Cannabis is a controversial plant, and by extension, so is CBD. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound extracted from the cannabis plant. At the moment, this compound has generated a lot of interest worldwide for its breakthroughs in medicine.
Basically, CBD is the talk of the town, but where there is popularity, there’s bound to be misconceptions and misinformation.
You could type anything on the search bar, and you’ll come across a ton of info on CBD, sometimes conflicting, but that goes to show that there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
If you usually find yourself confused by the inflated or dismissive arguments concerning cannabidiol, let’s clear a few things for you by debunking these five common myths about CBD.
1. CBD is Illegal
You may come across claims that CBD is illegal or that the laws are unclear about CBD products.
Claims like that couldn’t be any further from the truth as they lump together cannabis and all of its derivatives. While marijuana is illegal as per federal law because of its classification as a Schedule I Substance, CBD, on the other hand, isn’t.
The reason is that CBD is available in both hemp and marijuana. Hemp is no longer in the Controlled Substances Act, and so CBD derived from hemp is legal in all states.
2. It Doesn’t Have Side Effects
In an effort to make out CBD as a miracle treatment with all the good things, there are claims that the compound doesn’t have side effects: that it’s all safe with zero unpleasantness for everyone.
The reality is that CBD reacts differently with every one of us. Our systems are different, and CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system to produce varying outcomes.
The only thing is that CBD doesn’t intoxicate, but it can cause a few side effects like fatigue, sleepiness, and even nausea.
Additionally, CBD can cause serious side effects if you take it alongside ordinary medications.
3. An Alternative to Medicine
There’s no way CBD can be an alternative to conventional medicine because it has not reached the heights current medications have. The compound indeed has great potential, but it has a long way to go and tons of research before we see its full potential.
Currently, the only CBD-based drug approved by the FDA for treatment is Epidiolex. There may come a time where we have CBD-based alternatives, but that may not be anytime soon.
4. You can’t Smoke CBD
Generally, CBD comes with a carrier oil, so smoking it isn’t usually someone’s first thought. Companies make all kinds of CBD products, from gummies and infused drinks to topical creams and even bathing products.
But the most common way of ingesting CBD is in its oil format.
Still, if you want to smoke the substance, you’ll definitely find a way — and people have.
If you wish to smoke CBD oil, you may use dab rigs and vape pens to inhale the heated vapor.
For the good ol’ joints and blunts, you can use hemp flowers. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that smoking comes with health risks, even if it’s not necessarily tobacco. This page has more info on that.
5. CBD is Safe for Use
Just because the compound itself is safe to use, it doesn’t mean all CBD products are safe.
Here’s the thing, CBD regulation is a bit confusing because there are two versions of CBD. To be specific, the compound can be marijuana-derived or hemp-derived.
Marijuana-derived CBD is illegal under federal law, but hemp-derived CBD is legal and mostly sold as an ingredient in food or supplements.
The two versions of the compound aren’t classified the same, which causes regulation issues.
Now, with CBD barely regulated, you can never truly know if what you’re buying is completely safe and doesn’t contain harmful additives. It becomes a personal responsibility for everyone to ensure their safety by checking if the products they are using have been third-party tested by accredited labs.
Final Thoughts
The internet is a great learning resource. It’s convenient but also well-known for false stories and misinformation.
Cannabis and its derivatives, such as CBD and THC, are fast becoming a big deal. If you’re going to educate yourself about these substances, you may want to fact-check the info you come across before using it.
