CBD is the commonly used acronym that stands for cannabidiol. Hemp is made up of more than 100 cannabinoids, including ones you may have heard of—like CBD, CBG, CBDa, CBDV, CBC, and CBN.
To get these cannabinoids from hemp, they must first be extracted. During this process, harmful and toxic compounds such as chlorophyll, lipids, and waxes are removed. All of the beneficial cannabinoids and remaining compounds from the hemp, like flavonoids and terpenes, are then left available to be infused and added into a CBD product.
What are the Most Common Forms of CBD?
There are five common categories of CBD product:
- Oils
- Edibles
- Topicals
- Tinctures
- Smokables
In addition to different product categories, there are also multiple forms of extraction, which is what creates the different spectrums of CBD—broad spectrum, full spectrum, and isolate.
Is CBD Oil Legal in the US?
Since we've discussed what CBD is and where it comes from, you might still be wondering if it's legal across the US. Federally—yes. But due to some complexities and differences between Federal and State law, it's a little more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
In many states, whether CBD comes from hemp or marijuana is what determines the legality of CBD. What's the difference? Both hemp and marijuana are variants of the Cannabis Sativa plant species. The percentage of THC within each individual plant is what determines if that cannabis plant is labeled as hemp or labeled as marijuana. The THC percentage for marijuana is anything more than 0.3%, and for hemp it is 0.3% or less.
When there are only small amounts of THC present in the plant, it still allows people to experience the health and wellness benefits of CBD without any psychoactive side effects of THC. That's a big reason why so many people are turning to CBD for help with issues for everything from pain to skin conditions and even sleep.
In fact, growing evidence from studies involving CBD have shown its ability to help with the following:
- Anxiety, stress and depression
- PTSD
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Mental disorders with psychotic symptoms, including schizophrenia
- Problems with sleep, including insomnia
- Safe opioid alternative
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Joint and muscle pain
- Skin conditions, including acne
- Epilepsy and seizures
Is All CBD the Same?
An issue that often causes confusion around CBD is that you may have heard people say CBD Oil, CBD Hemp Oil, Hemp Extract Oil, and CBD Tincture—sometimes interchangeably—but they are all different terms because they are different products. In general, CBD oil only contains CBD, unless it is classified as broad spectrum or full spectrum. Broad spectrum or full spectrum CBD oil, along with CBD hemp oil, hemp extract oil and CBD tinctures can include other beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, or flavonoids in addition to CBD.
On top of label confusion, there are distributors and companies out there who have taken advantage of the CBD boom and lack of public awareness/education. It's crucial to know that all lab results for any CBD product should be provided or available with little effort to check the CBD's quality.