The Lowdown On CBD

In case you are not sure what to think about CBD oil and whether you should try it, here is a contributed post from Danny who explains some important facts about CBD oil and answers some of the most commonly asked questions. In this post you will also find some great tips on buying CBD oil online and what to look for to make sure you don’t get conned. Now, over to Danny…

You have to be living under a rock to have not heard about CBD oil in some way or another. Perhaps as a “miracle supplement” that can cure anything, or as a help for various medical conditions where anecdotal evidence is very well documented online.

I have been selling CBD oil for many months, having just set up my company Reactive Plus to sell online, (a horrendous challenge as finding payment platform support was almost impossible), and involved in CBD for many years. Here is some clarity to what can be quite a murky subject, often misrepresented or misunderstood.

What is CBD?

CBD is an acronym for Cannabidiol. To be legal you have to have licenced Hemp that contains less than 0.2% of THC, (the psychoactive element that results in a high from marijuana/cannabis). CBD is merely one of many cannabinoids from the Hemp plants. CBG, CBD & THC being some of the better known.

The cannabis/Hemp plant has been used for thousands of years as a help for a wide range of medical conditions. Ranging from psychological traumas to pain or injuries.

It is legal in the UK as a food supplement and must not contain more than 0.2% THC. Vape E Liquids should not contain nicotine or any impurities liable to cause health damage.

Can CBD Cure My Illness?

It is illegal for anyone selling CBD products to offer you medical advice unless of course, they are a qualified doctor or medical practitioner. After all, they cannot offer medical advice with any degree of authority. It is also a field where the science is catching up with the market and research is still being carried out into the many ways CBD can be of use to those taking it.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence and customer declarations of help online for those who wish to look. Many use the oils after seeing how it has helped someone they know. Do not be hoodwinked into buying any products under guarantees your condition will be cured as there is no way someone selling you the oil will be able to have any back up to that claim whatsoever. People have made strange claims from anti-ageing to baldness cures that I am not sure have a remote element of evidence to back them up.

Aren’t A Lot Of  CBD Products Just A Con?

There are plenty of unscrupulous people selling CBD products. It is the same with any industry. Many suppliers are just ignorant of what they are selling and therefore mislead through their own ignorance. Here are some of the signs to look out for if you are worried about not being able to buy a quality product amongst the many low quality or disingenuous ones out there.

• All reputable suppliers will have/provide evidence of lab tests on the oils they have used. Do not buy from anyone unwilling/unable to do or offer this. This should protect you from those who sell CBD free products as CBD filled, or full-spectrum pure oils that are merely over-processed distillates or even Isolates.
• No one selling should be offering you medical advice or treatment guarantees unless they are medically qualified to do so and have evidence their claims are tested and found to be true.
• If it is cheap, (over 25% cheaper, say, than other oils/products in its field), by comparison then at best you are buying a very low-quality product AT BEST, likely a product with no CBD oil in it at all. CBD oils are expensive to filter and cannot be sold at “bargain prices” whilst upholding a basic level of quality at the same time. You are better off saving for a better quality product.
• Look to buy from companies involved in a trade organisation. Trade organisations like Cannapro lead the way in ensuring their members uphold strict guidelines of promotion and quality control.

So What Are The Different Types Of CBD Oils?

There are 4 main oils/CBD types you can buy on the market:

• Raw oil. This hasn’t been filtered and though it is full-spectrum, (contains terpenes, flavonoids and a wide range of cannabinoids), will also contain chlorophyll, waxes and other impurities from the Hemp plant.
• Distillate Oil is a processed oil that focuses on enhancing the CBD levels at the expense of other cannabinoids and Terpenes/Flavonoids from the Hemp plant. To what extent will depend on just how processed the oil is. These oils can often be sold as Full Spectrum without containing many of the elements, or very low amounts them if over-processed. This is where you need to see lab reports for the oils. Distillates are cheaper as the processing is far cheaper to operate as the focus is largely on the CBD element of the Hemp plant.
• Isolates. This is a powder and the most processed of the CBD product ingredients. You have no other elements other than CBD. It is incredibly cheap and illegal in the UK and Europe to be ingested without the supplier having the correct Food Standards Agency certification. It is the cheapest option for preparing a CBD product as it is heavily processed, solely for the CBD.
• Lastly, we come to “Golden Oil”. This is Raw oil, FILTERED, not PROCESSED, allowing for the widest range of goodness from the Hemp plant to stay within the oil alongside the CBD Cannabinoid. Though more expensive it is easily the best oil you can get on the market.

Carrier oils are mixed with the CBD oil to allow for it to be easier to take. Carrier oils can range from Hemp Seed Oil, the best in our opinion, to other oils like olive oil, coconut oil etc. It is important you check the carrier oils being used as they can also, should they be Hemp-based, carry with them properties that are of value to people looking to use CBD products. Hemp seed oil, for example, has been in use for centuries, alongside the plant that it comes from.

You also get different strengths of Oils/E Liquids/Capsules etc. Try a weaker product first and build up your dosage as you see fit. Dosage is hard to advise as we all have different metabolisms and desired effects.

What Is The best way To Take CBD Oil?

Nowadays the market place is saturated with different ways to take CBD. From creams and shampoos to jelly sweets and hot drinks. Many though offer very poor bio absorption into the body’s system. The 3 main ways of taking CBD products are as follows:

• Tinctures: These are bottles with pipettes that drop the oil under the tongue. 30-60 seconds ad it is in your system and beginning to take effect. The effects can last up to about 6-8 hours
• Vaping: This is the quickest way to get CBD into your body. You feel the effects almost instantly. You are taking smaller amounts of CBD each time, and exhaling much of it so the effects do wear off after maybe 30-60 minutes depending on the strength of Vape E-Liquid.
• Capsules: Though they take about 1-2 hours to digest their effect can last for over 6 hours. The same kind of length as a tincture. The main issue that capsules have is digesting the CBD does not allow it to gain as full a bio absorption as vaping or indeed tincture oils. They are an easy way to take your CBD, however, and capsules tend to come in quite strong concentrates to counter the digestion process eroding strength.

Many people will vape and use tinctures or capsules, perhaps all 3 together, to gain their desired effect. It all depends what the overall desired effect is. 20-30 mg of CBD a day is quite a weak dose, 30 – 45 a medium one and 50+ strong. If you are having to take over 100mg it is worth consulting with a doctor as that would be an immensely strong dosage. Just to offer peace of mind to you and make sure you are not suffering from something more serious than originally thought.

To Conclude

The CBD marketplace is huge and continues to grow at a fast pace. There are plenty of people who claim to be benefitting from the products out there. With a little consumer savvy, you can avoid the “snake oil” salesmen and find CBD products that will deliver for you. It is no good expecting CBD oil to regrow hair or cure the incurable. There is growing evidence, however, that as a supplement it has effects on the body’s endocannabinoid system that are highly desirable. Try to remember:

• Look for lab test results for oils to guarantee contents of CBD and other elements
• Don’t shop by price, go on quality
• Start off with small doses of a weaker oil if you are new to taking CBD and work up to dosage and strength that works for you
• Look for quality Golden Oil products if you want the highest quality oils/products and fullest spectrum of Hemp elements
• Try to find products using Hemp Seed Oil as a carrier as you then get to benefit from the CBD and the Hemp seed oils.

Author Bio

Dan Vassiliou is CEO of Reactive Plus. A company that is determined to help consumers find high-quality CBD oils and products as well as educate them on the market in general. Why not join their facebook group where they are building a community of people, dedicated to using the highest quality CBD products whilst sharing their CBD stories and journeys?