CBD is increasingly becoming a common alternative treatment for a variety of health issues and symptoms.
With its recent rise in popularity and hundreds of clinical researchers around the globe identifying novel use cases for this hemp-based extract, there are several things you can learn about CBD while seeing if it may be right for you.
Whether you are taking it as a stand-alone supplement or using it as an integrate medicine complement, CBD can help address a whole host of issues from mental wellness and pain relief to better intimacy and improved fitness results.
Here are five things you may not know about CBD, but should.
It’s Legal In The United States
For the better part of the last hundred years, cannabinoids like CBD were banned by the U.S. government. Passage of restrictive laws in the 20th century centered around CBD’s psychoactive counterpart, THC, but restrictions for pretty much all hemp-based compounds have eased significantly in the last decade.
As marijuana (and THC) use became legal for medical and recreational use in many U.S. State, political leaders began to look at the benefits of other hemp-based compounds like CBD.
In 2018, US Congress enacted the Farm Bill in order to legitimize certain hemp industries and legalize certain activities within them, such as farming, extracting, manufacturing and selling cannabinoid products that contain less than 0.3% THC.
Although THC remains illegal at a federal level, possessing and using CBD products that do not contain significant quantities of THC are legal purchases and sales.
Each U.S. state has its own laws surrounding hemp and the vast majority have adopted federal standards, thus, residents of all 50 US states can use over-the-counter CBD products.
The Entourage Effect Really Works
When you combine several individual compounds for a synergistic benefit, it is referred to as an entourage effect. Nowhere is the effect more prevalent than in clinical studies involving hemp-based cannabis products.
CBD oils labeled as full-sepctrum and broad-spectrum are an excellent example of how the entourage effect works to provide benefits.
In addition to cannabidiol, the longer name for CBD, most spectrum CBD oils also contain other naturally occurring hemp compounds like CBN, CBG and terpenoids.
These compounds have been shown individually to help with things like sleep cycles, stress reduction, pain relief and digestion.
When taken in combination, the effects are even more enhanced, according to a variety of clinical studies.
You Can Get Free CBD
Producers of CBD products know they work.
So much so that some of the higher quality, more well-known manufacturers will offer a pack of free CBD samples for new users.
This allows interested people a chance to try cannabidiol to see how well it works for them.
At times, brands offer free sample packs of CBD that provide enough product for one week of trial use; ideal for anyone wanting to assess its effects as a natural medicine and possibly identify possible adverse reactions or sensitivities to it.
Pets Can Take CBD, Too
Hemp based natural medicines are great for humans.
But did you know that dog and cat owners are now using it regularly to help support pet health?
Veterinarians are more open to prescribing CBD for pets following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, and with clinical studies surrounding the effectiveness of CBD in pets emerging on a regular basis, these oils are now available over the counter at most quality pet stores.
CBD can help dogs and cats with issues like separation anxiety, appetite, colic related behavior, excessive barking, and pain in aging animals.
The oils are so effective that even competition horses are taking CBD to aid with health concerns.
CBD Bioavailability is Important
The term “bioavailability” describes how much of a particular substance is absorbed into the bloodstream or body when taken in different ways.
CBD, like any other medicine, has certain bioavailability depending on whether it is vaped, ingested, taken sublingually, or applied topically to the skin.
According to Cannabiva.com, the highest bioavailability for cannabidiol and other cannabinoids like CBN or CBG is seen when it is inhaled into the lungs. Users taking CBD. In this manner see 34% to 56% of the active ingredient cannabidiol absorbed.
However, inhalation is not exactly the safest method of taking CBD with respect to long-term effects, so most alternative practitioners recommend taking the oil sublingually, which has an absorption rate of 10% to 20%.
It can also be swallowed post-subslingual administration for 6% to 19% bioavailability.
The lowest absorption rate for CBD is transdermal or topical application. This method is used by fitness enthusiasts and individuals with specific pain points on the body. When applied directly to these target areas CBD has an absorption rate of about 5%
The Many Benefits of CBD
There are many benefits to taking CBD products and more are being discovered as new clinical research emerges.
Understanding the laws, best methods of delivery for maximum bioavailability, and how it works will make your daily dose of CBD that much more effective.
Start taking advantage of this effective alternative medicine by adding it to your daily wellness plan.
