What is CBD?

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What is CBD? Cannabidiol

CBD (cannabidiol) has quickly become a point of great interest and excitement to the scientific community and the world at large, as it shows great potential for further development and study.

Although CBD as a food supplement has been approved for sale and has become hugely popular throughout the world, there is still a fair amount of misinformation circulating about cannabidiol (CBD).

Let’s take a closer look at this fascinating compound to better understand what it is, how it works, and precisely what it does.

What does CBD stand for & is it Legal?

Despite CBD’s popularity, many people don’t know that CBD is actually just an abbreviation of “cannabidiol”. Out of all 113 different cannabinoids in the hemp plant, CBD is one of the most abundant. You’ve probably heard about another cannabinoid called THC, which is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis that’s responsible for making the user feel “high”.

There are different rules in different countries when it comes to the THC level in the hemp strains that are permitted to be grown. In the USA, it’s 0.3% THC, and in Europe, it’s 0.2% THC. These levels are often misquoted as the permitted levels of THC in the finished product, which is not the case. When it comes to THC levels in the finished product, UK law stipulates that any CBD product with more than 1mg THC per container is a controlled substance and therefore illegal.

We believe in producing the very safest products on the market that strictly comply with any local laws pertaining to where our products are sold, that’s why our products contain non-detectable levels of THC. We know this because our proprietary extraction methods strip out all but minute traces of THC (parts per billion!) and all our raw material hemp extract and finished product is tested multiple times throughout the production chain by our accredited third party laboratory that tests THC levels to incredibly sensitive levels (0.027%).

Cannabidiol (CBD) facts

  • Hemp extract containing CBD are sold as food supplements in the United Kingdom
  • Occurs naturally in the industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa L) plant
  • Interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system
  • Is currently being studied for a variety of potential biological properties
  • CBD is non-intoxicating (will not get you “high”)

How does CBD work?

Though both THC and CBD come from the same plant, they are vastly different. THC is the compound that has made the cannabis plant famous for its psychoactive effects. THC interacts with the CB1 receptors in your brain and central nervous system and causes them to function differently than normal, which makes the user feel “high”.

CBD on the other hand does not interact directly with the CB1 receptors — so the users do not experience any psychoactive effects, nor does the molecule interact with the CB2 receptor. CBD appears to indirectly stimulate the endocannabinoid system to produce its endocannabinoids like Anandamide (i.e. ones produced naturally by the body).

Anandamide has been dubbed the “bliss molecule” due to its effect on how we feel. CBD also has the added benefit of making endocannabinoids last longer in your body because it slows the breakdown of naturally occurring cannabinoids by inhibiting the FAAH enzyme. If you are confused by the science, don’t worry, we like to make things clear and concise, so we are going to set the record straight on some frequently confusing differences between the effects of THC and CBD.

CBD vs. THC

Though they share the same source plant family (cannabis), there is a huge difference between CBD and THC — both in the effect, they have, as well as the way they chemically interact with your body. Until recently, CBD was somewhat stigmatized and not taken seriously as a potentially useful supplement due to its chemical proximity to THC (the chemical that creates an intoxicating “high”). Now that those barriers are coming down, CBD is finally being scientifically explored in full for the first time. When it comes to CBD vs. THC, let’s set the record straight once and for all.

CBD Effects

  • Non-intoxicating and has no psychoactive properties
  • Stimulates body to produce its own cannabinoids
  • Indirectly interacts with both CB1 and CB2 receptors
  • Non-toxic and shown to be safe for humans
  • Approved as a food supplement for sale in the UK

THC Effects

  • Intoxicating and psychoactive
  • A controlled substance in many countries
  • Binds directly to CB1 and CB2 receptors causing both a mental and physical “high”
  • Has been shown to cause paranoia and increase anxiety in some users

What is CBD used for?

CBD oil is used for a variety of reasons by many vastly different individuals. Before we try to understand what people use CBD oil for, we should first be clear about what CBD hemp oil is in the first place. CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant, which is a species of cannabis plant that is non-psychoactive. Though some companies do extract CBD from Marijuana, a highly-psychoactive species of cannabis, this is illegal and leads to a higher THC content in the final product. This is not desirable for most CBD users, nor is it legal to grow Marijuana in the United Kingdom. All of the amazing CBD products that you will find here at Black Sheep Dispensaries have been derived from fine industrial organic hemp.

Our endocannabinoid system is responsible for a multitude of functions inside our bodies including receiving cannabinoids. CBD has been proven to interface with our endocannabinoid system, and this fact fuels curiosity of doctors and scientists around the world. Though no one is quite certain exactly how CBD works in the body, many teams are searching for a way that we can utilize CBD to influence the endocannabinoid system in ways that would be of potential benefit.

While we don’t fully understand CBD and all of its possible uses, we do know that people around the world are utilizing CBD for effects that they enjoy and appreciate daily. With the constant research that is being performed on this incredible compound, it won’t be long before we find more ways to utilize CBD in our everyday lives.