What Is CBD?

What is CBD?

You’ve likely heard about cannabidiol, often referred to as CBD, and that it may help soothe the symptoms of arthritis and chronic pain, as well as address mental health conditions like anxiety, addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder and even help with sleep, but what is it really, and can it potentially help you? CBD, according to the CDC, is a compound found in cannabis, but it’s not considered mind-altering or impairing.

CBD is one of many active compounds, named cannabinoids, that are found naturally in the cannabis plant. CBD is usually extracted from hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, that will not induce intoxication or mind-altering effects because it has less than 0.3% THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) by dry weight and does not have enough of the psychoactive ingredient THC to produce a “high”. Broad-Spectrum CBD will contain no THC because THC has been extracted, while Full-Spectrum may have trace amounts.

Historically, the use of CBD for medicinal and therapeutic purposes dates back to 2900 BCE in China. It's taken till recently though for its potential health benefits to be more recognized. In 2019 the World Health Organization reclassified CBD's level of restriction and recognized its potential medical value in 2020. Although not certified through the Food and Drug Administration, there are many potential benefits of using CBD based on recent studies. The most common mentioned uses are to relieve pain, muscle relaxation, reduction of inflammation, anxiety, and as a sleep aid.

There are many ways that CBD is usually taken, such as tinctures under the tongue, topicals (creams and lotions), capsules, gummies, sprays, and lozenges. All of these methods have pros and cons to them, and we will help you find which of them could be best for you.

CBD products are not ‘one thing’—there are many different CBD products, and they vary not only in terms of route of delivery, but also in terms of the amount of CBD, presence of other phytocannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant nutrients (which are likely to add to the overall therapeutic effect). Whole plant products are likely to work differently to CBD isolates.

Reviewing our chart will help you see many more potential benefits.