants will usually contain only 0.3% of THC in it which cannot result in any intoxicating effects. Therefore, you can consume CBD without worrying about any psychoactive effects or addiction.
Is CBD Legal In All 50 States?
People are always concerned about the legal status of CBD. Before a few years, this compound was considered illegal. But the Farm Bill of 2018 declared the CBD derived from the hemp plant legal. This made it possible for conducting more studies and research using this compound for finding its pharmaceutical benefits. Also, the legalization of CBD made it possible for the public to easily get access to CBD products.
But is CBD legal in all 50 states? This is a complicated question, as each state has different guidelines about the use of CBD. However, the use of hemp-derived CBD that contains only 0.3% of THC is legal in all 50 states. But you have to be concerned about the percentage of THC present in the CBD products you use. If the percentage of THC is more than 0.3, then the product can become illegal and you may get in trouble by using it.
You have to check the rules and regulations existing in your state for finding the legal status of CBD and other cannabis and hemp-derived products.
What Are The Health Benefits Provided By CBD?
CBD is found to provide an enormous number of health benefits. The pain-relieving property of CBD made it an active ingredient in different analgesics. It can be used for treating different types of pain associated with various diseases including arthritis, cancer, sclerosis, etc. CBD can be used for treating general pain, chronic pain, and even neuropathic pain.
Another important benefit of CBD is its anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used for controlling inflammation found in different parts of the body. It can be even used for treating inflammation found in your internal organs and systems. CBD can reduce the inflammation present in your brain thereby preventing the risk of dementia disorders. This compound can also be useful for you to control the inflammation of blood vessels so that it can help control blood pressure and related heart diseases including stroke, heart failure, etc.
CBD is also found to be useful for controlling a large number of other physical ailments including nausea, vomiting, migraine, allergies, epilepsy, dementia disorders, etc. The effectiveness of CBD for controlling seizures paved in the way for using this compound in anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Epidiolex is a medicine derived from CBD that is used for treating some rare epileptic conditions. Epidiolex is the only prescribed medication derived from CBD that is approved by the FDA.
Cannabidiol is effective for treating a large number of common mental disorders too. This compound can help you to treat anxiety, depression, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ADHD, sleeping disorders, and more. CBD can relieve stress and relax your mind. The anxiolytic properties of CBD can be useful for controlling different anxiety disorders and their symptoms. Hence, this compound can help you keep your mind healthy and relaxed.
CBD can also be useful for you to treat different skin disorders including acne, eczema, psoriasis, allergies, rashes, etc. CBD can help you to nourish your skin and keep it healthy. This compound will help you to reduce the visible signs of aging thereby keeping your skin young and fresh. Therefore, this compound is now present in a large number of beauty and skincare products.
A large number of pharmaceutical benefits of CBD made it popular among the public. This can be an ideal option for people who are looking for a natural solution for treating different physical and mental ailments.
Does CBD Create Any Side Effects?
CBD does not found to create any severe side effects. However, it is reported that this compound can create certain minor side effects in some people. It includes diarrhea, drowsiness, dry mouth, changes in weight and appetite, etc. In addition to this, CBD is also found to result in some drug interactions. Hence, it may cause liver toxicity. Therefore, you have to seek the advice of a doctor before you choose to consume CBD for different ailments, especially, if you are using some other drugs.
Which Are The Common CBD Products Available In The Market?
You can find a wide range of CBD products in the market and CBD manufacturers are still on the quest to develop new CBD products for attracting their customers.
The most basic forms of CBD products include CBD oil, tinctures, and isolates. These products are used for making other CBD products. CBD oil is the product that is derived directly from the hemp plant. It will contain an oil base and will contain all the compounds present in the hemp plant including all the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. These entire compounds carry their own health benefits; hence, you can get additional benefits by using CBD oil.
You can get two types of CBD oil including full-spectrum and broad-spectrum. The full-spectrum CBD oil has all the compounds present in the hemp plants including THC. Hence, this product may not be an ideal choice for those who do not want to consume THC. But full-spectrum CBD will create an effect called “entourage effect” because of the presence of all the cannabinoids. Here, the cannabinoids will enhance the benefits of each other thereby providing you better results.
Broad-spectrum includes all the compounds present in the full-spectrum except THC. Hence, you can use this product if you want to get all the health benefits of full-spectrum CBD oil but do not want to consume THC. Broad-spectrum can also create entourage effect but without THC.
CBD tinctures are similar to CBD oil, but it will contain an alcohol base instead of an oil base. This will be useful for avoiding the strong taste associated with CBD oil.
CBD tinctures contain pure CBD and there will be no other compounds present in this product. It contains almost 99% of THC and all the other cannabinoids and compounds will be removed from this product using special processes and the result will be a white crystalline powder.This product is ideal for people who want pure CBD, but it will not create the entourage effect. CBD isolates are the best choice for people who have to undergo drug tests, as it will not be detected in such tests.
Other CBD products available in the market include CBD pills, capsules, edibles, cigarettes, vape products, etc. You can also get CBD infused beverages including soft drinks, tea, coffee, etc. Therefore, you can choose any of these products for getting the different CBD benefits based on your likes and requirements.
How To Consume CBD?
You can get a wide range of options when it comes to consuming CBD. Each of these methods varies based on their effectiveness, time needed for giving results, bioavailability, etc. Hence, you have to choose a method that can suit your requirements.
The most effective methods for taking CBD include vaping and smoking. They are the fastest methods and they provide the highest bioavailability. So these methods can provide you intense and instant results.
The sublingual method is the next best method for consuming CBD. It includes holding a few sublingual CBD drops under your tongue for facilitating faster absorption of CBD by the capillaries inside your mouth. It can also provide fast results, but not as fast as vaping and smoking.
Another popular method is the oral consumption. You can take CBD oil, tinctures, or isolates orally or mixing them in your foods or drinks. In addition to this, you can also get CBD pills, capsules, edibles, etc. for making the consumption easy. This method provides slow results, as the CBD present in these products will be released into the bloodstream only after the digestion process. Hence, the bioavailability will be low too.
The last is the topical application, where you can apply CBD directly to your skin. There are a large number of CBD topical products in the market that you can choose based on your needs including creams, lotions, sprays, balms, salves, etc.
A large number of CBD products available in the market allow CBD users to choose a product and method that are the most convenient for them. You can also select any of these methods for taking CBD based on your likes and needs.