Cannabidiol (CBD)
CBD or Cannabidiol is the most prevalent active phytocannabinoid in the hemp plant. This compound occurs naturally in hemp and is used in oils and edibles, which imparts a feeling of relaxation and calm.
No, CBD does not get you high. Cannabidiol [CBD] is not psychoactive. A separate chemical called Tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] is what makes people “high” in marijuana.
Hemp, naturally and by law, contains only very, very small amounts of THC — no more than 0.3%. By the way, that means hemp contains about 100 times less THC than marijuana, which is cultivated specifically for THC. While they are both phytocannabinoids, the difference between CBD and THC is night and day.
This is one of the big characteristics that sets hemp apart and why hemp-derived CBD is getting so much attention. In fact, I’ve seen everyone from grandmothers to young adults use this ancient botanical safely to help their body without the intoxicating, addicting high feeling that comes with marijuana and THC.
Now, the jury is still out on some conditions…
But when you do an online search you will find many men and women across the world using CBD for:
- Headaches
- Muscle and joint aches
- Neuropathic pain management
- Symptoms of depression
In fact, a recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers found that CBD reduced anxiety, stress hormones and heart rate, and what’s more, it dampened cravings for dangerous, addictive substances of abuse.
That’s exciting for those suffering without anywhere to turn!
What These Researchers Found in a St. Louis Laboratory Changed Everything
Here’s a quick backstory on CBD that shows why everyone is now buzzing so much about this herbal remedy…
In the 1990s, a team of medical researchers at St. Louis University uncovered a hidden signaling network in the human brain and throughout the body.
This network is called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS for short.
This formerly unknown system reaches all parts of your body, kind of like how cell towers connect cell phones from all over the country.
Simply put, the first role of your ECS is to regulate pleasure, energy, mental well-being, pain, immunity, and inflammation.
Wherever your body is agitated, your ECS network works to get it back in balance. And when your body is sick, your ECS helps bring it back to health — no matter if that’s anxious thoughts… difficulty sleeping… accelerated aging… or physical pain in your joints, back or body.
Now, here is the amazing part of this discovery: your body produces its own version of cannabinoids like CBD that stimulate the ECS network to keep you in balance.
Okay, so why do you need to take CBD if it’s already in your body?
The problem is today’s society.
We live crazy-busy lives that use up our body’s limited supply of internal CBD, leaving us deficient like a car without gasoline. Even more, we don’t eat the right foods to naturally nourish our ECS and fill up our internal CBD tanks. That’s when things don’t seem to work right anymore and:
- You feel aches and pains
- A foul mood sneaks up on you
- You have trouble falling asleep
- You feel hungry all the time and gain weight
- Anxious thoughts take over your mind
- You age faster
This is where CBD comes into play…
Is CBD a Fountain of Youth?
Scientists discovered that consuming CBD from hemp refuels your empty tanks that get depleted from the hustle and bustle of life.
You see, CBD acts like a key that fits into ECS-specific locks called CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are found in every part of your body including the brain, immune system, cardiovascular system, endocrine glands, and reproductive organs. Unlocking these receptors means unlocking all the body-balancing benefits that the ECS offers.
That’s why many doctors, including myself, are referring to CBD as the closest thing we have to the fountain of youth.
Pretty amazing… your body was perfectly designed to work with this ancient botanical extract! Even Dr. Sanjay Gupta said, “We evolved as a species to have access to this natural plant.”
Instead of potentially dangerous, addictive alternatives like opioids and sleeping pills, why not try CBD for yourself to see how YOUR body responds to an ancient botanical that Mother Nature designed to work in harmony with your body?
Feel the Aaaaahhh!
Once the ECS-specific keyholes are unlocked, the ECS is free to activate a cascade of healthy results. After all, your ECS helps regulate…
- Nervous System (including neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.)
- Mood
- Memory
- Stress response
- Pain sensation
- Sexual pleasure
- Digestive System
- Immune function
- Inflammatory response
- Sleep
- Skin health
- Fertility
- Bone and joint health
- Thermoregulation
And more, including appetite and metabolism. Yes, it’s true. Certain forms of CBD — like a full-spectrum, hemp-derived CBD oil that’s rich in phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids — can help balance the ECS, naturally decreasing appetite and hunger, which can lead to weight loss.
When it comes to better sleep, CBD has positive effects on that, too, which helps with appetite… I don’t know about you but when I don’t get good sleep, I end up exhausted and make bad food choices, which leads to weight gain.
In addition, certain compounds found in full-spectrum, hemp-derived, CBD-rich extracts may also help increase calorie burn by transforming fat to fuel.
The amazing healing properties of CBD and hemp’s other phytocannabinoids and terpenes, which all interact with your ECS, bring a lot to the table, so you don’t eat too much at your table and sleep like a baby.
However, along with the good comes the bad…
Shocking Lies that Trick Consumers
Case in point, in a study published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Marcel Bonn-Miller and colleagues tested 84 CBD products to see how many contained the amount of CBD they claimed on the label.
Check out the startling results:
- 69% did not meet label claims
- Nearly one-half contained less CBD than labeled
- Some products had mere traces of CBD
What’s more, an investigation by NBC 4 in New York found less than half of the samples they had tested contained the stated amount of CBD inside the product. Some samples contained NONE. And some samples had dangerous levels of lead at 4 times the legal limit.
NBC 6 in Miami tested 35 CBD products, and their testing revealed 57% had less than half of the amount of CBD advertised on the label and some had zero CBD.
Americans are Getting Ripped Off
This means that many hard-working Americans — who suffer from anxiety, excess hunger, sleeplessness and various forms of physical pain — are spending billions on CBD products that don’t contain much, if any, CBD.
Meanwhile, fraudulent companies are spiking their CBD products with harmful chemicals and dilutors like:
• Dextromethorphan (a popular cough suppressant drug)
• 5F-ADB (similar to the synthetic street drug K2)
Both are potentially lethal chemicals in high doses.
But that’s not all… in addition to the imposter CBD products flooding the market, some companies are aggressively marketing their products with claims that are so outrageous, they’re breaking the law.
For example, if you see a CBD product telling you…
— This product can cure serious or incurable diseases with just a few doses!
Run away from it.
This 1 Secret Makes CBD Work
When looking for a quality CBD product, you want to find one that is “Full-Spectrum, Hemp-Derived CBD-Rich Extract,” which is derived from natural hemp.
This is because full-spectrum, hemp-derived extracts deliver, along with the CBD, all the other healthy compounds found in hemp, including:
- Phytocannabinoids, such as CBN, CBG, CBC and CBDV
- Key terpenes, such as myrcene, pinene, limonene and caryophyllene
- Flavonoids, like cannflavin A
All these compounds work together synergistically to boost the health effects of CBD, and some may even have positive effects on naturally reducing food consumption and body weight.
Feel the “Entourage Effect”
Simply put, all these healthy, hemp-derived phytochemicals work better together, a phenomenon that scientists call the “entourage effect”. Research indicates full-spectrum hemp is the best way to get your CBD because these additional compounds boost the effects of CBD and are full of health properties we are just now discovering.
These “entourage molecules” weren’t added to CBD to make it work better… they occur naturally just as Mother Nature intended.
Unfortunately, many CBD brands use only the cheaper “CBD isolate” form, which strips OUT all the other healthy phytocannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.
Studies indicate you should be using full-spectrum, hemp-derived CBD extract as your primary, daily source.
Believe me, if the product isn’t “full-spectrum, hemp-derived CBD-rich extract”, don’t use it as your primary CBD source.
The isolate form is okay to use for the occasional CBD gummy or cream, but not as your primary daily dose.
How Your CBD is Made Makes a HUGE Difference
Finding quality CBD products as I have described really puts into perspective how important it is to find a company giving their CBD processing the quality control your body deserves.
You want to find a CBD company that spends money getting their CBD products tested by independent labs.
Those tests should do two things…
- Ensure the potency and purity of the CBD in the product
- Test for dangerous heavy metals like lead, herbicides, pesticides, and other potentially toxic compounds
Don’t take this lightly… if you are not careful about where you get your CBD and the brand doesn’t offer access to independent 3rd party lab results right on the bottle, there is a good chance your CBD is either contaminated or doesn’t contain the right amount of CBD.
How CBD gets produced is another area of major concern. You have to extract it from the hemp plant in oil form. No way around it.
The two main extraction processes are:
- Supercritical CO2 extraction
- Ethanol extraction, which uses an alcohol base
Both methods can work if done properly. However, each one has its drawbacks.
- Ethanol extraction can leave behind dangerous solvents like ethanol and butane.
- While CO2 extraction is solvent-free, it often extracts unwanted impurities in the process. Nasty stuff like pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals… Only ethanol can remove that junk, but it taints the CBD.
- CO2 extraction must be done at low temperatures or the delicate CBD molecules and other health-promoting phytocannabinoids get damaged, making them useless.
Some CBD Brands Use Another Sneaky Trick
You may see a bottle that lists 500, 600, or 700 mg on its label, but that doesn’t mean it contains that amount of active CBD.
In fact, many products labeled this way don’t contain any CBD at all!
People are being fooled by this, paying large prices for something that has nothing more than oil from the hemp plant, which doesn’t provide the healing properties of CBD and the other healthy entourage compounds.
Might as well be using plain vegetable oil.
So, be sure the company offers the following items to verify you are getting real, high-quality CBD:
- Independent lab results that you can access simply by scanning the bottle
- The amount of CBD per capsule listed clearly on the label
- “Full-Spectrum, Hemp-Derived CBD-Rich Extract” on the label
And avoid products labeled as hemp oil with large amounts listed on the bottle.
Final Tips to Avoid Bogus/Fake CBD
When it comes to quality CBD capsules or liquids, most will contain 10 to 15 milligrams of CBD per capsule or serving size.
So, if you see a brand advertising ultra-high levels of CBD per serving like 300, 400, or even 600 mg, just know it’s NOT possible.
You cannot fit that much CBD into a single capsule or liquid dropper. It’s like trying to put the liquid from a swimming pool into a water glass.
And be aware that most brands use CBD with “low oral bioavailability” in the body. In other words, only a fraction of the CBD ends up absorbed in the bloodstream.
This is another reason why many users never get good results from CBD, or they have to take super high amounts to feel the effect.
When you take quality CBD oil, you should feel it working within 30 minutes or faster. I often describe it as a pleasant, calming sensation throughout the body that soothes physical pain and mental stress, while leaving you feeling mentally alert and focused.
When it comes to buying quality CBD, I always say, buyer beware!
