Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound that comes from the hemp plant. It is one of over 85 unique compounds found in hemp, known as cannabinoids. While its exact benefits and effects are still being researched, it is interesting to note that the United States Department of Health and Human Services holds a patent titled ‘Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants’, which claims that:
” Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.”
In contrast to marijuana, federal law allows for the cultivation, processing and marketing of hemp and hemp products, which would include cannabinoids derived from industrial hemp. Passed by Congress and signed into law by the President in 2014, the Farm Bill permits the growth and cultivation of industrial hemp in states where hemp is legal to grow. (Section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014).
Cannabinoids, which can be either consumed (phytocannabinoids) or produced naturally by the body (endocannabinoid), are chemical compounds that interact with the body’s central regulatory system (the endocannabinoid system). This system is known to manage homeostasis and affect bodily processes such as sleep, appetite and mood.
CBD is an example of a phytocannabinoid. Although our bodies can naturally produce its own endocannabinoids that bind to cannabinoid receptors in both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, phytocannabinoids help to kickstart our central regulatory system and provide powerful benefits.
CBD is a compound that can be found in both psychoactive cannabis (marijuana) and non-psychoactive cannabis (hemp). Most legal CBD products that you find on the market will be extracts from hemp.
WHERE DOES CBD COME FROM?
Similar to how we use vitamin C to kick start our immune system, CBD acts as a kick starter to help the functions of the body’s central regulatory system.
CBD often gets mixed up with THC, which is another cannabinoid found in cannabis.
CBD often gets mixed up with THC, which is another cannabinoid found in cannabis. CBD and THC are the two most abundant compounds found in cannabis. Unlike THC, CBD does not cause a high.
It’s impossible to get “high” by smoking or ingesting CBD extracted from industrial hemp plants, as they only have minuscule traces of THC (< 0.3%).
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound that comes from the hemp plant. CBD is a compound that can be found in both psychoactive cannabis (marijuana) and non-psychoactive cannabis (hemp). Most legal CBD products that you find on the market will be extracts from hemp.
HOW DOES CBD WORK?
Our body’s endocannabinoid system was found to be directly involved in the processes that keep our bodies balanced day to day, including: appetite, pain sensation, mood, memory, immune system functions, and inflammation control. Essentially, the system helps to manage homeostasis, balancing our body’s natural.
conditions. This system is made up of receptors that are located in the brain and nervous systems throughout the body.
The body creates its own cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, to help support this regulatory system. CBD supplements these naturally created endocannabinoids to keep the receptors working at optimal capacity. Similar to how we use vitamin C to kick start our immune system, CBD acts as a kick starter to help the functions of the body’s central regulatory system.
While CBD can be completely separated from THC and CBD can not get you “high,” there is still a lot of stigma as many people tend to mistake the two compounds. Don’t make the same mistake!
Note: Resource adapted from resources found @ ministry of hemp.