New to CBD or just want to learn more?

As the owner of a CBD Brand, I spend a fair amount of time talking customers who are new to CBD and want to know more. So, with this I wanted to write an article that hopefully explains some of this to you in a clear and precise way so you can make the best decision for you.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is now very popular and a multimillion-pound UK market. Many people use CBD for medical purposes despite the producers’ inability to make medical claims. It is now common for doctors and pharmacists to be asked about CBD products.

Different types of CBD**

CBD is commonly used in a variety of methods. Most commonly it is ingested in an oil, capsule, or gummy. It can also be vaped in the form of a concentrate or as a vape juice.  The hemp flowers (like cannabis flowers but contain no THC) can also be smoked or vaporized) it can also be applied topically to the skin in the form of a balm, cream or absorbent patch.

Ingest able CBD

Most CBD oil you buy in a shop or online usually comes in 10ml (sometimes 30ml) glass dropper bottles. The CBD is melted into a carrier oil. The most common carrier oils are MCT oil (Coconut oil derivative), hemp seed oil or olive oil. You may also see CBD in capsules or as gummy sweets. This has been brought to market because many people seem to dislike the taste of CBD. The oil is the best way to consume CBD because if you place the desired drops under the tongue or rubbed into the gums and hold for 20 seconds minimum, this will increase the bioavailability allowing you to absorb more cannabinoids. Taking CBD in this way will last for around 6-8 hours.

Smoking/vaporizing CBD

Smoking or vaporising CBD is the quickest way to get cannabinoids into the bloodstream. You can buy CBD hemp flowers, hash or concentrates known as crumble or shatter. Currently CBD/Hemp flowers are illegal in the UK but the others are not. The concentrates are usually a form of distillate with added terpenes where as CBD vape juice is CBD mixed in a glyceryl base. Taking CBD in this format is almost instant in its effect and can last for up to around 3 hours.

Topical CBD

CBD balms or creams are applied directly to the skin and do not enter the bloodstream. As the largest organ in the human body the skin is an effective barrier against potentially harmful matter. However, it can also act as an effective molecular pathway, able to deliver beneficial substances that are directly absorbed, at the point of application. This administration method can affect skin, muscle, and organs. So balms and creams can work directly at the source. This is why it can be used for a variety of things from sore muscles to face creams. (You can read more about this in another blog post by us)

 How the CBD is extracted from the Hemp Plant**

You may see CBD labelled in differently, that is because it can be extracted in different ways. The three types of CBD you will see are Full Spectrum, Broad spectrum and Isolate or synthetic CBD. 

Full Spectrum**

CBD oil uses a refined CBD extract. The key compounds of cannabinoids and terpenes will be present along with some flavonoids. The fats, lipids, waxes, and chlorophyll have usually been removed resulting in a very high-quality CBD oil. Full-Spectrum CBD oil fully benefits from the entourage effect. Full-spectrum CBD oil will contain controlled cannabinoids such as THC, CBN, or THCV.

 Broad Spectrum**

Broad spectrum CBD oil uses a further refined CBD extract. The key compounds of cannabinoid and terpenes will be present with trace amounts of flavonoids. The fats, lipids, waxes, and chlorophyll have usually been removed. Controlled cannabinoids such as THC, CBN, and THCV have also been removed or largely removed. Broad spectrum CBD oil benefits from the entourage effect although not as much as full spectrum due to the loss of direct receptor binding cannabinoid such as THC CBN or THCV.

Isolate or Synthetic **

Some products use isolate or synthetic CBD. Isolate CBD is made from whole plant, but all cannabinoids and terpenes have been removed These oils do not benefit from the entourage effect and the effectiveness can be biphasic once hitting optimal dosage effects begin to reverse or diminish even when dosages are increased. Isolate or synthetic CBD does not contain controlled cannabinoids like THC, CBN or THCV. Therefore, they are not classified as schedule one drugs and may be sold as a food supplement. The advantage that CBD isolate has is that WADA approves it for professional athletes. The WADA does not approve the use of any other cannabinoid in competition, whether controlled or not. Isolate CBD or synthetic CBD are usually consistent and more pharmaceutical than plant-based products

Dosage & Labelling**

Most CBD oil should be labelled correctly, explaining what type of CBD is in it and the dosage. The total amount of cannabinoids usually come measured in milligrams (mg), although they may also be measured in percentages so for example.

500mg is 5%

1000mg is 10% etc

Dosing is a difficult issue, The FSA (food standards agency) recently set their recommend daily dose of CBD to 70mg. We are not aware of any scientific research for this recommendation. Indeed, as the average dose of CBD for medical benefits is between 60-100mg per day, then adhering to the 70mg per day many consumers will miss out on the potential benefits.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society said in their recent pamphlet ‘CBD recommendations for good practise’ (of which we are a recommended company and you can find links to on our website) that as doctors and consumers, CBD products should be labelled correctly. They believe all CBD products should be labelled as the following.

1, CBD content and type, an indication of how much and what type of CBD the product contains

2, Dosing information / suggestion

3, Safety information, compliance with standards for contaminants, etc

4, Labelling, appliance with food labelling standard, warnings etc

5, Controlled drug legislation

6, No medical claims are made.

 Certificate of Analysis (COA)

Every batch of CBD once extracted is third party lab tested by the grower and often by any middle company. Then when I buy my CBD to make my products, I will be sent a copy of this lab report. You can usually find the COA in the lab reports section of the website. The lab report will mainly show the cannabinoid content of the CBD, showing the amount of CBD and other minor Cannabinoids. This will show that the product made from this is legal and not breaking any laws.

Thank you for reading, I hope that this small guide can help you understand more about CBD and what it is that you are buying. 

**Taken from the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society’s manual; CBD Recomendations for good practise v2 (Of which happen to be an approved company)