What is CBD: The Beginner's Guide – L|ONES

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What is CBD: The Beginner's Guide

CBD has risen in popularity over the last few years, but there are still some common misconceptions surrounding this plant. You deserve to know the truth about CBD—so let’s dive into your most pressing questions.

 

CBD has taken the world by storm, and it all started in 1940 when R. Adams and his colleagues stumbled upon this cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD).

What used to be illegal in several countries including the United States, Canada, and Germany is now one of the fastest-growing health products in both the United States and Europe.

Thanks to CBD’s therapeutic benefits, more and more people are turning to it in hopes of relieving ailments like anxiety, arthritis, and even PTSD.

But, what exactly is CBD? Is it a trend or a fad? Will it get me high? Is it worth my money? Read on to find out...

 

What Is CBD?

So, what is CBD exactly?

CBD is one of over 100 chemical compounds (cannabinoids) found in the hemp plant.

The important distinction to make is that CBD is derived from Hemp—not Marijuana. Their relationship is confusing, so let us break it down for you…

Hemp and marijuana are both a part of the same plant family—Cannabis Sativa L, but they are two completely different species of plant.

Think of it like this:

A poodle and a pit bull are both a part of the Canine family but are two completely different species of dog.

So, since hemp and marijuana are very distant cousins, hemp does NOT have the same psychoactive, “high” properties that marijuana does (i.e. THC).

In fact, the amount of THC found in a hemp plant is minimal—only carrying up to 0.3%.

 

What Makes CBD So Special?

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive into what makes CBD so special…

The reason CBD even works is because all living things have what’s called an endocannabinoid system (ECS).

Without your ECS, CBD wouldn’t do much.

Your ECS is made up of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) that span across your entire body—with the majority of receptors being found in the brain, central nervous system, and immune system. The primary responsibility of your ECS is to regulate and maintain homeostasis (balance) in your cells.

Thus, when you take CBD, you’re enhancing the activity of the naturally occurring cannabinoids already found in your body. This positively influences activities in the heart, lungs, brain, blood vessels, GI tract, liver, stomach, and more.

 

What Are the Benefits of CBD?

By now you may be asking, “What are the benefits of CBD? Will it help me?”

Because CBD amplifies such a wide array of bodily functions, people are experiencing a number of benefits—with the top 3 reasons for taking CBD being anxiety, insomnia, and joint pain and inflammation.

According to a market research study conducted by Brightfield Group, 41% of people using CBD for a medical condition report it as “extremely effective”, 44% report it as “very effective”, 14% report it as “moderately effective”, with 1% reporting it as “slightly effective”.

So to answer your question, CBD is most definitely not a fad. It’s a trend of a healthy lifestyle, and it’s here to stay.

 

CBD vs THC: What’s the Difference?

We briefly covered CBD and THC’s relationship above.

They’re both from the same plant family (Cannabis Sativa L) but are two different species of plant, but there are 4 other differences to know about them.

 

CBD THC

Is primarily found in the hemp plant

Is primarily found in the marijuana plant

Has up to 0.3% THC

Ranges from 5-35% THC

Non-psychoactive (will NOT make you feel high)

Psychoactive (WILL make you feel high)

100% legal in the US and Europe

Illegal in some parts of the US and Europe

 

In short, you can reap many of the same benefits that THC has to offer with CBD—without feeling stoned.

From relieving pain and stress to helping your muscles recover to sleeping better, LIONES has curated unique collections to enhance your lifestyle and unlock your maximum potential.

The topic of CBD is infinite. If you want to learn more about this cannabinoid and its extraordinary benefits, check out our blog or read our FAQs.

 

What Types of CBD Products Are There?

If you’ve done even the slightest bit of research on CBD products, you will probably have encountered terms like full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolate.

We know, it’s yet another confusing fact about CBD. Here’s a quick and simple recap on the three:

Full Spectrum CBD

Full-spectrum CBD has just a trace amount of THC (up to 0.03%).

After CBDs extraction from hemp, the resulting CBD oil is considered full spectrum. The advantage of taking a full-spectrum CBD like LIONES CBD Oil for Balance is that it is less processed and more natural than CBD isolate.

And because it’s FULL spectrum, it includes the 100+ cannabinoids and terpenes, including THC, CBN, CBG, THCA, CBGA, and others.

Broad Spectrum CBD

Broad-spectrum CBD is nearly identical to full-spectrum CBD, except for the fact that it has zero THC.

CBD Isolate

CBD isolate is just what it sounds like—isolated CBD. So you won’t find any THC, CBN, CBG, or any other cannabinoids in it.

CBD isolates were thought to be the best type of CBD on the market, but this has been disproved over the years. Now, experts recommend that people take full-spectrum CBD due to it being less processed and more pure.

Hemp CBD oil has great benefits to consumers when it contains all cannabinoids. So, if you want to get the most out of your CBD (and the most bang for your buck), opt for a full spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD.

 

Interested in learning more about CBD?

There is always something to learn about the vast world of CBD.

Check out the following blog posts for more hemp knowledge:

  • What are Cannabinoids?                                                                                                                                                             
  • CBD Do's and Don'ts

|O L|ONES Team

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