It seems that a new health and wellness product is always appearing on the market. Garcinia cambogia exploded onto the scene several years ago for weight loss and quickly became a billion-dollar industry. Easily surpassing that is the latest global craze, CBD oil. Whether you were familiar with it previously or not, now it is almost impossible not to have heard of this wonder oil. From skincare to coffee shops, CBD oil has infiltrated almost every health sector. With marijuana legalization increasing around the world, just what is so special about this extract, and why is it a must-have?
What is CBD Oil?
In simple terms, CBD oil is a processed extract from the cannabis plant. This cannabidiol is a naturally occurring chemical compound from a group of cannabinoids, the best-known of which is THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Known for its ability to promote relaxation manage pain, CBD usually comes in three forms, powder isolates, flowers, and oil. The purest form is isolates, but oil is the most popular of the three. CBD oil can be directly ingested, applied topically, or added to other preparations for either ingestion or absorption.
What are the Benefits of CBD Oil?
The benefits of CBD oil appear to be far-reaching. With reports of CBD oil curing everything from acne to cancer, it’s difficult to know just what is true. Reportedly CBD does help with the following:
CBD oil research and study trials are in the early stages, but one area where CBD has received even federal attention is epilepsy. The FDA approved a CBD-based drug called Epidiolex for children and adults. The success of the drug is paving the way for many other conditions to potentially obtain CBD drug approval in the future.
Much promise is being shown across several important areas, and research continues into illnesses like multiple sclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. With much of the stigma surrounding cannabis dying down, funding is flowing into the hands of researchers, a future where CBD is a common medical treatment is possible.
What is CBD Oil Made From?
CBD oil can be made from either of the two marijuana plants, cannabis indica and cannabis sativa, or from hemp plants. The sativa strain tends to be energizing and invigorating due to the “head high”, while the indica strain affects the whole body, increasing deep relaxation. Depending on the process used to extract the oil, CBD can contain small amounts of THC, which varies between both batches and producers.
Resin glands of the plant’s flowers contain the active CBD. Precise production techniques allow it to be concentrated and purified by the manufacturer.
When to Take CBD Oil
The science of when to take your CBD oil is also up for debate. Depending on the person, it can take up to 30 minutes for the effects to be felt. The average user takes their dose 1-3 times per day. According to some doctors, taking it an hour before you really want it to work may be beneficial. Since every person is different, the trial and error process is really the best way to completely know for yourself.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy CBD?
There is no simple answer to this question. Every country, state, and province have their own laws and regulations. Generally, anyone can purchase CBD oil products online. With the growing number of online retailers offering a variety of options, product sales are not quite regulated the way physical locations are. Most dispensaries require a buyer to be 21 or older to enter the store.
The proposed usage of CBD also impacts how old you must be to purchase it. Those using the oil for medical reasons also have different age restrictions, and some doctors will not write a prescription for those under a certain age. In the US, 2018’s Hemp Farming Act saw CBD oil made from hemp containing less than 0.3% THC become legal at the federal level.
Again, states have different interpretations of this legality, causing much confusion. However, the laws around the use of both CBD and cannabis are constantly changing, opening the potential for age limitations to be decreased or eliminated altogether.
What to Look for When Buying CBD Oil?
All CBD oils are not created equal so there are several factors to take into consideration when making a purchase.
What is the Best CBD Oil for Pain?
The most-reported condition for the use of CBD oil is chronic pain. Each person reacts to a product differently, so what works 100% for one may not be the first choice of another. If you Google which oil is best, every link will take you to a different version of a top pick list. Look for a reputable brand for the best quality products. While this makes picking the best oil difficult, several sites include very good brands in their best CBD oil register. Just look at the reviews and make your comparisons based on customer feedback or provided scientific researches.
Best Way to Take CBD
The best way to take CBD is very much a personal preference. It also depends on what it is being used for. For example, someone who dislikes smoking would likely not vape. By the same token, someone using CBD for wrinkles would likely find topical application the most effective. There are several options for consuming CBD, including topically, edibles, pills, vape pens, and oil under the tongue.
How Long Does it Take for CBD to Work?
The short answer is that it takes time for CBD to work. For it to start working bloodstream absorption must be achieved. Once into the bloodstream, our endocannabinoid systems take care of distribution after the CBD receptors bind to body receptors.
This important body system regulates homeostasis, impacting immune and pain response, sleep, mood, hormones, and appetite. There are still several factors that will determine exactly how long it takes for every individual. The most important of these are the type and quality of CBD, composition, metabolic rate, and composition of your body, and the usage method.
Just as each human is unique, so are different CBD methods. The quickest impact on the body occurs with injections, having an instant effect time. Inhalation is next with an effect time of 10-20 minutes. Sublingual, or under the tongue, takes roughly 15-25 minutes. When taken orally, such as with edibles, capsules, or drinks, the effect time is 20-30 minutes. Finally, topical applications have an effect time of 25-45 minutes.
What is The Difference Between CBD and Hemp Oil?
Hemp oil is extracted only from the seeds of the plant and contains small traces of CBD only. CBD oil comes from the flowers, stalks, and leaves and is cannabinoid-rich. This makes hemp oil a great choice for skincare and increasing Omega-3 fatty acids, but without the medical benefits expected from CBD oil.
Why is CBD Oil So Expensive?
The price of CBD oil varies wildly, depending on the quality, bottle size, CBD concentration, and manufacturing process. The better the oil quality, the higher the price will be. Products containing higher concentrations, or those with larger size bottles, are obviously more expensive. Premium products use stringent quality control practices and have various manufacturing enhancements which also impact the bottom line.
Licensing fees and heavy taxes on the industry do seem to be the biggest indicator of the prices charged for CBD oil. Overhead is huge. When you also consider the expensive and specialized equipment required to maintain humidity, ventilation, and temperature during growth, the high price of CBD oil starts to make sense.
CBD Oil and Diabetes
Since it has anti-inflammatory properties, CBD oil shows great promise on inflammatory conditions like diabetes. Most studies have been completed on rats and mice but there are some ongoing human ones. These varied studies have shown across the board that CBD oil lowers cholesterol, cuts down on high blood sugar, and increases insulin production.
Additionally, the studies have also shown an increase in good fats, which help burn glucose, and a reduction in both nerve pain and inflammation. This is important for people with diabetes because both symptoms affect the feet and hands of diabetics.
CBD Tincture vs. Oil
The main difference between an oil and a tincture is the base. Tinctures use alcohol to contain the CBD, while oils use carrier oils. The preferred carrier oil is vegetable glycerin. The next important difference is that tinctures are not pure and do have other ingredients added. Usually, you can expect to find water, emulsifiers, flavorings, vitamins, and sweeteners.
Tinctures are also less potent than oil. Commonly there will only be 0.25-3% of CBD. Additionally, tinctures are produced using alcohol, carbon dioxide, or ethanol extraction methods. Oils are normally extracted with the use of hydrocarbon or carbon dioxide. They do have several similarities though. Both have many health benefits, can be ingested, and are packaged the same.
How Does CBD Make You Feel?
The “high” experienced from cannabis comes from the THC contained within the plant. Since it does not contain THC and therefore is not psychoactive, CBD does not make you feel high. Due to the histamines and pollens contained within the plants, the exception to this is someone who has an allergic reaction. This is extremely rare, however, and almost everyone feels nothing from CBD except for a relief in their symptoms or condition. Minor side effects reported by people include dry mouth, a drop in blood pressure, and diarrhea.
Takeaway
Ready to give CBD oil a try? Whether or not CBD oil becomes the medical treatment of the future or not remains to be seen. However, with the direction it is heading in, the future path seems bright and clear. As legalities get ironed out and laws relax, CBD oil will become even more commonplace than it is today.
Reasonable Remedies has launched a nano-cbd soft gel and a tincture that are all natural, GMO-Free, Organic, Independently certified for potency and purity. See our CBD products.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Do you ever find yourself Googling a symptom and then spending hours online looking for information on it? You could save a lot of time, second-guessing, and misdirection by listening to strangers online, many of whom are not medically trained, by looking into Telehealth and Doctors-on-Demand home visits.
Why waste hours driving to and from, as well as waiting for, regular scheduled check-ups, chronic manageable conditions, or other health concerns, that can be addressed in the comfort of your home?
The immune system is the body’s defense against bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful infections and toxicants. In someone with a weak immune system, there is a higher likelihood of getting an infection that the body cannot fight off. The infection may be more difficult to treat in someone with a weak immune system. Weak immune system symptoms include frequently getting infections and acquiring infections that a person with a strong immune system would typically not get, such as pneumonia, meningitis, bronchitis, and skin infections. There are several tests to evaluate the status of your immune system, some of these are for research purposes only, or are specifically used by specialists vs. most clinicians. We will cover those in another blog.
David
October 01, 2020
Interesting and helpful information. Thanks.