2020 June

The legalisation of cannabis in many countries across the globe is opening up new opportunities. New medicinal micro-industries are popping up to make use of this once frowned upon herb. There are many medicinal extracts that cannabis brings to the table. One such extract is cannabidiol, popularly known as CBD.

What exactly is CBD?

There are over 100 cannabinoids in the hemp plant, a staggering number for a single plant. CBD oil is the second most common compound after the famous THC. However, CBD (cannabidiol) is not psychoactive; if you expect to get a high off ingesting CBD, disappointment awaits you.

CBD’s lack of psychoactive effects is probably the reason why it has been readily accepted into society. With marijuana still illegal in the UK, CBD is extracted from industrial hemp. The hemp

in question has been specially cultivated to have high CBD content and very minimal THC levels.

The standard regulation stipulates that the CBD extract must contain less than 1mg of THC per finished product for it to be legal.

Does It Work?

Research on how CBD operates in the body is not yet sufficiently conclusive; it is still ongoing. But the little that can already be drawn from what is available suggests that CBD is not just a fad. The phytocannabinoids in the CBD regulate some aspects of the human body like pain, memory, appetite, and sleep, among others.

So far, there is still some strict regulation on the sale of CBD in the UK. Brands and vendors are only allowed to sell them as food supplements. No one is allowed to make any medicinal claim on high-street CBD related products.

There are only 2 medically-approved CBD drugs in the UK; Sativex and Epidiolex.

Uses of CBD

Like most cannabis-based medications, CBD is widely used to relieve pain in the body. It has also been found to affect analgesia, although this has not been approved yet, pending more research.

CBD has also been used to deal with depression, insomnia, appetite loss, arthritis, and anxiety. Cancer researchers have also linked it to the reduction of chemo-related side effects like vomiting and nausea. But this only works when the CBD is combined, in equal proportions, with THC.

Its positive effect on the skin has led to cosmetic companies using it in some lotions and moisturisers. It reduces acne and other skin-related issues.

When it comes to ingestion, CBD can be taken in food supplements, as oil drops, or it can be added directly to food. For purposes of being discreet, some people prefer taking it with their favourite snacks one of the more popular being CBD gummies such as ZenBears.

For a faster kick, sublingual administration is recommended. You simply place a few drops under the tongue, and it will be absorbed quickly into the blood system.

Legality in the UK

CBD is legal in the UK. But this is subject to the amount of THC in it. The law stipulates that THC levels have to be less then 1mg per finished product.

For a CBD product to be declared medicinal, it needs to gain the approval of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

What to Be On the Lookout For

When shopping for CBD, there are things you need to keep in mind. You run the risk of buying knock offs that are widely being circulated from black markets. With the CBD market largely unregulated, chances of being sold adulterated supplements are high, and you could get yourself into a pinch.

The most important aspect when shopping for CBD is to only buy products accompanied by 3rd part lab-reports confirming the dosage of cannabinoids insides and that the product is free from contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides.

Check out CBDShopy a trusted UK CBD Oil retailer.

The Bottom Line

As calls for the legalisation of marijuana increase, government involvement will ultimately lead to more research. Considering how resourceful the hemp plant is, it is only a matter of time before the rollout begins.

Once the market opens up and expands, regulations will be put in place, safeguarding you from unscrupulous dealers.

There are many scenarios when speed may be a factor when planning your use of CBD. For example, you might want to work out and not feel the effects until after you are done, or you might have an important meeting soon and want to make sure it will be calm before it starts. What are the fastest and slower methods of consuming CBD, and how do the other methods stack in terms of speed?

1 – Vaping

Let’s start with the obvious champion: vaping is the fastest popular method of getting the effects of CBD, but not the safest. When you vape, the CBD mist goes into your lungs and then gets sent straight into your bloodstream, creating an instant peak in your CBD levels.

As a result, you often feel the effects of the vape right away. If not, then the CBD will start being effective within three minutes. It will remain effective for anywhere between 1 and 3 hours, depending on a variety of factors.

That said, there are safety concerns associated with vaping in general, and you should look into those before you pick up the habit. On top of that, notice that vaping is the fastest “popular” method of feeling the effects. CBD injections and suppositories can both be just as fast, if not faster, but neither method is mainstream.

2 – Sublingual application

The second fastest method, and one of the safest, is to place CBD under your tongue. That allows the substance to be absorbed by the mucous membrane, which sends it straight into your bloodstream. It takes up to six minutes for the CBD to start taking effect.

This allows the oil to bypass your liver, meaning that a lot more CBD makes it into your bloodstream. This leads to much stronger results than eating or drinking the same amount of CBD. Sublingual application can be done using either CBD oil or a tincture. The effects last between 4 and 6 hours, depending on many factors.

Find a list of reviewed CBD oils on Health.com

3 – Edibles

You have probably seen CBD gummies before, but edibles come in many more shapes and sizes. You can find CBD chocolate, cookies, lollipops, jam, ice cream, and even CBD pizza in some places. Versatility is certainly one of the main benefits of edibles, especially if you don’t enjoy the taste of CBD oil.

As far as speed goes, edibles are one of the slowest options in this list. It can take upwards of an hour for an edible to start making effect after being consumed. On the plus side, the effect lasts much longer, and it’s not uncommon for edibles to leave you feeling calm for six hours or more.

4 – Topical application

This is technically the slowest method in this list. While topicals are immediately effective in causing pain relief to the area where they have been applied, it takes several hours for the CBD there to be absorbed and reach your bloodstream.

Usually, that does not matter, since topicals provide localized pain relief long before the CBD reaches your bloodstream. However, if you choose to go to sleep with the product still on your skin, you may very well find yourself feeling unusually calm in the morning. If you would like to learn more about CBD, you should visit Cibdol.