Have you heard about CBD? Is it legal? Does it really work? Will it make me high?
The major active components of cannabis/hemp are a family of compounds known as cannabinoids. There are more than 60 cannabinoids, though only a handful have been studied. As a family they appear to have remarkable medical properties.
Cannabinoids mimic natural neurotransmitters, the chemicals which allow the transmission of signals from one neuron to the next, and there are actually cannabinoid receptors in the human body.
CBD (cannabidiol) is the second most prominent cannabinoid in the hemp plant. It is a breakdown product of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which can be generated by a variety of processes including heat and CO2 extraction. Regardless of the method, CBD is available as a pure distillate powder, with absolutely no THC and no hallucinogenic activity.
CBD is known to relieve anxiety, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, reduce heart rate, reduce blood pressure, reduce muscle spasm, and even reduce THC side effects. It has been known to be antioxidant and antipsychotic. Some studies suggest CBD may cause a reduction in plaque associated with dementia (Alzheimer’s).
A superior form of CBD is made with pure CBD distillate, dissolved in pure olive oil. It is available in one ounce amber glass bottles with a measured dropper. There are 360 mg of CBD in the bottle, which works out to 12 mg in each one ml (a full dropperful). The most common method of dosing is under the tongue, yet, many people satisfactorily swallow it with no problem. When giving CBD to your pets, adding directly to their food is effective.
Customers report success with a wide variety of dosing, ranging from a few drops per day to one ml, one to three times daily. A good dosing plan would include starting low, and adjusting from there, based on response, a half-dropper twice daily seems a good place to begin.
This version of CBD contains no THC, you cannot get high from using it.
It will not show up in drug testing for marijuana.
It tastes fine with no flavoring and no sweeteners.
Humans evolved over millennia side-by-side with the hemp plant, “plants are our medicine”. Then, early in the 20th Century, all legitimate sources of hemp were yanked from our reach. Laws made even wild hemp illegal and farmers scurried to destroy every shoot they found before they were fined or prosecuted.
Many who are again using hemp products, CBD, not marijuana, are reporting positive results without annoying side effects so common with all the drugs that are prescribed. A review published on PubMed reports, “Chronic use and high doses of up to 1500 mg [CBD] per day have been repeatedly shown to be well tolerated by humans.”
Of course, nothing is perfectly safe for everyone at all times, especially the tons of FDA-approved drugs. In the end, it has to be up to the consumers to know what they’re using and do so wisely because nobody else can do it for them. One caveat, though, when a person decides to use CBD, it is best to take time to consult with someone who knows the products and their actions.
Larry Frieders is a pharmacist in Aurora who had a book published, The Undruggist: Book One, A Tale of Modern Apothecary and Wellness. He can be reached at
thecompounder.com/ask-larry or www.facebook.com/thecompounder.