So what’s all the buzz about CBD?
What You Need To Know About CBD – The Natural Health Remedy of the Decade
by Cassi Donegan | Nurse Health & Wellness Writer | Eternal Affairs Media
Intro: When the 2018 Hemp Farm Bill passed in the United States making Cannabidiol (CBD) products federally legal in all 50 states, history and lives were changed. CBD has taken the health and wellness industry by storm and years later, much like medical marijuana, the CBD industry continues to grow and thrive with a third of Americans having tried it. From pet products to medicinal edibles, CBD is making its way onto shelves around the globe. With CBD no longer on the list of controlled substances thousands of people young and old are reporting their lives changed by inviting this hemp derived natural remedy into their lives. So what’s all the buzz about CBD…and does this plant medicine give consumers a buzz like its familiar relative, tetrahydrocannabinol, (THC)? Let’s explore!
What Is CBD?
You see it in countless stores and on social media feeds. You hear about it on the news, and you can even smell it around the corner. The CBD market generated more than 4 billion dollars just in the U.S alone in 2020. Cannabidiol is an edible and medicinal plant, also known as Indian Hemp. It is one of over 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant. What are cannabinoids, you ask? These are the natural chemical compounds in the plant that interact with our body’s endocannabinoid system producing their effects.
CBD comes in 3 different forms:
- Full Spectrum CBD: This is cannabidiol combined other cannabinoids, like THC
- CBD Isolate: This CBD is JUST cannabidiol, no others added!
- Broad Spectrum CBD: contains other compounds from the cannabis plant, but no THC
It is breaking the law in many places to have a CBD product containing more than 0.3% THC and it may be important to you to choose a THC-free product like CBD isolate or broad spectrum CBD. Full Spectrum CBD receives critical help for optimal effect from other cannabidiols like THC, CBG, CBN, CBC. The mixture of cannabidiols is needed to create the “entourage effect” which is basically suggesting that CBD is an ice cream sundae, while CBD plus the THC, CBG (and so on) is that ice cream sundae PLUS all the delicious toppings, enhancing its medicinal value and its impact on your body.
What Is CBD Used For?
CBD is still being studied and there is much more to learn about this medicinal plant, but so far the number of ways that CBD can be used continues to grow as more and more hemp CBD oil and other products hit the shelves. Its ability to be an affordable natural remedy has consumers checking often for the newest CBD product.
CBD has been suggested to:
- Fight inflammation, the cause of many conditions like arthritis and migraines
- Boost the immune system
- Relieve high blood pressure
- Lessen the effects of drug withdrawal and addiction
- Help regulate sleep and avoid insomnia
- Relieve stress and advocate for our mental health
- Help PTSD symptoms like anxiety and depression
- Give relief to chronic pain and neuropathy pain
- Help symptoms related to dystonia, Parkinson Disease, and Crohn’s disease
- Help promote appetite like in those with HIV/AIDS or cancer
- Relieve skin conditions, like acne, eczema, and minor wounds
The Big Pharma prescription form of CBD called Epidiolex was approved by the FDA for pediatric and adult use to treat forms of epilepsy that are considered rare and severe like Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastraut syndrome and was also approved for Tuberous Sclerosis (TSC) related seizures. Epidiolex has treated more than 15,000 people and was shown to reduce the frequency of seizures by 37-48% in those with these conditions. The holistic approach to these health conditions has clearly made a difference.
How is CBD used?
People are using CBD in a variety of ways and for many different reasons. Those who experience anxiety may use the hemp oil or tinctures which become effective within minutes, while those with chronic pain or neuropathy may opt for CBD oil capsules that release into their system throughout the day.
Here are some examples of CBD products:
- CBD Beverages like coffee, water, tea, kombucha
- CBD edibles like CBD gummies, honey, chocolate, baked goods
- CBD tinctures
- CBD oil capsules and drops like Charlotte’s Web and Isodiol
- CBD products for cats, dogs, horses, etc.
- CBD skin care lotions and makeup
- CBD oral sprays
- CBD bath Bombs
- CBD vape Oil – many advise caution- find a reputable brand- these can contain ____
- CBD Hemp Flower for smoking with names like Bubba Kush, Hawaiian Haze, Fruit Loops, Special Sauce, Gorilla Glue
How Is CBD Made?
According to the USDA the 2021 National Hemp Report Survey on Hemp Acreage and Production shows that over 33,000 acres of industrial hemp were harvested, most of it being in the states of Colorado and Montana. Hemp production totaled over $700 million in value.
CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant in a number of ways, and this can be derived from both the marijuana and hemp plant by using:
- C02 Extraction
- Butane Hash Oil Extraction
- Ethanol Extraction
- Dry Ice Extraction
- Hydrocarbon Extraction
- Vegetable Oil Extraction
Beware: In the manufacturing process if the extraction is done poorly it can result in leftover pesticides and solvents, so it’s important that you choose a reputable CBD company that uses an extraction method you agree with and that has third party testing done to ensure safety.




