What Is CBD Oil? Let Us Explain…..

By: Madeleine Balestrier

Are you sick of your medicine cabinet feeling like a pharmacy? Do you have frustratingly chronic pain? Do you struggle with anxiety? All of the above?

Try CBD oil!

No, cannabidiol (CBD) oil won’t get you stoned, but the research claims it has the potential to leave you pain-free without all of the side effects and chemicals that come along with those little pill bottles that litter our medicine cabinets.

Its positive effects are making waves in the medical community for patients with untreatable diseases and chronic pain, like Epilepsy, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. It also has the potential to help support individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns!

You’re probably thinking to yourself what’s the catch? But really we only see potential and positives in CBD oil and we want to spread all the goods to our girl gang!

First things first, what is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the many chemical compounds found in the Cannabis Sativa plant. There are over 100 different cannabinoid compounds in the oily resin of the plant!

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is among these compounds too, and it’s also the cannabinoid that creates the psychoactive effects in marijuana.

These compounds are found in trichomes, which are specialized glandular structures that cover the buds on cannabis flowers. According to Zoe Sigman at Project CBD, “The oily trichomes protect the plant from heat and ultraviolet radiation. The oil has anti-fungal, antibacterial and insecticidal properties that deter predators. The stickiness of the resin provides another defensive layer by trapping bugs.”

This same resin that essentially acts as an immune system for the plant, also offers benefits and protection for human health too. Plants doing all the work, and humans can’t even recycle properly.

So how is CBD made?

Here’s the step-by-step on how the plant does its magic and turns into CBD oil.

1. Cultivate and harvest plants that are abundant in CBD and low in THC. Hemp is the most common plant utilized for CBD purposes (and rad bracelets if you’re in need of a new summer hobby).

2. Once harvested, here comes the extraction process! According to Echo Connection, “To extract all the desired materials, the solvent is forced through the ground plant material. This pulls out the CBD, essential oils, lipids and beneficial compounds.” The solvent is a non-toxic fluid CO2.

3. Testing process because safety y’all.

4. Decarboxylation is a heating process that essentially makes it easier for us to consume and digest all the yummy CBD effects. The decarboxylation process isn’t always necessary if the producer hopes to keep CBD oil in its natural form, which can also be ingested.

Enough jargon, what are the CBD benefits?

A better question: what doesn’t CBD benefit?

When engaged with the human body, CBD symbiotically interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system. This bodily system essentially regulates biological processes like appetite, relaxation, mood, sleep, metabolism and so on. CBD treatments and therapies are working their way into these different areas of health and wellness:

· Cancer

· Digestion

· Mental Health

· Untreatable Diseases

Currently, research is finding CBD oil to be a complementary therapy for cancer symptoms, like pain and nausea. Cancer patients often experience pain from inflammation, pressure on internal organs and nerve injury.

According to Medical News Today, “CBD indirectly acts on the CB2 receptors, which may help with widespread pain relief by reducing inflammation.” Beyond cancer, CBD oil is an effective pain management method for chronic illnesses and neuropathic issues too! And even one study from the California Pacific Medical Center claims CBD has the potential to deactivate the gene involved in spreading breast cancer!

In the same ballpark as nausea and vomiting, digestion benefits from all things CBD. The National Cancer Institute finds that CBD does stimulate appetite because the CBDs bind to cannabinoid receptors in the body that stimulates appetite. More room for veggie burgs and fries!

CBD’s affect on mental health symptoms is incredible, and has the potential to help treat certain conditions without the use of anti-depressants. Did you know that about 15 million adults in America have social phobias, while 6.8 million suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

A study found that people who suffer from Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) who used CBD, experience significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort.

Less pain meds and anti-psychotics please!

If you struggle with:

· Epilepsy

· Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

· Acne

· Dyskinesia

· Psoriasis

· Bacterial Infections

· Diabetes

· Rheumatoid Arthritis

· ADHD

· Schizophrenia

· Substance Abuse/Withdrawal

· Heart Disease

· Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

CBD can help support you too! Check out more about your options on CBD Oil review.

Also a quick handy dandy note: for treatments and positive effects, THC and CBD are like the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler of cannabis culture.

What to look for when someone says CBD?

We got options pals.

Here are the most common forms:

-Creams and lotions
-Edibles
-Oils and tinctures
-Pills

You ever type in to a flight search engine “anywhere,” and get everything from the next town over to a first class flight that costs more than your student loans combined? If not, try it, it’s a great way to dream and depress yourself all at the same time, but anyways, that’s what it feels like with all of your CBD options.

And of course, each option has its positives.

Creams and lotions feel good, treat physical pains like muscle and joint soreness and even help the symptoms of conditions like eczema.

Who doesn’t love gummies? Edible CBD gummies are great for monitoring dosages and a quick way to get the CBD fix. Just add them to your morning vitamins!

We agree with Healthline when it says oils and tinctures do best for anyone who can’t take pills! The oils are lathered up with CBD, placed into a dropper and absorbed under the tongue.

Although pills take longer to take effect, Healthline also suggest pills for the treatment of disorders like seizures.

While vaping CBD can be a common form of ingesting CBD, the research is still out on the damage vaping can potentially cause long-term.

Sign me up. Where can I buy CBD?

Holistic shops, health-food stores, and online. As states begin to accept the need for cannabis beyond just a recreational drug, the highest quality product will come from licensed dispensaries who have stricter safety regulations.

Utilizing the cannabis plant for more than just a quick toke is becoming a trend across the United States. Who knows it may even become more popular than microbreweries and those weird scooters that pop up around cities.

Although it’s trending, just remember some people aren’t joining the cannabis movement and creating products to better our collective health and wellness, but instead in pursuit of the green, and I’m not talking about the plant.

According to Project CBD, “Some companies are manufacturing inferior products by spiking hemp seed oil with a CBD isolate. Such products lack the synergistic array of beneficial components found in full-spectrum CBD-rich oil.

Like your professors in college once said, do your research, ask us questions and let us know how CBD is changing your life!