What is CBD?

What Is CBD?

What is cannabidiol (CBD) and more importantly, what exactly does it do? Those questions and more are at the heart of this page. Cannabis plants are chemical powerhouses that produce more than 400 different compounds. Not all of those compounds are unique to only marijuana and appear in many other species of plants around the globe. That’s why marijuana can have the aroma of a pine tree or taste like fresh fruit. But of those 400 compounds, more than 60 of them are 100% specific to the plant genus Cannabis.

Researchers and scientists call these special compounds “cannabinoids.” However, not all cannabinoids are created equal. One of them, cannabidiol, or CBD, holds the vital key to a variety of medicinal and therapeutic effects marijuana offers. The more we discover about CBD, the more it seems to evolve into a remarkable compound. 

Fundamentals of Cannabidiol

The only thing more complex than the biochemistry of cannabis is its pharmacology. One of the most important qualities of CBD is its lack of psycho-activity. Cannabinoid won’t get you high and unlike THC, CBD is chemically inactive. So, when taken on its own, CBD users experience none of the physical sensations of being stoned… and this is the single most important property of Cannabinoid from the medical and legal perspective.

Since CBD products only use cannabinoid, these products can evade the ban on marijuana.  (Marijuana – THC = Hemp) The policies that govern hemp products are totally different from the restrictions placed on cannabis. Every state has yet to legalize marijuana for medical use, in most cases allowing people to obtain and use CBD-only products for medical or therapeutic purposes… that means obtaining Cannabidiol from hemp rather than from the cannabis flower.

There are two main sources of CBD: hemp plants and marijuana plants. Where a product is derived from depends on the legal status of marijuana in a particular state.

All of the 60+ cannabinoids unique to the genus Cannabis interact with the human body thanks to a network of neurons called the endocannabinoid system or ECS. The ECS runs throughout the body and is loaded with receptors that bind to the cannabinoids introduced into the bloodstream. It is the chemical interaction between those specific bonds that create the series of responses in the human body. For this exact reason, cannabinoids can do many things for the body, including but not limited to…

  • Altering & Regulating Moods
  • Stimulating Appetites
  • Help Alleviate Anxiety & Stress
  • Reducing & Relieving Chronic Pain
  • Help Reduce Inflammation
  • Reducing the effects of Migraines

Today, the most popular way to purchase products and consume cannabidiol is as an oil. CBD oil can come from hemp or from marijuana plants and the quality can vary dramatically based on what source it is derived from. Vaping CBD as a wax concentrate is also a popular mode of consuming CBD and a quick way to get it into the body, along with the good old standby of edibles and tinctures for making CBD infused foods and beverages. However, as CBD has become more popular among women, moisturizers infused with CBD extracts are starting to dominate the health and skincare marketplace for therapeutic cannabis. Additionally, topical ointments allow CBD to be absorbed through the skin are also immensely popular, as are other CBD infused products like shampoos, facial cleansers, and even deodorant.

The Future of CBD

The future holds a lot of exciting things for CBD and CBD products, thanks to its safe and effective healing properties and a seemingly bottomless promise of better health and wellbeing. Today, CBD is driving innovation in the cannabis industry and common marketplace…helping all of us Nurture our bodies the way nature intended.