What is CBD aka CANNABIDIOL?

What Does CBD Do?

CBD or Cannabidiol is one of the most amazing compounds found naturally in the world.

What exactly does cannabidiol also known as CBD do and what is it?    In this guide, we will go over these questions along with many more questions about what CBD is and why the cannabis plant is great.  Over 400 different compounds are found within the cannabis plant that many of us have been using for years and only knew of a few.  Some of the compounds in cannabis are also found in other plants in the world.  Terpenes are a few of these compounds that are also found in pine trees and lemons that you will also find in cannabis.  Only about 60 of the 400 compounds are specific to Cannabis.  Cannabinoids are what these unique compounds are called.  The most recognized and useful compound is cannabidiol or CBD.  There are a lot of therapeutic and medicinal benefits found in CBD.

As more research is done on the cannabis plant we find more knowledge about CBD and cannabis that seems to be a revolution in medicine.  Read more to learn all about cannabidiol and why it is important and why you should care about CBD if you ingest cannabis.

The Essentials of Cannabidiol or CBD

Cannabidiol is Not Psychoactive

CBD started with a bad rap because of THC, but the reality is CBD is nothing like THC an CBD is not psychoactive.  What this means is that you do not get the HIGH associate with THC so you can function in your day much better than if high on THC.  Cannabidiol simply does not get you high and this is what makes it good for people of all ages.  When CBD is ingested on its own the user will not have any feelings of being stoned or high.  This is the reason that CBD is legal in almost all states and the federal government even has a patent on CBD.

Cannabidiol is Legal Almost Everywhere

CBD is pretty much safe as long is it does not contain any THC.  Really only THC is the only illegal cannabinoid in the USA.  Having cannabis that technically for some reason did not have the cannabinoid THC in it would make that sack of weed legal to possess.  Weed without THC is considered to be called HEMP and is governed by different rules.

Most every state allows some form of CBD only products for medical and therapeutic uses.  In these states, the CBD is derived from the HEMP plant rather than from nugs like wax or shatter comes from.    In the states that medical cannabis is legal, there is absolutely no problem with CBD products.

Cannabidiol Comes From Cannabis and Hemp Plants

CBD or Cannabidiol can come from either the hemp or cannabis plant.   In states that cannabis is illegal, the CBD is extracted from the HEMP plant.  In states that allow cannabis consumption the CBD oils can contain THC, and some people feel this is a better product than pure CBD.  In states that cannabis is illegal, the CBD needs to be below 0.3 percent.  Some states allow CBD to contain TCH levels of up to 5% as this is below the level to give you the feeling of being high.  The general idea is that CBD products that come from cannabis are more potent and have a better effect.

There is a phenomenon known as the “entourage effect” that in theory states that cannabinoids work better with other cannabinoids than on their own.  When CBD is extracted from cannabis plants the CBD oil will contain more cannabinoids than if it were extracted from hemp plants.  So yes, it does matter where your CBD comes from.  The flowers of a cannabis plant just plain and simple have more cannabinoid than do hemp plants and leaves.  So what is the best CBD cannabis plant strain?

The Best CBD Dominant Cannabis Strains

With the demand for CBD potent cannabis plant breeders are constantly in the pursuit of new genetics that will be higher in the cannabinoids wants.  The goal of these breeders and growers is to increase the ratio of THC to CBD allowing the full entourage effect to work its magic.

Top 5 CBD Cannabis Strains

1 – ACDC Cannabis Strain

A perfect 50/50 hybrid cannabis strain that has a CBD level higher than most all other strains with some ACDC plants hitting 20% CBD.   The plants have a THC  range from 6% down to 0.4% and because of this do not expect to find any CBD oil of this strain in a nonlegal medical state.

2 – CHARLOTTE’S WEB Cannabis Strain

Maybe the most famous cannabis strain in the world that is a 60/40 hybrid with indica dominating the ratio.  The Charlotte’s Webs stain can reach a CBD level of 20% making a great for extracting cannabinoids from the plant.   This plant is not really a marijuana but more of a hemp plant

3 – RINGO’S GIFT Cannabis Strain

Another hybrid cannabis strain coming in at 40/60 with the sativa coming in as dominant.    This is a cross of ACDC and Harle-Tsu.  This is a popular strain for people with chronic pain, anxiety, arthritis, stress, PTSD and more.

4 – HARLE-TSU Cannabis Strain

This indical dominate strain of 60/40 is known as the painkilling marijuana to some.  Comming in at an astounding 22% CBD and a super low 1% THC this strain has become one of the favorites for patients.

5 – HARLEQUIN

One of the lower CBD strains, but more balanced with THC at about a 5:2 ration with the CBD coming in at about 10%.  This is a very soothing cannabis strain and also is used in the formation of new high-quality CBD strains.

These cannabis strains could be the medical strains you need if you are looking for a high-quality CBD strain.

What Does CBD/Cannabidiol Do?

Let us look into more of what this amazing compound cannabidiol can do for the human body.  In the media today CBD is dominating the medical community for obvious reasons as seen in many youtube videos of how it helps with seizures and more.  Even with all the greatness for medical reasons, recreational users have also come to see the benefits of CBD and its special qualities.  We will first look into the medical benefits of CBD and then go deeper into the benefits of CBD as a recreational substance.

How Does CBD Interact With Your Body?

Amazingly the human body and the cannabis plant have somehow become the best of friends over time developing the endocannabinoid system.  With this system, your body can interact with the 60-plus cannabinoids in the cannabis plant.  With the endocannabinoid system running throughout our entire body this may be the reason many people find so many reasons CBD helps them.  The endocannabinoid system is a network of tons of receptors that bind to the cannabinoid when they are introduced in your bloodstream by consuming cannabis.  When that receptor binds with the cannabinoids all kinds of chemical interactions begin to happen to create a series of unknown but wonderful responses in your body.  In other words, people are kinda hard-wired to work with cannabis.  With the endocannabinoid system running deep and through your body we can see why cannabis and CBD is so beneficial for us like helping with pains, regulating moods and stimulating appetite.  What is so neat about CBD is that for humans it has not toxicity meaning you do not get high from it.  It is only highly reactive with your endocannabinoid system.   As the CBD binds to the endocannabinoid system receptors it stimulates all kinds of changes in the human body.  Most of these changes are highly beneficial with research uncovering more and more potential for CBD uses.

What Can CBD Really Do?

Taking a deeper look into the research that is behind CBD we can begin to really start to appreciate this wonderful cannabinoid.  Let’s look more into the benefits of CBD and learn also about the studies being done to back up the research.

Can CBD Help Stop Epileptic Seizures

CBD has become a huge role in helping people with epilepsy.  Cannabidiol can be very effective for some people in controlling their seizures, and for this reason, more research is finally being done to see what else the cannabis plant has to offer.  Since 2012 even there has been research done on CBD by the British Epilepsy Association and they concluded there is strong evidence that supports therapeutic value in CBD.   Cannabis treatment for seizures is gaining support from a growing roster of medical practitioners who are urging its legal access, including the Epilepsy Foundation in the United States. There are certain states in the USA where this is legal for medical purposes, while Canada has proposed that cannabis will be legal as early as July 1, 2018. In Indianapolis, Ind. specifically, a bill has passed the Senate that would allow the use of CPD oil to treat people with severe epilepsy. Should the bill pass, only those with treatment-resistant epilepsy would be allowed to use the substance.

Can CBD Help With Pain

As the pharmaceutical companies push pills to people for pain, there has been an uprising in the idea to use CBD as a pain reliever.  In the USA there is now an epidemic of people dying of opioid overdoses.  Many of these people can be traced back to an injury and then getting a prescription from their good ol doctor.  After a time people can become “hooked” on their opioid painkillers.  Then when the pills are taken away they move on to street drugs.  THC is what gives the cannabis plant its amazing pain relief properties.  That is not to say that cannabidiol is also a great pain reliever.  In 2015 there was a groundbreaking study on the effects that CBD had on relieving pain.  The CBD was compared to morphine.  What the researchers found was that the CBD helped with the morphine and was able to help counteract the risky side effect of the morphine.

Can CBD Fight Cancer

To the surprise of many people, pre-clinical trials have proven to show that CBD has a powerful anti-tuber effect.  We have put together a ton of reading on the subject of cancer research with the Realm of Caring here.  Again, 2015 was a big year for the cannabis research into what the effect of CBD is.   The conclusion in one of these studies is that CBD can help slow the progression of any types of cancer ranging in breast, lung and colon cancer.  Cannabidiol works by actually making it hard for the cancer cells to grow.  In some cases the CBD even caused more cancer cells to die that were being remade.

Some points on what CBD helps with adding in the cancer fight.

• Increase’s ceramide synthesis which drives cell death

• Pushes cytochrome C out of the cell mitochondria, killing the energy source for the cancer cell

• Causes genotoxic stress in the cancer cell nucleus generating protein p53

• Relieves pain associated with modern cancer treatments

Can CBD Reduce Inflammation?

For many years people have used cannabis to help with inflammation, now research is showing they ahve been right.  Both THC and CBD have a roll in helping the body heal from inflammation, while CBD has special anti-information properties on its own.  Research suggests the cannabidiol compound binds with the endocannabinoid system found in us to reduce nerve inflammation.  CBD has become an effective treatment in neurological diseases because of its anti-inflammation abilities.

Can CBD Treat Mood Disorders?

CBD in cannabis has been found to help PTSD patients manage their symptoms. Two major cannabinoids found in Cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), influence the body’s endocannabinoid system, which plays an essential role in maintaining emotional homeostasis and in regulating memory consolidation, retrieval, and extension. Cannabinoids found in cannabis activate the cannabinoid receptors (CB₁ and CB₂) of the endocannabinoid system, which in turn modulates the release of neurotransmitter and produces a wide range of effects on the central nervous system, including an increase in pleasure and the alternation of memory processes. The cannabinoids block the continuous retrieval of the traumatic event, thus enhancing its extension and reducing its associated anxiety^1,9,12.

These effects help PTSD patients manage the three core symptoms of the condition, which include re-experiencing, avoidance and numbing, and hyperarousal. PTSD patients saw a 75% reduction in PTSD symptoms, as measured by the Clinical Administered Post-traumatic Scale when they were using cannabis compared to when they were not.

Can What CBD Do For Recreational Users?

While CBD is highly effective at helping with things like anxiety and stress, it’s not to say recreational users should not use CBD.   CBD is popular in the recreational crowd in that it can be added to your THC product to help mellow the effects of THC.    CBD does not seem to be as highly sought after for recreational use compared to that of its cousin THC.

Can CBD Produce A Smoother, More Balanced High?

Many times when used at high levels THC can cause some heightened paranoia and anxiety.   This is one negative effect of the THC that when paired with CBD can mellow out the unwanted effects of the THC.  We are sure many recreational users have experienced this before as many of the strains these days are very high in their THC levels.  If a user of THC starts to feel too high as some people are more sensitive to THC, they can help reduce this by taking CBD.  The CBD helps to stop the toxicity of the THC, therefore reducing any unwanted effects.  The entourage effect is what is known to cause this to happen with the THC and CBD.  Many dispensaries for this reason sell products that are high in both THC and CBD.

In other words, CBD is an antidote to the ill side effects of THC.  It counters some of the stronger stress and anxiety effects that THC produces making the high a more comfortable smooth high.

What Are The Most Popular CBD Products?

CBD Oils

CBD has become very popular recently in the oil form.  As dabbing become popular many people are dabbing their CBD oils.  The CBD oil is mixed with THC diamonds and terpenes to make a sauce that many users find more balanced.  One thing to note is that CBD that comes from hemp plant will not contain any THC and that qualities of CBD oil vary greatly.

Health and Beauty Products

CBD (cannabidiol) hemp oil isn’t just a great nutritional supplement – It’s also an amazing core ingredient in all our body care products as well! Benefit from the nutrients in hemp by absorbing it topically through your skin and introducing your body to the amazing non-psychoactive value of cannabis.

As an amazing all-natural supplement, it’s an incredible source of vitamins, amino acids, omega fatty acids, terpenes, and chlorophyll, making it a powerful ingredient in our topicals. Treat your body to the best, purest ingredients by trying some of our hemp body care products.

Vaporizers

Using a vaporizer for CBD’s is a great method for consuming CBD concentrates.  These devices can vaporize the cannabinoids at their proper vaping temperatures so you can inhale them and enjoy them more comfortably.  Notably, the Silver Surfer vaporizer works great for concentrates and dry herbs so that you can get full spectrum benefits from the cannabis plant.

Edibles

Consumers find edibles to be a safe way to begin to experience the benefits of CBD.  Many companies are infusing foods with CBD to give the consumers what they want.  Edibles in small amounts are a great way to microdose.

The Future Of CBD

Over the last several years, consumers of medical marijuana have displayed a marked preference for high-THC indica strains which often provide an intense psychoactive experience. Because of this, CBD-rich strains have fallen out of popularity; today, it’s tough to find strains with more than 1 percent CBD.

Fortunately, some growers have recognized the medicinal and recreational importance of CBD-rich strains, which are making a comeback around the country. Strains such as Charlotte’s Web and Harlequin have been shown to possess a multitude of medical benefits, and new strains are being developed on a regular basis.

It’s clear that CBD offers a whole host of health benefits, and the research into this exciting compound will continue in the coming years. As it stands now, I’m optimistic about the future of CBD and all of the incredible treatment options it presents us with.