The herb that was once associated with teenage slackers and tie-dye hippies has now become a major worldwide health trend, with a seemingly endless list of benefits for the body and mind. You
see it in everything from oil bottles to skin lotions to smoothies. But amidst all the buzz and all the claims, what is CBD and what does it really do?
As you may know by now, CBD is cannabidiol, which is a concentrated liquid extract of a marijuana plant. Cannabis plants produce a variety of compounds, with THC and CBD being the best-known among consumers. The CBD oil we see on shelves is sold for its health benefits and doesn’t provide any psychoactive effects, as there’s no THC in it.
Hemp vs Marijuana
You may have heard the word “hemp” being thrown around when hearing about cannabis oil. Hemp and marijuana are two primary species of the cannabis plant and both contain CBD. However, hemp contains a much higher percentage of cannabidiols in addition to having lower levels of THC than marijuana.
Hemp oil also has a number of properties that make it better suited for certain uses. For example, its high content of healthy fats makes it ideal for beauty products such as moisturizers and it’s known to have a number of benefits for skincare.
Taking CBD
What is the best way to take CBD? It largely depends on your goals and preferences. Topical creams or ointments are ideal for those who don’t want to ingest anything, and it can be applied to muscles or joints to help soothe pain and reduce inflammation.
If you want quick pain relief, a CBD vape pen would be the best solution. After smoking it, you can expect to feel relief after around 10 minutes. However, the effects wear off faster - around two hours. Edibles and tinctures (small drops of liquid applied directly under the tongue) take longer to activate but will last between four and five hours.
Buying CBD Oil
It’s important to educate yourself on what makes a trustworthy and reliable CBD oil product. For a CBD product to maintain its legality outside of states where THC is legal, it needs to contain 0.3% to 0.5% THC or less. There should also be an approved lab report that proves the product is free from contaminants.
If there aren’t any local stores selling CBD where you live, you can find a variety of sellers online. You could also capitalize on the lack of availability of CBD oil in your area by becoming a distributor. We’ve found some excellent info on how to become a CBD oil distributor here.
Known Benefits of CBD
With its recent rise in popularity, more and more research is being done about how CBD affects us. Some of the best-known benefits of CBD revolve around its ability to help with a variety of things. This includes anxiety, pain, seizures, migraines, psychosis, depression, nausea, insomnia, and many more. There is also strong scientific evidence to suggest that CBD can help with epilepsy, especially in children.
Studies have found CBD oil to be effective at helping a variety of skin challenges such as acne, inflammation, redness, and sensitivity. There is also evidence to suggest that it is capable of helping with signs of aging such as wrinkles.
These are just some of the reasons to try CBD that we currently know of. There’s still a great deal of research to be done on the product and many discoveries could still be made.