CBD Oil: What Is It and Why Is It Popular?

Even though marijuana isn’t legal yet in every country, its relative, cannabidiol, is gaining popularity as a less controversial substance. Even WHO is more lenient about the regulation of cannabidiol, making it a fast-growing item on the market. But what is cannabidiol, and what are its advantages? Does it come with no health risks?

In this guide, we’ll explore what cannabidiol, better known as CBD, really is. We’ll also talk about its manufacturing, value, legality, safety measures, claims, and benefits. Time to dive in.

What Is Cannabidiol and CBD Oil?

CBD oil is derived from CBD or cannabidiol. There are more than a hundred cannabinoids in the Cannabis plant, and CBD has been found beneficial for us humans and some other animals.

There are other cannabinoids that you can get out of the hemp plant, but they are not as beneficial or usable for medicinal purposes. These are the high-inducing chemical THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, and cannabichromene, to name a few.

Where does CBD come from?

CBD is derived from the hemp plant. It doesn’t induce any highs like marijuana does. Marijuana does have some CBD in it, but CBD does not include THC.

CBD vs. Marijuana

So what is the difference between marijuana and CBD? In terms of botany and taxonomy, hemp and marijuana fall under cannabis. You can often use the words marijuana and hemp interchangeably when referring to the plant.

But when referring to the actual substances, marijuana refers more to the high-inducing THC. In contrast, hemp will refer to products that are THC-free, like CBD.

How Is CBD Oil Created?

CBD has to be extracted from the hemp plant. It can be done through either a CO2 extraction or a simple alcohol extraction. The alcohol extraction just requires submerging the hemp plant in an alcohol solvent. Ethanol is commonly used. Through the alcohol, it pulls out the chemicals from the plant, including CBD. It can separate the alcohol through evaporation, leaving a CBD-rich oil. 

CO2 extraction is a little more complicated. By forcing CO2 into the plant itself and manipulating the pressure and temperature involved, the CO2 itself will push the cannabinoids to separate. After their separation, the CBD can be isolated and extracted as an oil.

The CO2 extraction method is usually regarded as a higher-quality manufacturing means, but both produce good results. However, you can expect better control of CBD concentrations from CO2 extraction thanks to the more controlled separation the method achieves.

Is CBD Legalized in the United States?

Unlike other Cannabis-derived substances, CBD is legal in the USA. There is some misconception about the legality of CBD, though, This is because Cannabis-extracted substances are regulated, and CBD technically falls under that category.

The exception, however, is cannabinoids that don’t have THC or are non-psychoactive. Any remaining THC traces are naturally occurring. But since CBD actively avoids having any traces of THC and doesn’t cause any highs or psychoactivity, the DEA will not regulate it.

That doesn’t mean that CBD is automatically safe. Sourcing it from the right places is still important to maintain the integrity and quality of the product. Poor extraction methods will lead to traces of THC. And, if you try to get CBD from other countries, you may run into legal problems that are out of your control.

So can you get high from CBD? No, you can’t, since it doesn’t have THC. Otherwise, the DEA would likely start regulating it.

Why is CBD Oil Good For You?

CBD oil positively affects your body through a system of receptors. These receptors are spread throughout your body and part of different systems, such as your nervous and immune systems.

Among those receptors are molecules that respond to cannabinoids. These are the CB1 and CB2 receptors, with CB standing for the Cannabinoid Receptor. These receptors are your endocannabinoid system. Activating these receptors with CBD oil essentially affects your systems, and so far, the effects are positive. Although this is the main means of contact for CBD in your body, science is still looking for how else your body responds to CBD.

How Does CBD Oil Help?

So what are the positive effects of CBD oil on your body? Why is it so popular? What can CBD actually do? Let’s take a look at some quick advantages of CBD oil.

Pain Relief

CBD oil and hemp are very good for treating and relieving pain. There is both scientific and anecdotal evidence to support this. In terms of research, there have been studies that show CBD suppressing neuropathic and inflammatory pain. Although the test was performed on rodents, it still shows the benefits of CBD in relieving pain. The rodents also didn’t develop

tolerance or addiction to the CBD, meaning they only needed that exact amount to treat their symptoms. Their pain receptors responded well to CBD.

On the other hand, regarding anecdotal evidence, nearly anyone who has tried CBD will vouch for its pain-relieving effects. The CBD oil is fast-acting and only needs minute amounts at a time. It has not been reported to result in addiction or tolerance of any kind. People use CBD oil for small injuries, headaches, and even dealing with post-surgical or chronic pain. Patients with multiple sclerosis and even fibromyalgia often find relief in using hemp oil.

Anxiety Relief

Anxiety and anxiety-related conditions are relatively common in the US. Although medical marijuana is one means of treating it, CBD oil is not regulated by contrast. Thanks to this, it’s become a popular treatment for relieving symptoms of anxiety.

The medical research behind CBD treatment is solid too. A study back in 2010 tested CBD treatments on those patients who had social anxiety disorder. During the test, the blood flow in their brain was monitored. The patients’ treatments were also tested against placebos for better objective findings.

After a few rounds of treatment to ensure consistency, CBD was confirmed to positively affect social anxiety disorder. The patients themselves felt relief, but it was backed up by the fact that CBD improved the activity in their brains. Their paralimbic areas, and even limbic areas, which affect the person’s mood, showed improvement.

This was a very prominent study that showed solid evidence of CBD oil working for anxiety-related symptoms. There have been lots of studies after that with positive results in favor of CBD. Since then, CBD has also been tested for treating disorders such as OCD, PTSD, panic-related disorders, and more. Patients will also present lots of anecdotal evidence for the relief CBD brings them without inducing any highs or warranting addiction.

Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

This may be a bit more surprising, but CBD can treat inflammatory bowel disease or IBD. This discovery is relatively recent because, so far, the top hemp candidate often had THC in it. THC presented problems for any sort of IBD treatment. But now that CBD can be extracted without any extra THC added into the mix, it has become a viable treatment for IBD.

Earlier, we mentioned how our gastrointestinal systems have CBD receptors in them as well. This has been the medical basis for the positive effects of CBD in treating bowel disease. However, one particular study in 2012 shared that it’s not just in the endocannabinoid system that the positive interaction lies. PPARG, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, is another receptor that reacts well to CBD. These receptors are mostly just in charge of burning fat, but when they malfunction, they cause IBD.

Having CBD react well with PPARG spells a lot of positives for IBD patients. Physicians have prescribed CBD to their IBD patients, with stunning results so far. The majority of such patients find a significant amount of relief.

Treatment for Diabetes

The evidence for CBD as a diabetes treatment is not yet as solid as anxiety-related disorders and IBD. However, there is huge potential. CBD hasn’t yet shown adverse effects towards receptors outside of the endocannabinoid system. Furthermore, CBD can reduce inflammation.

Diabetic patients also display chronic inflammation as part of their condition. Although it’s not the main problem, treating such a symptom could bring a whole new angle to diabetes treatment. So far, the medical community is optimistic about the potential for CBD and diabetes.

Treating Insomnia

Insomnia is a common condition in the US and everywhere around the world as well. Many things could contribute to insomnia, such as fatigue, work, stress, anxiety, sleep apnea, and even pulmonary diseases.

So far, CBD’s reputation and evidence of treating anxiety is quite consistent. The same way it can relieve anxiety, it can relieve anxiety-related insomnia. These only require small doses at a time. But other than that, CBD oil generally has relaxing properties that also help relieve stress. The research about CBD oil and pulmonary disease is not conclusive yet, but who knows what else CBD oil can do?

When To Not Use CBD Oil

So we’ve gone over the many reasons to use CBD oil and the numerous benefits that it can deliver to your body. However, that doesn’t mean CBD oil will be your miracle medicine that will answer all your medical problems. There are still many circumstances where you will have to think twice about CBD oil. Or, at the very least, consult your doctor. Here are some cases:

Taking Other Treatment

If you are already taking treatment or medication for your condition, it is up to your physician or healthcare provider whether CBD oil is still appropriate. While CBD hasn’t been shown to have adverse effects on the body, it can counteract other prescribed medicines.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

CBD has been proven anecdotally and clinically to bring pain relief. You would think this is enough reason to use CBD oil while breastfeeding or pregnant without a second thought. However, this is not the case.

Pregnant or breastfeeding moms must always be wary of what they consume, even with CBD oil. The safest route here is to consult your physician. Some pregnant women have used CBD

oil with their physician’s approval. It has mostly had positive outcomes. It can indeed ease pain. But pregnancy and breastfeeding are always special cases that need extra consideration.

Can CBD Oil Be Detected Through Drug Testing?

Many places of employment and work perform regular and randomized drug testing. Through regular drug testing, they monitor if their employees are abusing any drugs or substances while on the clock. Careers that involve equipment handling also need regular drug tests to ensure that the person’s motor skills are fully functional.

You might be concerned if you’re using CBD and a drug test is performed on you. Will drug tests mark CBD as substance abuse? The answer is no, they will not. This is thanks to the fact that drug tests look for THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid that CBD avoids.

CBD isn’t known to have any psychoactive effects or even negative effects that could impair motor or cognitive skills. Therefore, your employer doesn’t have to be concerned about it, and neither do you.

Are You Going to Try CBD Oil?

If you are suffering from any of the conditions we’ve listed or discussed, then there’s a huge chance you want to try CBD oil for any relief or treatment. Or maybe you just want to be able to sleep straight. Looking for a simple non-addictive substance for a better quality of life is completely valid.

That being said, you should do more research on CBD oil before you make a final decision. CBD comes in lots of different forms and concentrations. You can vape, eat, rub, or just apply it to your skin for various positive effects. You should also make sure to consult your physician or healthcare provider in any event of trying a new treatment, including CBD oil.

Once you’ve made up your mind, and you’re sure it fits your finances and your lifestyle, then getting CBD oil is pretty straightforward from there. We have a lot more articles about CBD oil and its uses, advantages, and more. If you want some direct information about CBD oil, don’t be afraid to reach out to us via email or phone.