I get a lot of questions about CBD, whether they’re questions about our CBD products, products from other sources, or CBD in general. It’s clear that with so many questions, there is still a good deal of confusion about CBD. I probably can’t clear up all the CBD confusion, but I can try to answer some of the main concerns.
You Don’t Want to Get High
Right. Neither do I. Nor do I want a positive test for THC in the workplace or on the athletic field. So, the worry is completely understandable. And it’s warranted.
As a quick reminder, the chemical compound THC is what causes the cannabis high. In the most basic terms, if there is no THC, there is no high. Also, if there is no THC, there is no positive drug test.
Is it possible for some CBD products to contain THC? Yes. Which is why it is so important to be careful when choosing a product and a source. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. A little technical clarification first.
Cannabis is a CBD product which also contains THC by design. These are products for people who are less interested in the CBD and more interested in the THC. If you want to avoid the high and a positive drug test, do not use cannabis.
That one was easy. The next one is a bit more complicated. CBD comes in a variety of styles and configurations. So again, if you’re looking to avoid the high and the positive drug test, you need to make sure you’re paying attention to the product you’re buying.
Full-spectrum CBD contains all the parts of the plant which account for CBD, including THC. Typically, full-spectrum CBD products contain as much as 0.3% THC. That’s enough for some people to notice a slight high. It is certainly enough to trigger a positive drug test.
Broad-spectrum CBD products have no THC. The manufacturing processes remove the THC. Assuming the manufacturing processes are good, there should be 0.0% THC in the final product, meaning no high and no positive drug test.
The bottom line for avoiding THC is clear. Buy broad-spectrum CBD products. Only buy from a vendor you know and trust. Make sure you can get test results from an independent testing laboratory that confirms (among other things) that the CBD products you use have 0.0% THC.
You’re Not Sure Why You Would Use CBD
It can be confusing. Part of the problem is clearly related to the hype surrounding cannabis in general and CBD specifically. There are a lot of claims floating around out there. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough clinical studies to support much of what you might have read. The good news is that more and more researchers are starting to examine CBD more closely. In time, we’ll have tons of scientific data.
Another problem is that the human body is complicated. We have cannabinoid receptors throughout our bodies, which opens the door for CBD effectiveness. The problem is that some people have more receptors than others, or more-sensitive receptors. CBD doesn’t have the same effectiveness for some people as it does for others. When your neighbor tells you that she uses CBD to even out mood swings, that’s great. But it may not work as well for you. In the end, you’ll need to experiment with CBD to see how well it works for your desired effects, and what dosages you’ll need.
Sleep
Possibly the most common use of CBD is to improve quality of sleep. While some people report that CBD makes them drowsy, I suspect that those people may be using a full-spectrum product. In any event, many people report that CBD improves the quality of their sleep and deepens their REM states (the most important time of sleep when your brain does most of its recharging).
Muscle or Joint Discomfort
Another common use for CBD is to ease pain and discomfort in joints and muscles. Many users report that they experience a blunting of pain from arthritis when using CBD. Many others target muscle aches. It’s common to see some folks applying a topical CBD product to their affected areas, while also taking CBD orally.
Athletic Performance
An off-shoot of using CBD for muscle discomfort is the practice of using CBD to proactively hold off muscle fatigue during athletics. This is a new trend in CBD use, as best I can tell. The idea is that a runner (as an example) might apply a CBD salve or ointment topically to their leg muscles before running to hold off muscle tightness and fatigue during a race.
Mood Improvement
Many people use CBD products every day as part of their vitamin regimen to help handle stress. Still others have reported that their moods swings tend to be more even, helping them avoid drastic highs and lows during the day.
How Much Should You Take?
As I mentioned before, this is the big question. Everybody’s ability to take advantage of CBD is different. Men and women absorb and use CBD differently. Larger people tend to need larger doses than smaller people. I generally suggest that folks start with a lower dose and move up if they aren’t getting the desired effects. Try the 10 mg Softgels first and move up to the 25 mg Softgels as needed. There’s a little experimentation needed here to see what works best for you.
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