What is CBD Oil Basics?
CBD is a natural extract of the hemp plant. The full name for CBD is cannabidiol. CBD is one of the dozens of what are called cannabinoids which grow naturally in hemp and in cannabis.
It is important to know that CBD is not the part of the cannabis or hemp plant which makes you “high.” Hemp CBD has no psychoactive effect. In fact, CBD can moderate the effects of THC, which is the compound that make you high. People who use CBD can drive, work, and engage in normal activities. It can sometimes make you drowsy, which is why many people use it to help them sleep.
CBD has an effect on humans because every human already has a natural ability to use cannabinoids. In fact, people create some of their own cannabinoids. Scientists only discovered the endocannabinoid system in the 1990s. What we know now is that plant-produced cannabinoids, called phytocannabinoids, can augment our naturally produced cannabinoids to help people
Related: https://www.health.com/condition/pain/what-is-cbd
Where does CBD come from?
CBD comes from the hemp plant or the cannabis plant. Hemp and cannabis are the same plant, but hemp has much lower THC than hemp does so there is no psychoactive effect from using its extracts.
The CBD and the other cannabinoids are extracted from the hemp plant using the same methods used to make cooking oil and other natural plant-based oils.
All of the CBD in the Elements of Green marketplace are made from natural, non-GMO hemp plants with either no, less than 0.02% of THC so you can use it without getting high.
Many of the selections are even organic. All of the hemp for the products in the Elements of Green marketplace are grown in Europe under European agricultural regulations for the safety and purity of the product.
What Do People Use CBD For?
How are people using CBD to augment their natural cannabinoids? Most commonly it is used to reduce stress and anxiety. From the normal stresses of life to serious cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, CBD may be able to help. Many people use it to help them sleep. CBD is even proven to tame seizures in some people – a purified form of CBD is a new epilepsy drug, but you can get the same active ingredient without a prescription. CBD can also increase energy in some people.
CBD can also help with pain directly. A topical CBD application can ease the symptoms of eczema and reduce the pain associated with strenuous exercise. Many people find that CBD helps with athletic recovery.
People use CBD not only to help with their own cellular health, but many people also use it for their pets, who gain the same benefits from using CBD that humans do – animals have endocannabinoid systems, too. In particular, many owners of older dogs find that CBD helps with symptoms of age, including reduced pain and increased energy.
CBD can either act alone or it can combine with other cannabinoids to create what scientists call the “entourage effect.” The entourage effect means that CBD works with other cannabinoids from the hemp plant. When a CBD product has those other beneficial cannabinoids it is called “full-spectrum” or “broad-spectrum” to distinguish it from “isolate” CBD, which does not have the other beneficial chemicals. While pharmaceutical CBD tends to be an isolate, the products in the Elements of Green marketplace are either full-spectrum or broad-spectrum.
How Do People Take CBD?
There are several ways to take CBD. The three most popular ways are as an oil, in a capsule or edible product, such as CBD gummies, and as a topical treatment.
- CBD oils are to be applied sublingually. That is, under the tongue. There the body quickly absorbs the CBD and it enters the bloodstream.
- CBD capsules and edibles are to be swallowed. The capsule or the gummy dissolves and the CBD is absorbed by the liver, just as vitamins and other oral supplements reach the bloodstream through the liver.
- CBD topicals are applied directly to the skin. Topical application can deliver CBD directly to an affected area. People can also use CBD vapes.
