[Editor’s Note: If you’ve been curious about CBD facts, this article will help sort out face from fiction.]
CBD is a fascinating phytocannabinoid with many qualities. Here we reveal 10 super unique CBD facts you may be surprised to learn about.
It seems that CBD is everywhere you look these days. Media and news outlets have caught the CBD wave, and have helped spread the word about the all-natural cannabinoid and its benefits.
Still, there is probably so much that you don’t know about CBD, even with all the CBD facts that are out there.
Cannabis has a long history, but only over the last decade or so has CBD oil surged in popularity as a dietary supplement to promote wellness. CBD, or cannabidiol, is an all-natural cannabinoid found in cannabis that supports one of the body’s largest self-regulatory systems.
Looking to learn more about CBD? Here, we reveal the top 10 most unique CBD facts.
1. CBD Can Come From Both Hemp and Marijuana
With so much misinformation on the internet about CBD, a common misconception is that CBD only comes from one type of cannabis plant. In reality, CBD is found throughout the stalks, flowers, stems, leaves and seeds of both hemp and marijuana.
Yes, hemp and marijuana can be sources of CBD. However, marijuana is naturally lower in CBD than THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the intoxicating compound known for its euphoric properties. In hemp, CBD dominates the plant’s makeup.
What does this CBD fact mean? Hemp’s naturally higher levels of CBD make it an ideal source for CBD extract products like CBD oil. Hemp cultivars also grow much faster than marijuana, allowing farmers to plant multiple hemp crops a season for a more environmentally sustainable and conscious CBD product.
With that said, there are thousands of unique varieties of hemp, and not all contain the same percentages of CBD. The cultivars used to create CBD oil, in general, contain significantly higher concentrations of CBD than others.
2. CBD is One of Over 100 Cannabis-Derived Cannabinoids
CBD rightfully garners much of the attention in the cannabis industry due to its natural benefits. But, did you know that it is just one of more than 100 cannabinoids scientists have so far discovered?
Along with THC, CBD is the most prominent of the many cannabinoids found in cannabis. Outside of these two well-researched compounds, however, are dozens more present at low levels. Like CBD, these cannabinoids interact with the body’s native system and elicit various natural effects.
Some of the more well-known cannabis-derived cannabinoids, or phytocannabinoids, that are found in cannabis plants include cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).
While researchers have identified many cannabinoids, they have primarily focused their efforts on studying and understanding how CBD and THC influence the body’s systems. Many studies have explored CBD oil effects and CBD oil benefits, as scientists look to learn more about potential CBD hemp oil uses.
3. Cannabis Growers Can Breed High-CBD Plants
Not all cannabis contains the same amount of cannabidiol. There are now thousands of unique cannabis strains available to consumers. On a chemical level, these strains differ in their make-up of their cannabinoid content, providing various CBD concentration options.
Thanks to crossbreeding cannabis growers are able to cultivate cannabis plants that contain high levels of CBD.
These high-CBD strains, also referred to as CBD-rich strains, have become a popular choice for anyone interested in the natural effects of cannabinoids while maintaining a clear head.
Here’s a fun CBD fact: When Medical Marijuana, Inc. was searching for the perfect cannabis seed to introduce CBD oil products to the market, our experts first tested a total of 3,000 possible varieties to find the perfect hemp cultivar that contained the optimum level of cannabidiol.
4. CBD Actually Is “Psychoactive”
CBD is regularly classified as a “non-psychoactive” compound nearly everywhere it is mentioned.
What people mean when they describe CBD in such a way is that it doesn’t elicit any temporary euphoric effects. This CBD fact is true: CBD is non-intoxicating and has shown to have no serious side effects, which is why many feel comfortable to buy CBD oil for all of their family members, including children and seniors.
While it is correct to say that CBD won’t cause a “high,” it is incorrect to describe it non-psychoactive. The term “non-psychoactive” means that a substance does not affect the mind, which isn’t an accurate description of CBD.
Dr. Ethan Russo, a respected long-time cannabinoid researcher, recently made the argument that, “CBD is frequently mischaracterized in lay, electronic, and scientific sources as ‘non-psychoactive’ or ‘non-psychotropic’ in comparison to THC” due to what research has found about the compound’s natural effects.2
The true cannabidiol fact is that CBD has demonstrated that it influences one of the body’s major native regulatory networks, the endocannabinoid system. CBD’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system does alter the release of neurotransmitters in the brain and elsewhere. In doing so, CBD encourages balance in the body and its functions.
Russo went on to explain: “More accurately, CBD should be preferably labeled as ‘non-intoxicating,’ and lacking associated reinforcement, craving, compulsive use, etc., that would indicate a significant drug abuse liability.”
This is one of the most important CBD facts you learn today: While CBD is non-intoxicating and won’t cause impairment, it is psychoactive.
5. CBD is CBD, No Matter the Source
No matter where it comes from, CBD is CBD. Some cannabinoid users mistakenly think that CBD from marijuana is somehow more potent than CBD derived from hemp. On a molecular level, CBD from hemp is the same as CBD from marijuana.
Researcher Franjo Grotenhermen of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines has been quoted saying, “CBD is CBD. The human body does not care where the molecule comes from.”
An easy way to understand this CBD fact is to consider vitamin C. No matter whether your body absorbs it through an orange or a lemon, it will treat and use the water-soluble vitamin the same way.
While it is true that the percentage of CBD in hemp plants by dry weight is generally lower than the percentage of CBD in some specially bred marijuana plants, once CBD oil is extracted from the plant, this difference becomes negligible.
6. CBD May Help You Manage a Cannabinoid Deficiency
A relatively new theory from Dr. Russo, mentioned earlier, speculates that supplementing the body with plant-based cannabinoids like CBD could possibly be beneficial for addressing the nutritional deficiency.
This theory, called the clinical endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome (CECD), attempts to explain why in some cases the endocannabinoid system is unable to properly keep the body balanced. It proposes that a deficiency in cannabinoids can lead to a dysfunction in the endocannabinoid system, leading to health issues.1
Americans may be at a greater risk for being depleted of cannabinoids since cannabis, both marijuana and hemp, were prohibited in the 1930’s. Eliminating hemp from the diet may have contributed to cannabinoid deficiency issues.
Adding CBD oil to your diet could, the theory suggests, augment the body’s own cannabinoids and help the endocannabinoid system effectively balance the body.
7. CBD’s Benefits Can Be Maximized with Hemp’s Other Phytochemicals
Of all the CBD facts, this one may surprise you the most. Taking CBD with all the other natural compounds found in cannabis may enhance the compound’s effects.
The entourage effect, first introduced in 1998 by renowned researchers Raphael Mechoulam and S. Ben-Shabat, suggests that the sum total of all the chemical compounds in cannabis — including CBD and the other hundreds of plant compounds — act synergistically to provide a more powerful effect.
In other words, these scientists and others believe that consuming full-spectrum CBD oil offers greater natural wellness properties than taking isolated CBD compounds alone.
Hemp contains more than just CBD. It is made up of 400-plus active compounds, including cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes, as well as essential vitamins and minerals, fatty acids, fiber, protein, and chlorophyll.
While CBD on its own has demonstrated undeniable natural benefits, the entourage effect could mean that the compound’s benefits can be maximized when consumed with the other natural compounds found in cannabis.
8. CBD is Beneficial, Even if You’re Healthy
Many people first incorporate CBD into their lives once facing health problems, but CBD offers botanical properties that are beneficial for anyone interested in promoting wellness.
CBD’s stimulation and support of the endocannabinoid system may help it continue to run efficiently.
Hemp-derived CBD oil also supports the maintenance of a complete and healthy diet. When discussing CBD oil facts, it’s impossible to not mention that in addition to CBD and other trace cannabinoids, CBD oil is also a natural source of many vitamins and minerals, including B complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium. CBD oil also contains protein, fatty acids, and other dietary nutrients critical for keeping your body running at its best.
For healthy people, supplementing the endocannabinoid system, the largest self-regulatory system, with plant-based cannabinoids like CBD is a potential way to maintain optimal health. The balancing effects of CBD combined with the nutritional content of hemp oil will help ensure your body is given what it needs for peak performance each day.
9. CBD Can Also Be Beneficial for Your Pet
Like us, many of our loved pets can benefit from the natural balancing properties of CBD. All mammals, including dogs, cats, horses, and more, have an endocannabinoid system, the bodily system with which cannabinoids interact.
A growing number of pet owners are discovering how adding CBD oil to their pets’ diets can be a natural alternative to promote well-being in their pets.
CBD’s support of the endocannabinoid system has shown to promote pets’ cardiovascular function, support healthy joints, and promote neurological health and emotional behavior. Also, for many pet owners, hemp CBD oil’s nutritional profile compliments the dietary requirements of their animal.
Today, you can buy CBD oil products specifically designed for pets, including CBD oils, CBD liquids, and CBD treats.
10. CBD is Federally Legal, Provided it Comes From Hemp
CBD, provided it is derived from hemp, is federally legal in the United States. While a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling had allowed hemp CBD manufacturers to operate for years without interference, the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill in late December eliminated any confusion of hemp CBD’s legal status.
The hemp provision in the new Farm Bill allows hemp to be legally “cultivated for any use,” including the production and extraction of CBD. It also means that you can legally use and buy CBD oil, without a doctor’s recommendation or prescription.
For those curious about cannabinoids and CBD oil facts, this is a big deal. While states can regulate hemp and hemp CBD as they choose, the new federal law will make many consumers familiar with CBD oil benefits more willing to try the variety of CBD oil products that are available to buy. Nearly everyone in the country can legally shop for CBD oil products and have their order delivered right to their doorstep.
Learn Even More About CBD
There is always more to learn about cannabidiol (CBD) and how it can help the endocannabinoid system regulate the body’s homeostasis. Learn more cannabidiol facts through our education page.
To start incorporating the natural wellness benefits of CBD oil products into your routine, visit the Medical Marijuana, Inc. online shop today.
References:
- Russo, E.B. (2004, Feb-Apr). Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD): can this concept explain therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other treatment-resistant conditions? Neuro Endocrinology Letters, 25(1-2), 31-9.
- Russo, E.B. (2017, March). Cannabidiol claims and misconceptions. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 38(3), 198-201.
