What is CBD, and how does it work? The ultimate CBD guide
For years now, the green gold has been getting more popular all over the world, namely in all kinds of areas. It finds use everywhere: from CBD oil, flowers and hash to beauty, food or lifestyle products, you’ll be able to find CBD in almost anything. Rightfully, you may ask yourself in which ways this little helper turns out to be a wonder weapon in all of those areas.
What does cannabidiol actually do? Where does it come from? How does it affect us and our health? Does CBD get you high? What does the law say about it? Are there any things which you should be concerned about? Questions upon questions – but don’t worry, we have the answers for you! This is the ultimate guide for everyone; whether you are thinking about trying it out, have been an avid consumer or are simply interested – we’ve got you covered!
CBD and ECS – time to decode those mysterious acronyms
CBD is short for cannabidiol and one of more than 100 cannabinoids, which are naturally found in the cannabis plant. As opposed to THC, the black sheep of the family, it doesn’t cause any high. In general, cannabinoids are active ingredients which connect to our endocannabinoid system (ECS).
This system is an integral part of our body and nervous system, as the name gives away: ‘endo’ means within. Two important cannabinoid receptors are found in this system, called CB1 and CB2. With those, substances from the cannabis plant can connect and cause certain effects on our bodies. For example, our sensation of pain, or feelings of fear and anxiety or our nervous system can be regulated by it.
Cannabidiol does not only have an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, but also antibacterial and anti-depressant effect. It influences several of our bodily regions and is essential to our life. Did you know, that we even have endogenous cannabinoids, meaning that we’re not necessarily dependent on outside supply?
Also, all vertebrates have an endocannabinoid system – how amazing is that!? By the way, for a closer look at the endocannabinoid system, you should check out our article about it. But, let’s return to our focus point. Where does CBD even come from? Surely we’re all aware, that there isn’t just some oil dripping out of the cannabis plant.
No, instead we need to take a look at the chemistry. Cannabidiol is extracted from the cannabis plant. This process is called supercritical CO2 extraction. Supercritical because the temperature of the CO2 needs to be at 31° Celsius, which is a so-called critical temperature, and then a pressure of 74 bar. What follows is the supercritical condition.
What this actually means is that it is neither fluid nor gaseous. This is the perfect condition to win an oil rich in high-quality ingredients. For the last act, the oil will be filtered and cleared and outcomes the beloved CBD oil. Sounds quite alright, doesn’t it?
How CBD influences us and our health
CBD, especially in its classic delivery form as oil, is used for just as many areas, as it has an effect on the endocannabinoid system. Whether for period cramps, to lighten up your mood on a below average day, to mend a migraine attack, to help your concentration or to support a good sleep – the multifaceted positive effects of CBD oil in case of health complaints are almost endless.
In fact, CBD is often used for pain management. Alone in Germany, more than 14 million people suffer from chronic pain, of which 600,000 to 800,000 have a condition which can hardly be treated. It is especially those people who immensely benefit from the healing effect that CBD has on the body, and they are able to use CBD as adjunctive therapy.
Medical scientists have also recognized the undeniable value of CBD: where conventional medicine is stuck, CBD comes to help. In many studies, the effectiveness of CBD on epilepsy, stress/anxiety, sleep, pain and skin health has been confirmed. In epilepsy, CBD can help with therapy-resistant forms like the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome in addition to regular therapy.
Stress and anxiety can be alleviated with a medium dose of 3% CBD oil – here it is very important to mind the correct concentration. This is because, according to studies, a too high or too low dose can actually increase levels of stress. Another study from 2019, which researched the effectiveness of CBD on sleep disturbances, came to the conclusion, that two out of three patients could improve their sleep.
Unfortunately, the study also showed that this improvement declined after two to three months. Studies like this show how important it is to conduct long term studies with conclusive results. But with a look to CBD‘s popularity in medicine and science, those studies are very probable.
Side effects and legal situation
This all sounds good, doesn’t it? Almost too good to be true. Where’s the rub? Are there any side effects? Up until now, neither scientists nor consumers have reported major incidences, which of course is a good thing! However, isolated cases have occurred, such as tiredness or loss of appetite. It is suspected, that these effects were caused by overdoses, but that hasn’t been confirmed. Also, if you’re on medication, you should definitely talk to your general practitioner before consuming CBD products.
And now, last but not least, one of the most asked questions when it comes to CBD: what is its legal situation? In Germany, there are laws and regulations for CBD. Although the distribution and consumption of CBD has already arrived in the general public, many people are unsure about its legality.
The answer to this is quite simple: its legality is dependent on the THC content of the CBD product. If it is below 0.2%, the product is legal. Naturally, Tom Hemp’s adheres strictly to this law, so with our products you don‘t need to worry about a thing! #bettersafethansorry
Hopefully, this short digression about CBD basics helped you, and you now feel more confident in your knowledge about it. If you have any more questions, just check out the several cross-links we have added to the text. The CBD cosmos is huge, and each day we work on obtaining and researching the newest infos, hypes and trends for you! So: #staysmartwithtom