CBD (Cannabidiol) is a compound that has shown promise in a variety of medical applications, from pain relief to relieving anxiety, and many other ailments in between. A major benefit to CBD is that it doesn’t contain THC, which is the compound that makes users high, so this makes CBD an ideal medication for the end-user.
Sublingual CBD Oils – also known as CBD Tinctures or CBD Hemp Oil – are the most popular type of CBD products, because of their high bioavailability and rapid absorption. There are many other kinds of products as well, including CBD edibles, CBD topicals, and even CBD-infused Coffee. CBD products have gained immense popularity in health and wellness circles thanks to their natural support of our endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Where Does CBD come from?
All CBD Products start out the same way: as an extract from the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants. All CBD products offered on this site are extracted from the hemp plant, defined as any variety of cannabis plant containing less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. Cannabinoids and terpenes are produced by tiny glands on the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants known as trichomes. The compounds produced by these trichomes give cannabis both its rich aroma and its nutraceutical effects.
How is the CBD extracted?
There are many ways to extract the oil from the plant. Supercritical systems use CO2 as a solvent to extract the oil. The solvent is considered a cleaner, purer form of extraction because there is no residue after extraction. In this process Carbon dioxide is passed through the plant material at a very specific temperature and pressure. Carbon dioxide, which is normally a gas at (or above) room temperature, can be pressurized until it becomes so dense that it takes on some of the properties of a liquid while still maintaining the fluid dynamics of a gas. In this state, CO2 is known as a supercritical fluid. CBD oil CO2 extraction works extremely well because each compound in cannabis can only be extracted by CO2 at a unique pressure and temperature combination, which makes it easy to control which compounds are extracted and which are left behind.
How are CBD products Formulated?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of 113 cannabinoids unique to the hemp plant. CBD is produced by the leaves and flowers of female hemp plants. Hemp is defined as all cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC by weight. Because hemp has such low THC levels, it is non-psychoactive by definition. While CBD can be extracted from non-hemp varieties of the plant, hemp-derived CBD is less restricted by the government because of its inherently low levels of THC. CBD from hemp is legal for sale in most US states, while CBD products derived from non-hemp varieties can contain noticeable amounts of THC, and are therefore subject to stricter laws and regulations. CBD and other cannabinoids are produced by the hemp plant because of their unique aromatic and antioxidant activities, which protect the plant from insects, fungus, bacteria, and changes in the environment.
Is CBD (Cannabidiol) Legal?
Because CBD is non-psychoactive, it is treated differently than other products that contain detectable levels of the psychoactive cannabinoid, THC. In addition, the FDA recently approved Epidiolex – an oral-mucosal spray produced by GW Pharmaceuticals with CBD as its active ingredient – for use in the treatment of intractable seizure disorders. This THC-free product set a new precedent for the medical value of CBD. In 2014, President Obama signed the Farm Bill of 2014 into law. This law contained a section that removed hemp from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. It also created a legal structure that made cultivation and research of hemp legal in states that wanted to initiate “Pilot Research Programs” into the cultivation and marketing of hemp and hemp-derived products.