What Is CBD?
Everything You Need To Know About Cannabidiol

Thankfully, now that the stigma surrounding marijuana is eroding faster and faster with each passing day, we're learning more and more about what chemicals are in the cannabis plant, what their effects are as far once consumed, and how to best breed plants to maximize the presence of certain chemicals over others. These chemicals impact smell, taste, and of course the effects marijuana can have on the body.

Long thought to be entirely non-medicinal and ultimately useless next to THC, more and more evidence is coming out that CBD functions to create a more balanced high in THC-laden strains and that CBD is extremely useful to those who want some of the medicinal benefits of marijuana without the intoxication. 

Cannabinoids are found in many plants and even within our own body, but they're most commonly associated with the cannabis plant itself.

As I said previously, CBD is one of over 112 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. 

These chemicals are responsible for the recreational as well as the medicinal attributes of cannabis due to how they interact with a special system in the body known as the endocannabinoid system. 

At this point you're probably asking, what does the endocannabinoid system do?

The endocannabinoid system within the body helps to regulate & balance many bodily functions such as mood, appetite, sleep patterns, memory, pain, and a whole laundry list of other homeostatic functions within the body. Essentially just think about all the common tropes about the side effects of smoking reefer: forgetfulness, lethargy, getting the munchies, increased giggles, and ease in falling asleep. All of those side effects are a result of endocannabinoid changes brought on by smoking. It makes sense that these cannabinoids found within herb can have profound effects on our endocannabinoid system which helps to regulate all of these major bodily functions.

The endocannabinoid system can be thought of as lock and key system, where specific cannabinoids "fit" into specific cannabinoid receptors on a molecular level to activate changes in the body. Typically, endocannabinoids (cannabinoids from within the body) are the only cannabinoids involved in this complex molecular dance since only certain cannabinoids fit in these receptors, named CB1 and CB2 receptors respectively.

CB1 receptors are found primarily in the brain and THC can fit snugly into CB1 receptors, this is the primary mode of action for users feeling intoxicated by the consumption of marijuana.

CB2 receptors however are found mostly scattered around the rest of the body and concern themselves with many biological functions not typically associated with the conscious feeling of being stoned. THC can also fit into CB2 receptors through direct stimulation.

CBD however has a much more complex interaction with CB1 and CB2 receptors and is thought to act in a much more indirect & modulating way as opposed to directly fitting into the receptors the same way THC & most endocannabinoids do.

As higher THC strains were being produced, people began to notice that higher THC did not mean a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Quickly, CBD was singled out as the next major cannabinoid to focus on for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Strains with a more balanced cannabinoid profile are useful in that reports of anxiety or crossing the line into full space cadet mode is much less likely if these strains are consumed. Strains with no or less THC than usual are also great for medical patients that want the benefits of the cannabis plant without having to get super stoned due to THC content.

CBD is referred to as being non-psychoactive. This means it does not get the consumer stoned. I find this somewhat misleading, as you can definitely consume CBD to your heart's content and not have Taco Bell on your mind (unless it was there already), but it does have reported anti-anxiety effects and if taken in excess can result in sleepiness.

What does this mean? It means you can't get high off of CBD, but there's definitely something going on within the body's endocannabinoid system that isn't always easy to perceive consciously. CBD does not intoxicate, but it does modulate. 

Unfortunately marijuana's decades old association with Cheech and Chong burnout types hasn't done the plant a lot of favors, with medical professionals always being apprehensive of all of the 20-something snowboarders who all seem to have "chronic pain".

But, one use of CBD in particular has captured the attention of doctors, lawmakers, and citizens alike: 

How effective CBD can be in treating pediatric epilepsy, as shown in this video: 

Children who suffer 40 major seizures a day or more despite being on a pill regimen even the average 80-something would think is excessive have had their total number of seizures reduced to 3 a day all the way down to maybe once a week with consistent dosing.

One of these stories was chronicled in the 2014 documentary The Culture High, in which a 5 year old child named Jayden who would have near-constant epileptic seizures was able to have his first seizure-free days ever since his condition appeared, all thanks to the addition of CBD oil in his medication regimen. Over time, his father was able to wean him off of the majority of his pharmaceutical drugs and Jayden, a child that medical professionals previously thought would be confined to a life as a near-vegetable was running, swimming, and being able to catch up on all of the developmental milestones that the epileptic seizures had stolen from him.

These emotional stories were tear jerkers for even the most vehemently anti-drug individuals across the USA, it opened the gates for CBD to be investigated more in-depth without the stoner stigma associated with the marijuana plant getting in the way.

After such phenomenal success in the treatment of childhood epilepsy, the enthusiasm of those who had suspected that great medicinal benefits could be derived from cannabis plant chemicals skyrocketed and people began to explore what other conditions could be ameliorated by the addition of CBD.

The most significant finding has been that many conditions can be significantly improved with nearly no side effects, something most pharmaceutical medicines can't say of themselves.

CBD on the other hand has no withdrawal effects or addictive profile whatsoever while promise has been shown as far as reducing pain from general chronic pain, MS, and arthritis.

While the results are yet to be consistently replicated in humans in a laboratory setting, a rat model has demonstrated a reduction in the inflammation of arthritic joints coupled with a decrease in behaviors that suggest the rats were in pain after consistently administering CBD gel. Where you find rats with arthritis is beyond me, but the data is there.

And this study reviews many different studies of the effects CBD on chronic pain patients and MS patients dealing with spasticity, showing that over multiple studies with thousands of participants that CBD can effectively reduce symptoms in both the short and long term without any major side effects or need to increase the dosage over time.

CBD has shown promise in both laboratory settings and anecdotally as an effective way to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety in humans. CBD has shown to reduce subjective anxiety in patients who experience generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder. Since anxiety is often experienced in conjunction or as a side effect of larger mental issues like PTSD and depression, doctors are now looking into how to best leverage the anti-anxiety benefits of CBD to help mentally ill patients live a more fulfilling life.

CBD has the benefit over traditional mental health medications in that the effects can be felt very quickly as opposed to requiring months for the medicines to kick in, and CBD lacks the horrid addiction & withdrawal symptoms associated with typical anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines.

Earlier in the article we covered the case of Jayden, a young boy who has had significant progress in treating his epileptic seizures with CBD.

Epileptic seizures are not the only type of seizures that a human being can experience, however. But in essence all seizures are a result major fluctuations in electrical impulses within the human brain, with most current medications trying to keep the brain's electrical signals "stable" so no major changes in the brain due to stimuli will go too far and result in a seizure.

Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy, was treated with CBD in a study done by the New England Journal Of Medicine and saw a median decrease in seizure frequency by 38.9%. What this means is that half of those in the study had a decrease in seizure frequency of less than 38.9% and the other half had a decrease in seizure frequency of more than 38.9%.

The preceding lists of items should show that CBD has the possibility to positively impact the lives of people suffering from a very wide range of ailments thanks to how many different bodily functions the endocannabinoid system has control over.

Since CBD research is still in it's infancy, there's still many more branches of medicine that need to put their heads down and get to work seeing just how much CBD can benefit their patients. Currently, research is underway in how CBD can help those with nervous system disorders such as dementia and Parkinsons, CBD's effects on cancerous tumor growth, and if CBD can help treat gastrointestinal issues.

Naturally, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. While cannabidiol is proving to be the answer many have sought for years, it isn't a miracle chemical and overindulging does have it's drawbacks. Remember, we're playing with the endocannabinoid system here: a system responsible for regulating emotions, the digestive system, circadian rhythms, memory, and physical sensations.

So, logically, if lines are crossed a user can expect to feel any or a combination of the following side effects:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth
• Appetite changes
• General malaise or feeling "off"
• Nausea

CBD in general is very well tolerated however, with these side effects being commonly reported mainly in those who have taken doses far above what is recommended for relief or individuals who are extremely sensitive to CBD for reasons unknown, but most likely are connected to genetic factors.

We've written a comprehensive article on all of the common & uncommon side effects of CBD, feel free to check it out if you have any concerns about taking CBD.

I also urge you to consult your doctor if you are concerned at all.

If you're interested in experimenting with this chemical to see how it may positively impact your life, you'll be interested in knowing there's now a huge industry around CBD products with dozens of different ways to administer a dose of CBD. Typically, CBD is first isolated from either industrial hemp with low THC or isolated from THC containing marijuana plants and then further refined to only have CBD itself or CBD with some of the terpenes from the marijuana plant present as well.

E-juices containing CBD have been on the market for several years now and are a very effective and efficient way to deliver CBD into the body as it enters the bloodstream very quickly and the effects can be felt within ten minutes. Vaporizing CBD works great for adults and people seeking immediate relief from pain or psychological issues.

Pure CBD crystals can also be smoked much in the same way that flower cannabis can, with some either being sprinkled on top of a bowl to balance the high or smoked on it's own.

For individuals looking for relief from more localized pain or inflammation, topical creams are a very effective choice for delivering CBD directly to the affected area and have it mingle with the CB2 receptors found in the skin to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. If this method is employed, CBD does not enter the bloodstream so the relief is localized and there is very little risk of unwanted side effects due to overexposure.

For topical application, there are a number of CBD containing creams, oils, and lotions that can easily be rubbed on the skin. Manufacturers have gotten increasingly creative in what they can cram some CBD into, and the market is now home to soaps, shampoos, and even lubricants for more NSFW purposes.

This method is highly recommended for the very young and the very old, it is extremely easy to get a worthwhile dose of CBD with minimal discomfort or risk of incorrect administration if CBD is ingested directly via the mouth.

CBD is ingested either as the pure oil, which is not very tasty, or in one of many different edible forms available on the market. There are caramel drops, gummy bears, chocolates, candies, you get the idea. Nearly anything edible can now be infused with CBD thanks to current technology. There's even CBD beer. What a time to be alive!

The CBD containing product then passes through the digestive system where the CBD is metabolized by the liver and then brought into the bloodstream. For this reason, ingestion is best for conditions where immediate relief is not a priority but long-term management of symptoms is desirable.

CBD oil can also be processed into a tincture that can be easily absorbed by the mucous membranes in the mouth and immediately go into the bloodstream. This method is typically used by those who are trying to help people affected by seizures, as they are unable safely chew or inhale CBD while going through a seizure, and relief is very quick.

Even in the throes of a very severe seizure, CBD tinctures can be dropped into the mouth via a dropper and then lightly massaged into the mucous membranes lining the mouth, with relief usually seen within a minute of application.

Those who aren't epileptic but still want the benefits of CBD in both short term and long term fashion are well serviced by cannabidiol tinctures, as a few drops can be held underneath the tongue & sloshed around the mouth for around a minute for immediate relief as well as swallowed for the long lasting relief provided by ingestion.

Dosing CBD can be problematic for some, as how concentrated a tincture is varies per individual so a "dropper full" isn't the same for all manufacturers. Weight and body chemistry also play a role in how strongly an individual is affected.

Because of this variance, it is suggested that approximately 1-5mg of CBD per 10 pounds of bodyweight be administered. A 150 pound individual should take 15-75mg of CBD, for instance. That's an extremely huge variance, however. 

What does that variance mean for the average consumer? It means you should start small and work your way up slowly until you find a dose that works best for you. That way wastage and adverse reactions are minimized because of taking too much is avoided entirely. There's a saying among those in the industry: You can take more, but you can never take less.

If dosing with CBD oils, take note of how much liquid you have purchased and how much CBD total is in the liquid. Typically this is measured in milliliters of liquid and milligrams of CBD. To figure out how much CBD is in a single milliliter, divide the total weight of the CBD by the total number of milliliters.

To learn more about properly dosing CBD, we've written the ultimate CBD dosage guide, which outlines all of our recommended dosages for all types of CBD products.

Topical creams & candies tend to be more obviously branded. Candies or chocolates will simply be branded with "X mg of CBD per candy" with X being however much CBD the company chooses to put in their product. Topical creams will usually come with instructions on the back best advising how much to use, usually in terms of size such as nickel-sized or dime-sized amount of cream.

To get started with CBD, first decide what kind of effects you'd like to obtain:

For fast, full body relief of pain or anxiety, CBD vaporizers or sublingual tinctures is the way to go. This delivery method ensures CBD is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body to start getting to work.

If long term management of pain or anxiety is more your deal, consider trying some edible formulations of CBD. This method tends to give long lasting effects with minimal dosing throughout the day.

Finally, localized inflammation or pain relief is best served through the application of topical creams/lotions. Simply get a tube of CBD cream and rub on the affected area.