Welcome to Our CBD Beginner?s Guide
Welcome to our CBD Beginner?s Guide! We wrote this guide to provide an easy solution for new users to quickly learn key points and gain a solid understanding of what CBD is and how it works.
I want to start the guide off by discussing how we are in a great moment in the history of Cannabis.
More people than ever before are shifting their opinions about Cannabis and choosing CBD to provide natural relief for their medical conditions.
Whether you?ve never tried CBD, tried it once or twice, or are an active user, our helpful guide is a great resource to learn more or share with a friend.
Now we all know, when trying anything new, there?s always a learning curve, and with CBD, it?s no different. For new users, understanding what it is and, more importantly, how it works can be a little confusing.
If that seems to be the situation you?re in now, don?t worry. Our CBD Beginners Guide will answer most of your questions and get you on the right track.
Let?s start off with the basics.
What is CBD and How Does it Work?
CBD (Cannabidiol) is a compound found in the Cannabis plant. It can be used in several different ways including vaping, tinctures, capsules, and edibles.
Unlike its close relative, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD is completely non-psychoactive. This allows us to benefit from the many health properties of the Cannabis plant without the negative side effects of ?getting high.?
Because of this, CBD became a very popular option for those seeking a natural alternative to treat conditions such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, epilepsy and other mental disorders.
At first, many were skeptical, thinking that a natural compound, let alone a Cannabis-compound, could effectively treat such a wide range of conditions. But as medical researchers learned more, and the stories from tens of thousands of people began to stack up, the truth was undeniable. CBD works.
But how exactly does it work?
For starters, CBD inherits many of the medicinal properties of Cannabis such as being anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiolytic. This allows it to provide natural stress, anxiety and pain relief.
But this alone isn?t what allowsCBD to benefit so many conditions.
What allows it to effectively treat so many conditions, and maintain health and wellness in the body, is how how the cannabinoids found in CBD interact with receptors throughout our body.
Let?s talk about the Endocannabinoid System.
The Endocannabinoid System
In 1988, the first cannabinoid receptor was discovered in the brain of a rat. Researchers found that these receptors reacted specifically to THC, and were found primarily found in regions of the brain responsible for mental and physiological processes such as memory, high cognition, emotion, and motor coordination.
Two years later, in 1993, the second cannabinoid receptor was found as part of the immune and central nervous systems. It was then that researchers started to realize that they may have been onto something, but these receptors were only found in rodents, so what?s the big deal right?
Fast forward to 1995, researchers discovered that these receptors, now officially referred to as the CB1 receptor and CB2 receptor, were found not only in rats, but within thousands of other species, including humans.
Thanks to advancements in technology and knowledge and tons of clinical trials, researchers were able to reverse engineer what they?d discovered, trace back through the metabolic pathways of various cannabinoids, and uncover an entirely unknown signaling system between the CB1 and CB2 receptors in our bodies and receptors found in Cannabis compounds, which they called ?endocannabinoids.?
Due to the role of endocannabinoids in this system, the system was officially named the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
As researchers learned more about the ECS, they discovered that it was a vital component in maintaining the body?s homeostasis, which is the ideal balance between interdependent elements in the body.
To give you an idea on how the ECS helps maintain homeostasis, Let me give you an example. When we become stressed, our mind releases cortisol, which is the compound responsible for how we feel when we are stressed. Cortisol can be helpful when we need to react quickly to a dangerous situation; however too much disrupts the natural balance of our body and mind can result in serious health problems.
When certain endocannabinoids are introduced into the body, it not only helps provide stress relief, it helps manage our perception of stress so that we can look at the situation with a clear mind, and make the best decision.
With all the scientific jargon, this last section may have been a little confusing. So just to clarify? Scientists discovered that there are systems in our bodies that are solelydependenton their interaction with cannabinoids, and these systems are part of vital functions in our bodies.
Basically, our bodies were designed to work with cannabinoids, and they can even be considered as essential to our overall health and wellness.
With such a discovery, you?d think we wouldn?t have to cover this next section? but here we go.
Is CBD Legal to Use?
So this is obviously a very important question for new users, but there isn?t exactly a one-size-fits-all answer.
Over the last 50 years, governments of the world prosecuted Cannabis for its psychoactive effects and deemed it as a ?gateway drug.? Because of this, the world formed a negative perspective about Cannabis and anything related to it.
Now, thankfully, the general opinion is starting to shift in a positive direction, but there has still been a lasting impact on society, including our governing laws.
Every country has its own laws governing Cannabis and its compounds. In America, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed CBD as federally illegal; while, at the state level, each state has its own laws on the matter, which is pretty confusing.
In one state CBD may be completely legal, while being illegal in another. Some US States even have different laws if the CBD is derived from hemp oil or medical marijuana.
With that being said, there isn?t a general answer to this question ?Is it Legal to Use CBD??.
At the federal level, and in most states, hemp-derived CBD is 100% legal, which is great news, as most CBD products are hemp-derived. Laws around marijuana-derived CBD are becoming less strict, but whether its hemp-derived or marijuana-derived strongly advise doing some research on your state?s CBD laws.
Here are some helpful resources to make your job easier:
- CBD Law Finder
- ?Is CBD Legal: The Legal Status of CBD in 2018?
We hope you enjoyed our CBD Beginner?s Guide, and that it served as a good start into learning about CBD.
If you?re ready to keep learning, check out our next recommended articles:
Great for Beginners
- The Endocannabinoid System: Everything You Need to Know
- Does CBD Show Up on Drug Tests?
- Does CBD Get You High?
- CBD Tastes Weird: 5 Ways to Mask the Flavor of CBD
- Research Shows CBD Benefits 50+ Conditions
In-Depth Reads
- What?s the Best CBD Dosage?
- CBD vs THC: What?s the Difference?
- What is CBD Bioavailability and Why Does it Matter?
- CBD Isolate vs. Full Spectrum CBD
- CBD and the Fight or Flight Response
