In recent years, CBD has been growing incomparably and is headed towards mainstream acceptance. Known for assisting with stress support, muscle and joint health, sleep concerns, and various forms of inflammation. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C36&as_vis=1&q=cbd+effects&btnG= , CBD is finding its way into a variety of products, from tinctures to CBD infused edibles and beverages, to CBD salves and bombs, to CBD skincare. Exploring the world of CBD can seem daunting and overwhelming. With so many claims about its health benefits and so many different products available it can be hard to know where to start. Not to mention, there is still much confusion between CBD and THC (marijuana) and a lot of misunderstandings about what CBD is, and what it does for and to you. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/myths-about-hemp-plant-that-need-to-be-debunked/
To help you sort through all of these questions and concerns, let’s start at the beginning with a broad definition of CBD.
Cannabis is one of a family of plants known as Cannabaceae. https://www.britannica.com/plant/Cannabaceae There are two main species of cannabis plant that are cultivated for human consumption, namely Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. Sativa plants are taller, produce more fiber, and are the species used for hemp cultivation. Along with human consumption, hemp is also grown as an industrial crop for the use of fibers in textiles and building materials. This type of hemp has relatively small concentrations of the beneficial cannabinoid and terpene compounds found in cannabis and is not the most desirable source of CBD oil. Indica plants are shorter, bushier, and less suitable for farming for either industrial purposes or the production of food, but are well-suited for producing medical marijuana. https://agnr.osu.edu/sites/agnr/files/imce/pdfs/events/Growing%20Hemp%20for%20Fiber%20or%20Seed.pdf
CBD or Cannabidiol is one of over 100 chemical compounds also known as cannabinoids or phytocannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana is also found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Both hemp and marijuana contain the psychoactive compound delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC. The difference between hemp and marijuana is the level of the THC compound. Hemp has 0.3% or less THC, meaning hemp-derived products like CBD have negligible amounts of THC and don’t contain enough of the compound to create the “high” traditionally associated with marijuana which has higher THC concentrations.
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To produce CBD oil, the CBD and THC cannabinoids along with terpenes, are extracted from the flowers and leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant. Terpenes are among the most abundant compounds in the natural world and are primarily responsible for the smell of most plants and some animal compounds. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7120914/. During this extraction process solvents, pesticides, metals, fats, waxes, and other undesirable plant compounds are removed leaving the oil and depending on the formulation may also contain other beneficial components such as omega fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
As this oil still contains THC, to make Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum CBD oils, the THC is removed through an extraction process known as a chromatography process. Broad Spectrum CBD oil contains less than .3% THC while Full Spectrum CBD oil contains .3% THC.
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