What CBD is and What to Look for in Products
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Always talk to your doctor when you incorporate new things like CBD. Note that the FDA has not fully evaluated CBD, so it cannot be used diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
Happy 4/20! LOL As someone who has never even smoked a cigarette, it’s not lost on me that I’m the last person who would/should be posting about Mary Jane related things on April 20th. (Mom, 4/20 is a day celebrated by weed lovers all around.) For the record, there’s no judgement here! I’ve just never been personally interested. If I wanted to, I would have by now, so you do you, and I’ll keep doing me.
CBD first piqued my interest a couple years ago, after hearing how it could work wonders for joints (no pun intended) and other ailments. During this time, I was going through physical therapy and looking for answers. Living in Texas at the time, CBD was never readily available so it seemed like a magical unicorn out of my reach. Now that I live in California, both Marijuana and CBD are literally within arms reach; however, CBD is more main stream currently and you can even get it in Texas now! Since then, CBD has exploded even more and has even found its way into beauty products.
While I don’t know much, I do know that if the CBD product doesn’t have THC, I don’t want it. I’ll get into this later, but most of the mainstream products I’ve seen at checkout stations or at random retail stores do not have THC, meaning they are isolate or broad-spectrum. If you don’t take anything else away from this post, know that those CBD products without THC are bogus. Don’t waste your money on them! Side note - THC is short for Tetrahydrocannabinol. It is the principal physcoactive cannabinoid found in Cannabis aka weed.
Let me just say I know first hand that not all CBD is created equal, just like not all weed can be Pineapple Express. One of the three times I’ve been in a “weed shop” in California was to buy CBD for one of my cats and let me tell you it did NOT make her anxiety go away. If anything, I think it made it worse! While there is still a lot of confusion and government regulation around CBD, there are also a lot of answers around the topic and I’m going to hopefully serve them up to you on a silver platter! As always, I’m not a doctor, nor am I am professional CBD-er, so keep that in mind. Be sure to chat with your general practitioner and your local CBD professional too! Most companies will happily answer your questions over email or chat. Things in this industry are rapidly changing as far as government regulations go, so chances are they may not be up to date in this post; however, this article will hopefully get you through with the bulk of the information. If you like the post, be sure to puff, puff, pass it along to a friend! Too much? Okay, I’ll stop and just get down to the nitty gritty. Before I get started, note that my focus is really on Hemp-derived CBD.
WHAT DOES CBD STAND FOR?
CBD is short for Cannabidiol.
WHAT IS CBD?
CBD is a cannabinoid (primary active compound) and is part of the Cannabis Sativa strain. It can be derived from the Marijuana plant or the Hemp plant. Just so you know, the human body produces its own cannabinoids! They interact with your biological processes and neurotransmitters.
Note that CBD from Hemp is federally legal and is required to have less than .3% THC, while CBD from Marijuana is illegal except in states where recreational and medicinal Marijuana are allowed. In the last year, the FDA has labeled CBD as a pharmaceutical drug, which has made it more difficult to make/sell even though it is “legal”.
WHAT IS HEMP?
Hemp is a skinny green plant of the Cannabis Sativa strain. You may have heard of it, because it was originally used for its fibers! You know that bow that’s tied around shabby chic gifts or that weird-smelling decoration around the sole of your favorite espadrilles? That’s most likely hemp. Although it is from the Sativa strain, it has mainly been used in the industry for its fiber and seeds… until now!
HOW DOES HEMP DIFFER FROM MARIJUANA?
Let’s talk obvious physical characteristics. Hemp is skinny and has a scarcity of leaves, while Marijuana is thick and lush with foliage.
Scientifically speaking, a Hemp plant is one that contains less than .3% THC and a Marijuana plant is one that contains more than .3% THC. Therefore, the Marijuana plant has more terpenes. Terpenes essentially give certain strains their scent, flavor profile, and most relevant to this topic… their therapeutic benefits. Terpenes exist in wine and coffee too! This is why you have crazy strains like Pineapple Express that give off citrusy notes and flavors. To put it more simply, Marijuana is low in CBD and high in THC. Hemp is high in CBD and low in THC.
Additionally, and probably most obviously, Hemp is grown industrially whereas Marijuana is grown for its physcoactive and intoxicating properties. This leads to the fact that Hemp-CBD is federally legal, while Marijuana-CBD is not.
HOW DOES CBD WORK?
Do you really want to know? We have to get nerdy. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in your body. While THC binds to cannabinoid 1 in the brain (CB1) (which is how it produces the “high”), CBD doesn’t bind very well, if at all to CB1. This also discourages THC from binding too, if THC is present in the CBD, which points to one of the reasons why Hemp-CBD won’t make you high!
Researches are finding that CBD doesn’t actually bind with any receptors, but it does work well with CB2! While CB1 works with your brain and nervous system, CB2 interacts with the brain, in addition to the lungs, liver, colon, spleen, immune system, muscles, and more! CBD works with CB2 by stimulating your body to make more of its own endocannabinoids. I was talking to Wild Plant Wellness about how it works and they said to think of your body like a radio and CBD is controlling the volume. If something is too loud or too quiet (say your body is out of balance, like stress levels are high), CBD interacts with it to turn it up or down. So if your stress levels are too high, CBD can interact and stimulate your CBD receptors to function at higher levels to try to keep your body at an equilibrium and a tolerable / normal “volume.” This explains why CBDs benefits are wide ranging and can often help so many different body parts and ailments.
Like most things, you need to take CBD regularly to see benefits. Similar to testing a new skincare product, most say taking it for 3 weeks will reveal how your body likes it, the possible benefits, and if you need to change your dosage.
WILL CBD MAKE ME HIGH?
Nope! Hemp derived CBD has less than .3% THC and THC is necessary to make you high.
For reference, Pineapple Express (derived from Marijuana) THC is greater than 24%.
IS CBD ADDICTIVE?
No. There have been no reported addictive properties.
Side note, CBD has similar benefits to opioids, with less side effects and no addiction!
WILL CBD SHOW UP ON MY DRUG TEST?
No one can seem to answer this question straight. Every podcast I’ve listened to and article I have read says that you can’t be sure. I guesssss this answer makes sense, considering every body is different and people metabolize differently. There’s no real answer about how long it stays in your system either… some say up to 5 days, but some say it could be weeks before there are 0 traces. Also the longer you take it, the more likely it is going to be hanging around in your body. The point is… if you’re worried about it and have to do a drug test soon, consider cutting it out of your habits. If you’re nervous though, you can get an over-the-counter THC test from your pharmacy!
Oh, and obviously we are talking Hemp-derived CBD here. I think we all know the answer regarding Marijuana-derived CBD.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN CBD PRODUCTS:
Which plant is the CBD derived from? You want to know if it is Hemp derived or Marijuana derived.
Where and how was it grown? I prefer to look for naturally, organic, sun-grown Hemp grown here in the United States. The products I’ve used have Hemp grown in Oregon and in Colorado and are USDA certified organic.
How was the CBD extracted and where was it extracted from? Think about juicing. You know how cold-pressed preserves the nutrients? Same with CBD! You want to look for products that use low heat removals like vapor distilling or C02 supercritical extractions. These are the safest and purest ways to extract CBD!
In addition to extracting well, you also want to know what part of the plant they extracted from. You want the aerial part of the plant, ie the buds. I like to compare this to wine. The really great wine only contains the grapes, whereas the mass produced wine has stems, bugs, leaves, etc that go into the crusher and make it into your wine. You want pure & quality ingredients, not other stuff.
Is it full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate? These are all important, but this is probably the MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW when buying a CBD product.
Isolate: This only has CBD. All other compounds have been stripped away.
Broad-spectrum: This has other compounds included with CBD, but does not have any traces of THC whatsoever. It was really only created for those who cannot have THC in their bodies at all.
Full-spectrum: THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT. You want all the compound goodness, including the THC. Studies have shown that when you include the diverse compounds, especially the THC, it is much more effective. Without THC, the CBD is more of a placebo, bogus effect without any real results. Full-spectrum is the broadest and most beneficial grouping of the CBD oil.
Entourage Effect - This is a CBD buzz word to know. It basically means that all of the compounds are coming together to create something they couldn’t have created on their own. This is why isolate doesn’t work well. Consider sandwich bread, peanut butter & jelly, and a knife. They all need to work together to yield the best possible outcome. Wow! Did that analogy sound like I’ve had a bit too much THC? Hah! Hopefully you get what I mean;) This affect is associated solely with Full-Spectrum CBD.
What other ingredients are in the product besides CBD? If it is CBD oil, it should really just have the hemp plant extract and a carrier oil like MCT (coconut) oil. The carrier oil actually helps your body absorb the cbd better, due to its particle size! If you’re using it with skincare products or with food, just make sure you know what else they are hiding in there if anything! Try to purchase from a brand where pure ingredients are a focus.
Has the product been tested by a third party? This is arguably another “most important” thing to know. You want to buy from companies who are transparent. While the rules and regulations around CBD continue to change, what doesn’t change are the basics of what makes the product pure. Look for brands that use third parties to test their product(s) and offer up their Certificate of Analysis. It not only shows you contaminant levels, but also levels of phytocannabinoids (the good stuff). This way you know its pure, AND can verify its potency levels. Some products even have traceable QR codes where you can see ratings for your specific batch!
BENEFITS OF CBD:
Aids sleep
Clears acne
Reduces anxiety
Relieves pain
Diminishes Inflammation
Regulates mood
And more! They are still coming out with studies around possible benefits of CBD use, especially related to diseases like Alzheimer’s, MS, and Parkinson’s. Some studies are even saying that CBD may aid in healing broken bones!
Wild Plant Wellness Hemp Extract Oil (c/o) | Primally Pure Soothing + CBD Serum (c/o) | Gua Sha Stone (get 10% off with discount code ELLEMULENOS)
CBD PRODUCTS:
There are lots of different ways to take CBD, as it can be taken orally, topically, or inhaled. Whether you’re smoking in a pen, drinking in a smoothie, rubbing on your face, or enjoying in a bubble bath, there’s something for everyone. Just make sure the company and product are reputable!
Wild Plant Wellness Hemp Extract Oil (c/o) - Yes they call it hemp extract oil, but only because they don’t want people to confuse it with an isolate. It is single-origin, organically farmed, full-spectrum CBD oil mixed with MCT oil. Their farm is a part of the Oregon Environmental Lab Accreditation Program and they practice sustainable farming. You can track every bottle with a QR code and their Certificate of Analysis is readily available.
Use discount code ELLEMULENOS for 33% off your CBD purchase!
Primally Pure Soothing + CBD Serum (c/o) - I have been using this every other night for almost 3 months. It reduced redness and inflammation practically overnight! Remember, it’s recommend to try products for at least 3 weeks to experience results; however, with this serum I noticed a change pretty quickly. Their company standards are literally in their name (PURE) and they work with a farm in Colorado to obtain their CBD. It’s triple tested for purity and potency.
Update 01/01/2021 -I really liked using Wild Plant Wellness - it worked! But it I would often become constipated. Since then I have tried Get Jupiter! Their CBD oil is made from ONLY the hemp part of the flower which not only tastes better, is a more potent product, and causes less digestive issues. I haven’t had any issues since using it!
Surprise! There aren’t many on this list. A lot of the products on the market are gimmicky and bogus. Do your homework! If they don’t have certificates or anything specific besides buzz words that aren’t regulated, I’d look elsewhere. A brand that has met their fair share of high purity and potency standards is Equilibira. I haven’t personally used their products so I didn’t list them above. Although, I’ve heard good things!
When ingesting CBD, note that you should start with a low and slow dosage and adjust from there. These products typically come with recommendations, so be sure to read those and listen to your body. Additionally, most CBD products last 1-2 years, but make sure to follow the instructions for your specific product! Thoughhhh most people plow through them faster than their shelf life ;)
Here’s a video that briefly summarizes what I say above. Enjoy!
ARTICLES I LIKE
CBD Oil and why it isn’t just a trend
FDA declares Cannabis Drug No Longer a Controlled Substance
4 Reasons to Use CBD Oil in Skincare
What to Expect when Taking Hemp Extract
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