CBD products are now widely available after the 2018 Hemp Growth Act legalized hemp-derived products in the United States.
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Once a marginal health trend, CBD has become so popular that you can buy products with it at pharmacies, grocery stores and countless online retailers. You can greatly appreciate U.S. agricultural law for that, that the legalized industrial hemp in 2018, allowing CBD products to be sold without a prescription in the US.
CBD has also gained popularity as more states have legalized medical and recreational cannabis products that contain THC, the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for the “high” sensation.
This story is about substances that are legal in some places but not in others and are for informational purposes only and not to provide legal advice. You should not do things that are illegal – this story does not endorse or encourage the use of illegal drugs.
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Depending on where you live, you can find CBD at CVS, your local gas station, pet shops — even Carl’s Jr.. The only thing that spreads faster than CBD seems to be the confusion about what exactly it is and for whom it goes. Whether you’re a user or you’re just curious about CBD, this manual will help you get rid of clutter and keep up to date.
What is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound in the cannabinoid family that is found naturally in the cannabis plant. Scientists have isolated 108 different types of cannabinoids in cannabis.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is probably the most well-known chemical compound in cannabis due to its psychoactive properties, but CBD is gaining ground rapidly due to its potential therapeutic benefits.
How does CBD work?
CBD (and THC) work by interacting with our body’s endocannabinoid system, a regulatory system made up of cannabis-like natural molecules. These endocannabinoids, as they are called, function as neurotransmitters, sending messages through the body to help maintain homeostasis. Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC interact with the endocannabinoid system at two known receptors: CB1 and CB2.
CB1 receptors are present primarily in the brain, where they are involved with cognition, memory, motor skills, and pain, but also in the peripheral nervous system, liver, thyroid, uterus, and more. THC binds to these receptors, inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters and possibly increasing the release of others, altering normal functioning.
CBD oil is a popular way in which people ingest CBD
R + R Medicinals / Unsplash
The researchers once thought that CBD did the same thing, but with CB2 receptors, which are abundant in the immune and gastrointestinal systems, as well as in the brain and nervous system. However, they no longer believe this to be true.
Although the exact way CBD affects our bodies is still unknown, scientists believe that CBD encourages the body to produce more of its own endocannabinoids, which can help reduce anxiety. pain and inflammation.
Read more: Active clothing with CBD infusion does not yet have science by its side
Is CBD legal?
Technically yes, but the answer is not so cut and dry.
The cannabis plant comes in many different varieties. For decades, however, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) treated them all equally, classifying cannabis as a List I substance. List I drugs are not considered to have “currently accepted medical use.” a high potential for abuse “and it is therefore illegal to produce or own them.
However, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (also known as the Agriculture Act) changed all that. The Farm Bill legalized “hemp,” which the law defined as cannabis, which contains no more than 0.3% THC nationwide.
Cannabis that contains higher levels of THC now appears as “marijuana” and remains a list I drug.
CBD products are sold online or at dispensaries in states where cannabis is legalized.
Alex Persona / Unsplash
In other words, if a CBD product comes from a hemp plant, it is legal; if it comes from a marijuana plant, it is illegal at the federal level, despite local laws. And even if it comes from a hemp plant, there is often no guarantee that it will not contain THC, thanks to things like cross-pollination and the lack of industry regulation (see “What are the risks of take CBD? “below).
The Food and Drug Administration has been exploring ways to study and regulate CBD for several years. No over-the-counter CBD products are currently approved or approved by the FDA, and there are no national standards for CBD products. However, some states, including Indiana and Utah, require cannabis products to be tested for potency and purity.
Read more: Can CBD make you fail a drug test?
What are the health benefits of CBD?
CBD is being marketed as a cure-all, and manufacturers say it can do everything from relieving anxiety to stopping the spread of cancer. However, the classification of cannabis as a List 1 drug has severely hampered the ability of American scientists to study CBD, making it difficult to support or refute these claims. The available studies are usually small or done in animals or laboratories.
That said, CBD is promising. Early experiments suggest that it may help fight anxiety, relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia, and reduce pain (although the latter is often done in conjunction with THC).
However, the strongest evidence for the effectiveness of CBD is related to epilepsy. In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a drug used to treat Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes, two rare and severe forms of epilepsy. In 2020, it approved Epidiolex to treat seizures related to the tuberous sclerosis complex. Epidiolex was the agency’s first approval of a cannabis-derived drug and has paved the way for the development of more CBD-based drugs to treat medical conditions.
How is CBD used?
CBD is available in a variety of forms. Some of the most common CBD delivery methods are listed below, but how it is used ultimately depends on personal needs and preferences. The method of delivering CBD affects how quickly it works and what kind of effects it has on the body.
CBD is available in many different forms, including the oils and tinctures seen here.
Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt / AFP / Getty Images
- Groceries they are a wide range of products to eat or drink, such as jelly beans or chocolates. Groceries can take between 20 minutes and four hours to take effect.
- Oils and tinctures they are processed and concentrated forms of CBD that are often placed under the tongue with a dropper and absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Pills and capsules they are ingested orally and look similar to the vitamins and / or medications you would find in a pharmacy. They usually contain CBD oil or CBD isolate.
- Topics are CBD infused oils, creams and lotions that are intended to be used directly on the skin, hair or nails. They are a popular way to treat localized pain, but are also used as an oil for skin care, hair care and massage.
- Vaping, like e-cigarettes, involves inhaling a vaporized liquid containing CBD oil. Nicotine is not usually present if CBD is, although it is possible to mix them.
What are the risks of taking CBD?
A 2017 World Health Organization report found that CBD, in its purest form, is safe, well tolerated by humans and animals, and is unlikely to cause physical dependence or abuse. And according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 1,500 mg of CBD has been safely taken orally daily for up to four weeks.
CBD oil is likely to be safe for anxious pets, but research has not yet shown that it helps.
R + R Medicinals / Unsplash
That being said, there are still some risks associated with taking CBD that you should consider:
- Secondary effects. According to the NIH, dry mouth, low blood pressure, dizziness and drowsiness have been reported, as well as signs of liver damage, although the latter is less common.
- Limited search. The classification of CBD as a List I drug severely limits the number of studies that researchers can conduct on the compound. What exists is promising, but there are still many unknowns about what conditions CBD could help treat and how many people it should take to be effective. This means that if you take CBD to treat a particular illness, you may be taking too much, too little, or wasting your money.
- Inadequate regulation. There are no standards for producing, testing, or labeling CBD products, making any federal oversight or quality control impossible. In fact, Penn Medicine researchers found that nearly 70 percent of CBD products purchased on the Internet contained one or more CBDs as indicated on the label, which could be dangerous, or less CBD than indicated. which could negate any potential benefit. Many products also contained significant amounts of THC.
- Drug interactions. Not much is known about how CBD could interfere with other drugs, but experts say it can interfere with how quickly the body breaks down a variety of prescription drugs, which can increase side effects. It can also improve the sedative properties of herbs and supplements that are known to cause drowsiness or drowsiness. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to confirm that anything you take regularly may be affected by CBD.
- Pre and postnatal unknowns. There is still not enough evidence on whether it is safe to take CBD while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Experts advise avoiding it.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider about any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.
