Cannabidiol, or CBD, has the focus of scientists worldwide. It is the subject of intense study, the findings of which continually make news headlines. What is more, the results of these studies influence cannabis legislation, in both California and elsewhere. You can find it in health stores, drug stores, grocery stores, and seemingly everywhere. You can even search Google for “CBD delivery services near me.”
Yet, misconceptions about CBD abound. They simply persist. We debunk these six myths with facts:
Despite being widely available, many still think that CBD is illegal. It is not. In fact, hemp and all of its derivatives, including CBD, are legal nationwide. The Farm Bill of 2018 legalized all hemp-derived CBD at the federal level, which is why you can buy hemp oil online so easily and find it in just about any store. However, marijuana remains illegal. The only time CBD is illegal is if it comes from marijuana, not hemp.
Of course, states can make their own laws. Cannabis is legal in California, along with all of its cannabinoids, such as CBD and even tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Not all states are so generous. Many still prohibit cannabis; some ban hemp too, making it always important to check your local laws. If you intend traveling across state lines, then knowing state law is especially paramount.
Every study finds CBD with powerful therapeutic properties. However, not everybody uses it for medical reasons. Unlike psychoactive THC, CBD cannot make anybody “high.” However, it does still affect body and mind, and many folks use it for this purpose. CBD is relaxing. It elevates mood. It is anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and makes people feel more able to cope with social settings. It also sharpens focus.
Anybody who uses CBD will feel it, just without any psychoactivity. It does not make you stoned the way THC does, as will not impair any mental or physical function. Instead, it will make mind and body more resilient to stress, more relaxed, and more able to think clearly. You do not need to be sick to use CBD. Many use it preventatively, to boost health. Still many others use it for various social reasons.
The belief that CBD is tranquilizing, that it will put you to sleep, has no basis in fact. The reality is that CBD is actually energizing, wakeful. It will make you feel alert. Numerous studies show how CBD actually combats the sedating effects of too much THC. Even if you consume CBD in the largest doses possible, like drink it straight from the bottle, for example, it is not going to make you sleepy. Ever.
This myth does have its origin in some sense, albeit it misguided. Some cannabis strains, particularly those with high levels of CBD, contain an abundance of myrcene too. Myrcene is a terpene, one with especially tranquilizing effects. While CBD might wake you up, myrcene will send you to bed. However, in high enough concentrations, CBD will counteract the effects of myrcene, as well. It will wake you up.
Although there are benefits to microdosing CBD, this is not always possible for every person, in every situation. Low doses of CBD are effective for preventing illness and tolerance, but higher doses are actually better for treating medical conditions. CBD works more efficiently and effectively when consumed in higher doses, especially if there is no THC, and when treating diseases and their symptoms.
Studies analyzing the effects of CBD on anxiety, schizophrenia, seizures, and other serious disorder all record positive effects at very high doses, not low ones. You need hundreds of milligrams to enjoy any real benefit from CBD when using it as treatment. Having said that, lower doses have their benefits too. You might not see it immediately. Microdosing works well in the long-term, but it does little right now.
While CBD is CBD no matter where it comes from, CBD oil products differ vastly from each other. They are not the same. They are not equal. Differences exist aplenty, and they extend to effects, effectiveness, and even efficacy. Manufacturers use different extraction technologies. They make different concentrations. They even add THC and other compounds to create product variety.
CBD isolates only contain CBD, nothing else. Full spectrum products, however, contain CBD, THC, and a variety of other cannabinoids, terpenes, and even flavonoids. Broad-spectrum CBD products contain all of these compounds, just no THC. Not all CBD is the same. What is more, quality differs too. Some products contain sufficient levels of quality CBD. Others contain almost none. Only use trusted suppliers.
The human body has its own endocannabinoid system, the receptors of which are compatible with phytocannabinoids, or those found in plants. These act similarly to human endocannabinoids, which dictate our response to injury and illness, rebalancing all other systems at the cellular level. This system is the most recent target for therapeutic intervention, from drugs to herbs, lifestyle changes, and more.
However, while THC and other cannabinoids activate endocannabinoid receptors, specifically CB1 and CB2, CBD does not. It switches them off instead, slowing their activity and reducing endocannabinoid signaling, particularly at CB1 receptors. Having said that, CBD does increase this signaling as well, but it does so by inhibiting anandamide. Although confusing, these opposing effects make CBD special.
If you want to buy CBD oil, make sure to invest only in those that undergo laboratory testing. As mentioned, not all CBD is equal. Some work better than others do. You can search online for “CBD delivery services near me” to find reputable companies. Just check their reviews, their websites, and their contact details before parting with your money. The fact that scammers abound is no myth at all.