** FDA Disclosure: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. **
CBD (Cannabidiol) is a natural compound that is found in the cannabis plant. Itâs one of the 114 known cannabinoids found inside the cannabis plant; CBD, CBG CBN and THC are all cannabinoids. Yes, CBD comes from the same cannabis plant where marijuana (THC) is found.
However, there are quite a few differences between the two cannabinoids. The most important in many individualâs minds is that CBD, unlike THC, is non-intoxicating. Youâll hear a lot of companies and individuals (even some within this piece) state that CBD is non-psychoactive. That is not exactly true as the definition of psychoactive is âaffecting the mind or behavior.â CBD will definitely not get you the âhigh feeling,' but it will affect the mind. It has been used in clinical trials for treating seizure disorders, PTSD, anxiety, depression and a host of other ailments. CBD does affect the mind, but in a positive, healthy and rejuvenating manner. You can experience all the touted public benefits of marijuana without the âhigh feeling.â
Marijuana has increasingly become more potent over the past couple of decades. This is leading people to have more anxiety and paranoia when consuming marijuana. This is never a concern if you are consuming quality 3rd party lab tested CBD products. The only form of CBD that can currently be legally cultivated hemp-derived CBD. To understand where CBD comes from itâs important to understand the differences between hemp and marijuana.
Letâs take a quick look at a comparison of hemp vs. marijuana:
The three main types of CBD are full spectrum, broad spectrum and isolate. They simply refer to different ways that CBD can be delivered and consumed. The upside to Hemp Crate Co is that you can try all different forms of CBD in any given crate! Let's compare the 3 types.
Full Spectrum refers to cannabis-derived from the entire plant that contains CBD and other phytocannabinoids (any cannabinoid that is naturally occurring within the cannabis family of plants) such as THC, CBN, CBG, and CBC. Important to ensure that the CBD products you try have less than the legal Federal limit of 0.3% THC. All of our full spectrum products at Hemp Crate Co are compliant with that requirement as they are all 3rd party lab tested.
Examples Full Spectrum products in our online store:
Broad Spectrum contains all phytocannabinoids in the cannabis-derived plant but does not contain any detectable amount of THC. Many claim that there's not a difference between Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum. It's often not easily detectable but it's there.
Example Broad Spectrum products in our online store:
Isolate is a pure, crystalline powder that contains 99%+ pure CBD. CBD isolate contains no other phytocannabinoids. All the plant matter contained in the hemp plant, including oils, waxes and chlorophyll, are removed. This means isolate offers a finished product that's CBD and nothing more. These products are great for those looking for a pure CBD experience. You can read up on whether or not CBD will show up on drug tests in this blog.
Examples of isolate products in our online store:
Absolutely. Hemp Crate Co. would not exist if it was not. There have been several positive pieces of legislation over the past five years that has paved the way for full legality of hemp-derived CBD products. Here are the key ones:
Though Federally legal, states have the right to create their own legislation. It is crucial and your responsibility to know how hemp-derived CBD extracts are treated in your state.
Disclaimer: Hemp Crate Co can not advise on specific dosages for the products we sell. The FDA has not provided a recommended daily intake for CBD.
First, letâs take a quick look first at the most common intake method for CBD; sublingual (under the tongue) via an oil tincture dropper. This chart gives you a quick breakdown of how many milligrams of CBD you'll be getting depending on the concentration of your tincture. CBD is measured in milligrams generally, the metric unit of weight. This chart helps to show you how many milligrams you'll be getting depending on what size bottle of CBD you have. Just find your bottle size in the second column and then the third column will tell you the mg of CBD that come in one dropper of your bottle.
Now you know how to quickly tell how much CBD is in the standard 1ML dropper. So you know the amount per dropper, but how much should you take? Again, we canât provide a specific recommendations because all users are so different and there are no FDA tested guidelines to follow. However, we can provide a helpful chart for where users should start with dosage. We kept this chart extremely simple and like it because it can be used for both pets and humans. This is based off of user feedback we've received and other dosage recommendation sources (Honest Marijuana) and is intended to be a guideline only.
If you are taking CBD for the first time we suggest starting out moderately instead of aggressively. You can always increase your tolerance and find your âsweet spotâ over time. Each of our subscription boxes contain several hundred MG total of CBD across all the products. They are meant to be experienced over the course of 30 days. Use this chart to help get a gauge on where to start with your dosage, then work up and down over time. There will be plenty of goodies in your subscription box to find the right dosage for you!
Important to note as well that results are different for everyone. Some people feel the effects right away, even with a smaller dosage. Others require a larger dosage for a more sustained period of time.
One final note about CBD dosage that is important to keep in mind when finding the right dosage for you is the concept of reverse tolerance build-up. There still needs to be more research in this area before results are conclusive, but early studies suggest that since CBD doesnât actually bind to cannabinoid receptors in the body like THC does, thereâs not a tolerance build up over time. This means that, unlike marijuana use, you wonât have to up your CBD dosage over time to continue to get the same results. In fact, some research suggests that the CBD begins to build up in your body over time. This means that over time you could potentially cut back your usage to see the same results. Yet another reason itâs important to closely observe the effects CBD has on your body with each fluctuation in dosage.
There are several ways to experience CBD:
As mentioned previously, this is the most common method of intake and usually in the form of a tincture dropper. Usually taken sublingually (under the tongue). The below photo is credited to Endoca.
Oil converted into pill form. Most often used for convenience. Capsules generally have a time release casing and thus take longer to be absorbed than sublingual ingestion.
Lotions, salves, creams, rubs and transdermal patches. Huge growth and innovation in this space right now. Easy way to get your CBD and often is mixed with other compounds such as aloe vera, tea tree oil, and menthol.
A fun and safe way to get your CBD. Results can take longer. However, they can also be more sustained vs. other methods. Ensure the food and beverage products you are taking are 3rd party lab tested.
A burgeoning market. Looks similar to marijuana bud, but is concentrated CBD. Can be smoked as a joint, in a bowl, or vaped as dry flower.
Different than CBD oil you find in a tincture dropper. Manufacturers use a thinning agent to make the liquid less viscous. It is thinner than what you would find with standard oil. The oil tincture is meant to be taken sublingually and vape liquid is meant to be vaporized.
Usually, these are reserved for more serious CBD users. Comes in a powder or wax form. Can be sprinkled into a vaporizer or bowl and smoked. Highly concentrated and pure.
Now that we know all the different ways to experience CBD, which one is the best for me?
That really is a personal question. Some individuals prefer the most popular method of using an oil tincture dropper under the tongue, others prefer topical CBD products, and others prefer smoking or vaping CBD. There is no perfect answer. It really depends on what YOU prefer. However, one thing Hemp Crate Co wants you to understand is that all of the products have a different bioavailability.
There are several ways that CBD can be extracted from the cannabis plant. The most common, yet complex, method is through CO2 extraction. CO2 extraction generally follows the steps below:
Other less common methods of extraction include heat press, dry sifting, olive and grapeseed oil. These last two methods produce rather low yields on a per volume basis.
That about covers it! Hopefully you feel as though youâve now got a firm grasp on what CBD is, its history and how itâs produced and how it interacts with our bodies.
The final piece of the puzzle is arguably the most important one: purchasing quality products.
There are a lot of non-reputable brands and products out there. Repeat, a lot. Many individuals and corporations have came into this space to just capitalize on the emerging market. Product quality is not their top priority and it always should be. It can be confusing too as some of these companies look legit. There are ways to help weed out the good eggs from the bad.
You can do this on your own or let a company like Hemp Crate Co do the work for you. Thatâs what weâre here for afterall! We check all of these boxes:
Thanks for reading! We hope you feel like you've gained some CBD knowledge. One of our pillars is education so please tell a friend about this guide who's curious about CBD.