I’m sure you have seen adverts for CBD-infused products, and you probably became more interested when you learned that CBD is related to marijuana.
The extraction and sale of CBD became legal in 2018, with the passing of the Farm Bill. It brought great hope as far legalizing cannabis in America.
Human beings have always been aware that the cannabis plant contains various chemical compounds that promote wellness.
The CBD industry might be still young, but it is expanding at a great rate, and economic pundits expect that it will be worth more than $20 billion by 2024.
There are numerous health benefits from taking CBD. And it appears like everyone is curious about it and looking to try it out.
In this guide, we will break down CBD, explain to you how it is gotten, its benefits, how best to use it, and disclose important tips.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is a naturally-occurring chemical found in hemp and marijuana. The CBD oil derived from the hemp plant is non-psychoactive whereas the CBD oil derived from marijuana might have psychoactive properties.
All FDA-approved CBD products contain CBD extracted from the hemp plant. This is because CBD derived from the hemp plant is non-psychoactive, unlike CBD derived from the marijuana plant, which would have more THC content than the government allows.
THC is the psychoactive chemical compound prevalent in marijuana that gets you high.
CBD is known to have numerous health benefits including anxiety relief, pain relief, anti-inflammatory properties, healing muscle spasticity, and elimination of sleep disorders.
CBD has proven more effective in managing certain health challenges than conventional treatment methods. Is this to mean you should ignore your physician? By no means!
Initially, most of what had been available were CBD oils alone, but manufacturers have diversified the products since, knowing that customers have varying tastes and needs.
A Short Look Into CBD Origins
Considering that cannabis products have always been banned in most places around the world, you will be forgiven to think that people discovered the health benefits of CBD recently.
Shen-Nung, the ancient Chinese emperor, is credited as the first human to experiment with cannabis for wellness purposes.
People have long known cannabis to be extremely important for health improvement, but then cannabis was overlooked, suppressed really when the fathers of modern medicine came into the scene.
Roger Adams, the American chemist, performed various experiments that led to CBD isolation and also the discovery of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
As more scientists dived into cannabis research and disclosed its wide-ranging benefits, the interest around the cannabis plant started to grow, and after intensive lobbying, California became the first US state to allow medical cannabis in 1996.
Scientists carried on with research and it has led to the current understanding of the differences between hemp and marijuana, and particularly how their constituent chemical compounds stimulate health.
CBD became legal in 2018 and the prevailing market conditions are nothing but favorable.
CBD and Your Endocannabinoid System
CBD has a positive impact on our wellbeing, specifically, it helps us fight pain and anxiety, boost immunity, overcome addiction, etcetera.
But it achieves the above by way of interacting with our Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is present in every mammal and it regulates various important functions.
CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors and stimulates the breakdown of endocannabinoids.
Endocannabinoids are nothing more than chemical messengers of the ECS and are made of fats and oils.
Cannabinoid receptors are stationed throughout our bodies. CBD causes change by interacting with these cannabinoid receptors in the ECS: CB1 and CB2.
CB1 receptors are vital for regulating brain activity, whereas CB2 receptors are essential for the immune system.
For instance, if you smoke weed, the THC makes a run to your brain, binds itself to the CB1 receptors, evoking euphoric feelings, and altering consciousness… Getting you high.
In the same vein, CBD causes its anti-inflammatory properties by binding to the CB2 receptors.
The Color of CBD Oil
CBD oil takes on various hues depending on different factors. While you mustn’t obsess over the color of CBD oil, it’s good to have the ability to know ‘em by the color, for it saves you blunders.
The color of CBD oil might be influenced by several factors including; the extraction method, the carrier oil it’s mixed with, chemical compounds of the plant, and chemical ingredients.
The color of full-spectrum CBD oil ranges from golden to dark green, whereas isolate CBD oil mostly appears dark green, since all the impurities are washed away, leaving Choloryphll’s presence unchallenged.
You can only improve your ability to “know it by its color” through experience. Make a point of only buying CBD oils that have all their ingredients listed down. Eventually, you’ll get acclimatized to a particular taste and settle.
Ingesting CBD Oil
The CBD oil has to go through your mouth, and nope, you cannot change your mind and apply it on your face.
Sublingual CBD ingestion is upheld as the best method because it causes significant changes. You put a few drops of CBD oil underneath your tongue and hold still so that the CBD gets absorbed into your bloodstream.
If you think that raw CBD oil doesn’t taste too great, you are likely to want to swallow it quickly and get it over with. You could always swig at your favorite drink to wash down the aftertaste.
You could also buy flavored CBD oil, and there are many categories of the flavors, and you won’t have any problems with sublingual CBD ingestion.
Alternatively, you may squeeze the CBD oil into your food or drink.
CBD Extraction
A great deal of effort goes into producing quality CBD oil. Respectable CBD manufacturers have made heavy investments into their companies because they reckon that it’s extremely important that their systems are failsafe.
I mean, system glitches can lead to bogus products, to massive losses, and yes, a brush with the unforgiving law.
One of the popular extraction methods is known as Carbon Dioxide Extraction. The industrial hemp is subjected to high-pressure carbon dioxide, at low temperature, extracting oil.
Another extraction method is known as Steam Distillation. This is whereby steam is used to separate CBD oil from the industrial hemp. The raw material is confined into a flask, brought to a boil, and the CBD oil is tapped.
This method is quite unpopular as much as it is archaic, and yes, wasteful.
CBD oil can be extracted via a method known as, The Solvent Extraction, too. And this method is much like the Steam Distillation process, except water is replaced with a solvent, which is mixed with the raw material. The solvent vaporizes and CBD oil is gotten.
CBD oil will certainly improve your health. Ensure that you stick to the recommended dosage, and if there’s none, then start with small amounts, and adjust your intake depending on how your body reacts.
