What Is CBD?

There's no question that CBD is the buzzy wellness product of the moment. If you live in a state where it's currently legal, you might feel like CBD has gone from being sort of around to absolutely everywhere all at once. Coffee shops sell CBD lattes, spas offer CBD facials, beauty companies are rushing to release lotions with CBD or hemp oils in their formulas. And everyone from your anxious coworker to your arthritis-suffering dad wants to get their hands on some CBD gummies.

But even though it's infiltrating pretty much every corner of the wellness world (hi, vegan CBD brownies!) many people still find CBD a little confusing—especially when it comes to figuring out the right way to use it and how to make sure the stuff you're buying is, you know, actually legit. Below, we asked experts to answer the most pressing questions about CBD.

HOW DOES CBD WORK?

As we stated earlier, your body already has a wildly complex endocannabinoid system that affects several different areas and functions. That system is rife with “receptors,” sites that await cannabinoid molecules presence. When the cannabinoid nears, the receptor will bind it to itself, creating a sophisticated chemical interaction that modern science is only just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding.

Unlike its sister molecule THC, CBD does not make you feel high -- but don’t think that a lack of psychoactive or intoxicating effects means that nothing is occurring. On the contrary, it’s very clear that there are many chemical responses that occur when CBD binds to those cannabinoid receptors. That being said, the endocannabinoid system is ubiquitous in the human body, affecting nearly all major functions in some way (especially homeostatic regulation). Because of this, it’s quite a task to discern everything that CBD does, precisely, when the binding occurs. That’s where the research is at right now: trying to solve that very mystery.

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WHAT IS CBD OIL USED FOR?

Before we discuss some uses for CBD oil, we should clear up one area of confusion: what is CBD hemp oil, exactly? CBD hemp oil is simply the natural extracted oil product of the hemp plant, a non-psychoactive species of the cannabis family. Although CBD oil can also be derived from the psychoactive species (marijuana) as well, those oils can end up containing higher traces of THC, which is not ideal for all CBD users. That’s why all the CBD products found on CBDfx.com have been derived from only organic industrial hemp plants.

The human endocannabinoid system, which CBD appears to directly interface with, has a profound influence on a myriad of different areas and functions in our body. Therefore, the scientific community is hard at work trying to understand if -- and how -- CBD can regulate or directly affect our endocannabinoid system to provoke positive effects in the body.

The fact is that new research is being performed and published on CBD every single day, and we don’t quite know definitively how or to what extent it works -- but the potential is astounding.

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NEWS ABOUT CBD POTENTIAL BENEFITS

Not a week goes by these days without CBD grabbing a headline or two, and the news is fascinating as clinical studies continue to delve into the mystery of this unique compound.

Besides the huge amount of research being performed on CBD at this very moment (much of it funded by the United States government), anecdotal reports of happy CBD users have flooded the internet and captured the attention of the global media. Although anecdotal reviews should always be taken with a grain of salt compared to peer-reviewed scientific research, it’s hard not to get excited when you read the testimonials from satisfied CBD customers.

On top of all of that, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted an exhaustive report in 2017 on the public health impact and efficacy of CBD. Their conclusion? CBD is safe and non-toxic to use, even in extremely high doses.

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So you're saying CBD won't get me high?

Nope. The cannabis plant is made up of two main players: CBD and THC. "CBD is the non-psychoactive portion of the plant, so what that means is you won't have any effects like euphoria," says Junella Chin, DO, an osteopathic physician and a medical cannabis expert for cannabisMD. "You won't feel sedated or altered in any way."

There are two possible exceptions to this. The first is that some people, for unknown reasons, just react differently to CBD. According to Dr. Chin, about 5% of people say they feel altered after taking CBD. "Usually they're the same people who have side effects from Advil or Tylenol," she says. You never know how your body will react to any new supplement, so when taking CBD for the first time, do so safely under supervision.

It's also crucial to buy third-party-tested CBD for quality assurance (more on this later). Because the FDA doesn't regulate CBD, it is possible to buy a product that is more or less potent than advertised, or even contains some levels of THC. Always do as much research as you can on a product before consuming, or find a trust worthy supplier who knows exactly where their products come from.