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Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is one of the most famous active ingredients in hemp. Hemp, also called cannabis, is a plant that is part of the Cannabaceae family. It originates in different areas of the world and has been used by humans for therapeutic and curative purposes for millennia. This particular plant contains over 100 cannabinoids, a group of chemicals that also includes CBD, in addition to many other natural components.
CBD has achieved considerable worldwide fame thanks to its countless properties capable of treating disturbs such as insomnia, anxiety, lack of appetite, pain, inflammation and much more. One aspect that has made it so popular is the fact that it is not psychoactive and that, unlike THC, it does not cause mental alterations or side effects to health.
This factor has drawn more and more people, both in the past and now, to CBD products asnatural alternatives to traditional medicines. The healing properties of CBD have in fact aroused the interest of the scientific community which has increased research, especially since nations have become more tolerant in the cultivation and commercialization of cannabis. More and more studies are scientifically attesting to the healing properties of CBD in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases, including serious ones. All this has increased its interest and popularity among the public.
All forms of CBD that are on the market
Once clarified what CBD is, it is important to know all the forms in which it can be found on the market and to know where it can be bought. CBD is present in a pretty much pure variety in many products such as oil, crystals, creams, food, herbal teas and supplements.
Once CBD is used to create the oil, it can take three different forms:
- Isolated: CBD is extracted from the hemp plant and isolated from the other natural components to get its purest form;
- Broad Spectrum: Other natural substances found in the hemp plant such as minerals, proteins, terpenes, flavonoids, vitamins, fiber, essential fats, and other cannabinoids are also retained in this product, enhancing the properties of CBD by working in synergy and resulting in the so-called “entourage effect”, except THC, the psychoactive component;
- Full Spectrum: besides CBD, there are also other components of the plant, including THC, despite being just a small amount.
Each product is designed to satisfy a particular consumer taste. Indeed, the latter can find CBD in more or less potent forms according to its needs.
Differences between CBD and THC
CBD e THC are both cannabinois contained in the hemp plant. CBD was first discovered in the 1940s as a chemical compound rich in properties suitable for the natural treatment of a really wide range of diseases. THC, whose full name is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, was isolated only in the 1960s. They have a very similar chemical composition, and also share the same healing and healthy properties. However, one big difference sets them apart. THC is psychoactive, unlike CBD, and can in fact provide the classic sense of “high” associated with marijuana use.
Despite the many similarities between the two cannabinoids, THC has been identified as the main psychoactive substance in cannabis. The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that THC, when taken up by the body, stimulates dopamine production in the brain. Dopamine, also called “happiness or pleasure hormone,” is an important neurotransmitter that regulates pleasure and mood. When dopamine levels are high an individual feels much happier than when they are low. THC, by inducing dopamine production, triggers this feeling of euphoria and mental lightness.
This factor is what has led the world’s governments to tightly regulate the cultivation, marketing and use of cannabis. Only products that have a THC content ofless than 0.5 percent, a threshold considered safe because it is too low to provide a high, are legal in Italy.
The CBD production process
In order to create CBD products, it is necessary to go through numerous steps ranging from growing seeds regulated by European regulations to extracting the active ingredient. Each grower can perform the steps according to his or her own experience and instrumentation; in fact, there are many ways to be able to obtain absolutely legal CBD products.
Here are all the steps in the production process.
Cannabis cultivation
The production process starts with the cultivation of cannabis plants. This first stage is very delicate because not just any seed can be used, but it is necessary to follow the regulations of the country within which you intend to start cultivation.
In Italy, the law allows the cultivation of seeds that belong to specific varieties of cannabis listed in the European Community Register. They must therefore have a low THC content (less than 0.2 percent), and be authorized for industrial cultivation. This choice was made precisely to ensure the safety of consumers who will go on to purchase the final product.
Cultivation can then be done in 3 different ways depending on your experience, the result you want to achieve, and the space you have. It is possible to grow cannabis:
- Outdoors: the most natural method of growing plants is outdoors where aeration, lighting and water supply are better, although you must have soil available, you can only grow in the indicated months and you are still subject to the weather;
- Indoor: the most controlled method is indoor where it is possible to intervene on iar, light and water in an artificial space that can be cultivated all year long;
- Greenhouse: this is an intermediate method between outdoor and indoor, as the greenhouse allows control over lighting, air circulation and environment, but without creating a totally artificial space as is the case with indoor.
Each method has both advantages and disadvantages, and the choice is entirely personal. For example, outdoor growing is easier and provides more lush plants, but it is also more dangerous than indoor growing due to exposure to weather and pests. On the other hand, indoor and greenhouse are more discreet.
CBD Extraction
After growing and collecting the plants, it is necessary to extract CBD. The active ingredient, like the other substances in the hemp plant, is found within the inflorescences. This part is extraordinarily rich in beneficial components, and it is these that go into making up CBD oil.
Extraction can take place through very different methods. The choice of one over the other depends on the experience of the person making it, the instrumentation they have at their disposal, and the result they intend to achieve.
The main methods are use:
- Supercritical CO2: is the most complex extraction method, which requires specific tools but also yields the purest form of CBD, and is done by transforming CO2 from the liquid state to extract the CBD from the plant to the gaseous state to separate it from the resulting compound, and this yields an excellent product without processing residue;
- Ethanol: Another very common method is the extraction of CBD with ethyl alcohol by soaking the plant in the solution and then heating the resulting mixture to extract the active ingredient, a method that is much easier to accomplish but can leave chemical residues in the final product;
- Hydrocarbons: another method of extraction through chemicals is that which uses hydrocarbons such as butane or propane, however, this methodology also risks affecting the final product as well as being risky to the health of those who make it;
- Oil: finally, it is possible to extract the active ingredient using an oil such as, for example, olive oil or MCT oil easily and safely, although the CBD obtained by this method is neither concentrated nor pure.
Industrially, the most widely used method is with supercritical CO2 precisely because it keeps the CBD pure and leaves no processing residue.
Laboratory testing
If the cultivation and extraction steps have been carefully carried out, the final product obtained is likely to be very good. However, to find out, it is essential to carry out laboratory tests. Even, to truly ensure the quality of a product, tests should be conducted by outside laboratories that have no interest in the results obtained. These should then appear within certificates of analysis to be shown to consumers to make them more aware of what they are buying.
The properties of CBD
It is not only important to know what CBD is, but also to know its potential. CBD is attracting more and more scientists and consumers precisely because of its many powerful properties. Many have already been attested by scientific research while others are still being analyzed, but tests to date appear to be promising.
Humans have been resorting to CBD as a natural cure for millennia precisely because of its properties:
- Pain relievers: relieves pain, including chronic pain, which characterizes so many diseases such as arthritis, neuralgia, sclerosis, and many others;
- Anti-inflammatory and analgesic: reduces inflammation and the resulting swelling by speeding the healing of both infections caused by wounds and other diseases;
- Anxiolytic: Scientists have discovered a key role for CBD in the treatment of anxiety and stress by testing it on subjects with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, obtaining encouraging results;
- Antidepressant: treats depression as it stimulates the production of dopamine, the feel-good hormone, helping people with depression feel more satisfied;
- Antipsychotics: treats mental health conditions such as, for example, schizophrenia;
- Anticonvulsants: treats epilepsy as it is able to calm seizures and spasms, as has already been found in numerous scientific researches;
- Antiemetic: The active ingredient is of great help to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy because it can relieve the feeling of nausea and vomiting, promoting appetite;
- Calming: not only reduces anxiety and stress but promotes sleep by helping those with insomnia to sleep more soundly by waking up less;
- Energizing: strengthens cells through its antioxidant properties and detoxifying action;
- Neuroprotective: CBD prevents neurological problems due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Side effects of CBD
Does CBD have only beneficial properties or can it also cause contraindications? According to what the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated and what has emerged during the scientific research, CBD is a safe substance. In humans, it causes no particular side effects, is not addictive, and is not toxic.
In some cases only mild contraindications occurred, but nothing serious. Among the most common side effects reported were: feeling dizzy or anxious, dry mouth, drowsiness, mild mood changes.
The type and intensity of the possible side effects differ from person to person. But most importantly, no serious or permanent effects have ever occurred in any case.
Adverse reactions may occur in specific cases, so it is always best to seek advice and support from your medical professional, especially if you are also taking other medications that may be incompatible with CBD.
First, it is a natural remedy safer than THC. The first cannabinoid to attract the attention of scientists was THC, used in even high percentages during the treatement of more or less serious diseases. The glaring side effect of THC is indeed the psychoactive one. Research later discovered that CBD was much safer because it possessed the same properties but did not alter mental faculties in patients.
In addition, CBD is also very safe compared to many traditional drugs because it does not affect the body while trying to treat an ailment and most importantly, it is not addictive. In this regard, if you are already taking other medications to treat a condition, it is a good idea to consult a doctor to avoid any interactions.
How CBD interacts with the body
The question scientists have tried to answer is this: how is it possible that CBD provides all these benefits?
Cannabis has been studied for many decades, but it is only recently that science has discovered the existence of cannabinoid receptors within the mammalian brain. It was in 1992 that researchers discovered the existence of the endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system is an important biological system that is within the central nervous system, including brain, and the peripheral nervous system of the vertebrates. Its discovery represented a turning point for science because this system rules many physiological and cognitive processes. In fact, it is involved in the regulation of mood, sleep, appetite, the immune system, fertility, pain, and memory.
The system already produces chemicals with a similar composition to cannabinoids; in fact, they are referred to as endocannabinoids. The latter have the function of regulating the processes just listed. However, when they are present in low amounts, they fail to regulate them as they should causing the onset of disorders.
The researchers found that cannabinoids can rebalance vital functions precisely because they have a similar chemical composition and because they bind to two primary receptors: CB1 and CB2. CBD and THC bind to these receptors in the body stimulating a response to pain, inflammation, mood, thinking, movement, and many other functions.
In this sense, CBD can be considered a revolutionary remedy compared to traditional treatments. It does not just eliminate a consequence, as many other lab-created drugs do, but rebalances physiological and cognitive processes by acting at the root of the problem and supplementing those substances that the body cannot produce on its own in the right amount to keep itself healthy.
Discover our CBD oils
The oils in MariaCBDOil’s shop come from within the European Union and have been produced from EU-certified industrial hemp strains. Our CBD is mined in several European countries including Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia, depending on the type of product ordered.
For our products manufactured using international isolates, hemp is grown in Colorado (USA) and then extracted through the supercritical CO2 extraction method, followed by chromatographic isolation.
Discover MariaCBDOil‘s signature CBD oils now, all of which are safe from a legal and health perspective.