For National CBD Day 2020 we wanted to give you a few pointers about CBD, the cannabinoid that has gone from relative obscurity to being sold nearly everywhere in a short span of time. There is strong science behind the benefits of CBD use, but there are also a lot of misconceptions and misinformation about it. Read on for our shortlist of important things to note about CBD!
1. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
CBD is a subtle cannabinoid that exerts therapeutic effects without creating a mental high. The lack of psychoactivity has made CBD a focal point of research. However, because the federally illegal status of cannabis has made it very difficult for scientists to conduct studies, there is still much to be determined about the therapeutic effects of CBD and other components of cannabis. The studies that have taken place have suggested great promise. In 2018 the FDA approved Epidiolex, the first CBD-based drug to treat certain rare, severe cases of epilepsy. Animal studies have suggested that CBD can be effective in reducing the discomfort of osteoarthritis, while other studies suggest that CBD has strong anti-inflammatory properties and could help conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and diabetes. Further, a study published in the American Journal for Psychiatry revealed that CBD treatment caused reduced craving and anxiety in recovering drug addicts
2. CBD vs THC.
Although there are over 140 different cannabinoids identified in the cannabis plant, CBD and THC are the two most commonly recognized and researched. THC is noted as the cannabinoid that creates the psychoactive high associated
with most cannabis strains. Often the discussion of cannabinoids parallels the stigma that cannabis has held publicly since its prohibition in 1937: THC is villainized as the component that gets you high, while CBD is touted as the “safe” cannabinoid. ProjectCBD.org – created a decade ago by journalists who had been covering the growing medical marijuana industry and reporting on scientific discoveries – is a fantastic resource for CBD information overall and has an excellent breakdown of the common misconceptions about CBD and THC. The most important misconception to debunk is that THC has no therapeutic value beyond recreational use.
3. CBD works best when activated by a small amount of THC.
This is an example of the “entourage effect” which describes how different components of cannabis – cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavanoids – interact to increase the overall therapeutic effect of the plant. Alone, they each have certain effects, but combined they interact and alter each other’s properties in unique ways. Heavily processed CBD products derived from industrial hemp are missing the full spectrum of biochemicals that interact to affect the endocannabinoid system. There are many products available that include both CBD and THC in some sort of ratio. The higher the CBD amount, the less psychoactivity produced. A 1:1 ratio (even amounts of CBD and THC) will produce a mildly psychoactive effect, while an 8:1 CBD/THC ratio rarely produces a mental high.
4. Pay attention to where your CBD comes from.
Because the mainstream CBD industry is largely unregulated, you need to be careful about acquiring a safe, effective product. Be sure to check the origin of your CBD. There is a greater risk for contaminants in CBD made from hemp grown in countries that have fewer agricultural regulations. Hemp is a “bio-accumulator,” meaning it absorbs toxins and heavy metals from the soil. Because hemp is considerably less resinous than cannabis, much more of it is required to create CBD oil, raising the risk of contaminants exponentially. Any CBD purchased from a provisioning center will have passed strict testing standards in a highly regulated system, making it a safer bet overall.
