As someone who has taken interest in more natural, less invasive forms of treatment, you may be having a lot of questions floating around your head when it comes to CBD. Questions like

• Is it safe?
• Does it have side effects?
• Will I get high?
• Would it show up on a drug test?

And the most common question that you will likely have: Is It legal?

This article aims to shed some light and answer a couple of questions regarding CBD to help you gain more confidence in integrating CBD products in your regular health regimen.

First Things First (What is CBD?)

CBD stands for Cannabidiol. Discovered in the 1940’s, CBD is a naturally occurring chemical compound and the second most prevalent active ingredient in the cannabis plant or marijuana.

CBD is one of the essential components of medical marijuana and is often derived from the hemp plant, which is closely related to the marijuana plant. Both are under the species of Cannabis sativa. Although CBD is one of the hundreds of phytocannabinoids present in marijuana, this substance alone cannot cause you to be high or have the hallucinogenic effect that some people mistakenly associate with CBD.

CBD does not exhibit any effects in humans that can be indicative of any abuse or lead to potential dependence.

Putting Some Science into CBD

CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) affect our bodies in a variety of ways. This led to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system in the 1990’s. The interaction between the CBDs and our body greatly affects endogenous cannabinoids.

Endogenous cannabinoids are lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters that bind to the cannabinoid receptors. We have these receptors all throughout our body, categorized into two types: the CB1 and the CB2. The CB1 receptors primarily affect our central nervous system and the CB2 receptors affect your peripheral nervous system.

The endocannabinoid system regulates a broad range of physiological activities that can affect our mood, our immune system activities, blood pressure and a lot more.

Does CBD Get a Person High?

Many people have this notion that CBD and marijuana have the same effect, and it’s totally understandable. Probably the reason for this is that people think that hemp and marijuana are the same. CBD is mostly extracted from hemp so it’s only natural that most people will assume that hemp and marijuana are the same thing.

CBD and THC are present in all types of cannabis plants but in different quantities. Though hemp and marijuana are the two primary species of Cannabis sativa, they are entirely different. Both of them contain high amounts of CBD but hemp has a higher percentage of CBD and a low percentage of THC compared to marijuana, which usually causes the hallucinogenic effect.

CBD and THC both have therapeutic attributes,  but between the two, THC is what is responsible for the euphoric sensation associated with getting high, altering your perception of space and time. As for CBD, its non-psychoactive compound creates an entirely opposite effect from being high as it promotes calmness and relaxation.

A constant reminder for those who want to try the therapeutic benefits of CBD: consuming CBD alone will not get you high. Even if you consume high amounts of CBD, it will not create any adverse effect that will leave you disoriented or uncomfortable.

Try CBD Today

As the saying goes, what you don’t know won’t hurt you. But in the world of health and wellness, not knowing can equate to either you worsening your condition or missing out on a possible cure or treatment. In CBD’s case, it’s the latter. Not knowing more about CBD is a missed opportunity because of its numerous health benefits. Once a person gets past the wrong stigma associated with it, he can enjoy its positive medicinal attributes.

Sources

https://www.health.com/condition/pain/what-is-cbd

https://www.projectcbd.org/cbd-101/what-is-cbd