Welcome to our Quick CBD Guide, where you’ll learn:
- What is hemp?
- What is CBD?
- What are the benefits of CBD?
- How does CBD work?
This guide is meant to bring you the essential knowledge in a quick and easy format.
Shall we begin?
Hemp
What is hemp?
- Fibers: used to make rope, building materials, fabric, etc.
- Seeds: toasted to make nutritious snacks, or cold pressed to make nutritious cooking oil
- Stalks: co2 extracted oil contains nutrients and chemical compounds (cannabinoids), used to make CBD supplements
Hemp vs. Marijuana
Both hemp and marijuana are types of cannabis plants. However, they are so different that they’re considered distant “cousins.”
Here are the two main differences between hemp and marijuana.
- Appearance: hemp is tall & cane-like, whereas marijuana is typically short and leafy
- Side Effect: marijuana makes you “high” when consumed, but hemp does not
Cannabinoids
What are Cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in plants that can have unique health benefits. They were first discovered in cannabis, hence the name “cannabinoid,” but some other plants have them as well.
There are 90+ cannabinoids! Even though you can find some in the cocoa plant, they’re not the same ones as you’ll find in cannabis.
CBD and THC
There are many different cannabinoids in cannabis, but CBD and THC are found in the largest quantities. They’re powerful —there’s a reason thousands of scientific studies have focused on them.
Cannabidiol (CBD) has been gaining more media attention because of its benefits. CBD can NOT make you high; in fact, studies have shown it reduces the psychoactive effects of THC.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the cannabinoid most people are familiar with because it’s highly prevalent in marijuana. It is the only cannabinoid that makes you high.
CBD Benefits
If you search “cannabidiol” (that’s the full way to say “CBD”) in PubMed, you’ll find thousands of published studies.
Here are a few of those research topics:
- Anxiety
- Inflammation-based Chronic Pain
- Depression
- Alzheimer’s
- Epilepsy
- Brain Damage
- Fibromyalgia
- Cancer
- Menstrual Cramps
- Nausea
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s
- Psychosis
- Insomnia
- Arthritis
- & More
We encourage you to perform your own research if you’re interested in learning about CBD for a specific ailment.
How Does CBD Work?
Cannabinoids in Your Body
Remember when we said cannabinoids can be found in more than just cannabis plants?
Well, it’s time to throw you a slight curve ball.
When scientist Dr. Mechoulam discovered THC, it was amazing. We knew marijuana made you high, and now we knew exactly what compound in the plant caused that effect.
Then, in 1992, they discovered a cannabinoid produced right in our very own bodies, called anandamide.
Anandamide is described with words like bliss, joy, delight. A deficiency has shown to increase anxiety and stress. Ironically, anandamide is also found in chocolate, so maybe that’s why we turn to it when we’re emotional.
The Endocannabinoid System
We know THC makes people high, but you might be wondering WHY does this happen?
Cannabinoids, whether produced in our bodies or consumed through cannabis oil, interact with receptors in our brain, central and peripheral nervous system. These receptors make up what’s known as the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
A functional Endocannabinoid System is essential for our health.
Here are a few things a functional ECS helps regulate:
- Sleep
- Appetite
- Digestion
- Mood
- Motor Control
- Immune Functions
- Reproduction and Fertility
- Pleasure
- Pain
- Memory
- & More
Endocannabinoid Deficiency
The ECS keeps your body in balance, or in homeostasis. When disrupted, something falls out of balance, any number of issues can occur. That’s why some scientists believe many conditions could be contributed to a dysfunctional ECS. It’s known as Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency.
According to the 2008 study, “Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD): can this concept explain therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other treatment-resistant conditions?”, these issues can arise from an out of balance Endocannabinoid System:
- Migraines
- Fibromyalgia
- IBS
- Other treatment-resistant conditions