It is an unquestionable fact that CBD is causing a sensation in the medical community. For too many years, the demonization of cannabis prevented the vast majority of laboratories and research centers in the world from carrying out objective studies on the potential of the active ingredients of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Fortunately, this has changed, and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has recently approved that CBD oils can be used in clinical trials. As the evidence mounts, so does the number of misconceptions surrounding CBD products. The ingrained social phobia towards cannabis is gradually fading, and so last year authorities around the world recognized the low danger of cannabis, compared to many (if not all) legal drugs and types of alcohol. .
But since it is still technically illegal in many regions, we have to wonder why such an interesting compound still faces these problems.
The reason is simple. When those antiquated and completely outdated prohibitionist laws on cannabis were passed, it was assumed that the entire plant (and its derivatives) were psychoactive, and therefore had the potential for recreational abuse.
Since CBD oils are an extract of the cannabis plant, they automatically fall on the list of controlled substances. This has also caused numerous myths to be spread about CBD itself, as cannabis, hemp, and marijuana are not all the same.
Below we will look at some of the most common myths and the facts you need to know to be really informed about what is what.
ANDL CBD IT’S A CANNABINOID: TRUE!
CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol, one of the approximately 60 different active molecules contained in cannabis. The human body has a neuroreceptor system called the endocannabinoid system, on which CBD seems to interact by modulating and regulating activities around CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout our bodies, from head to toe. CBD, directly and indirectly, regulates the reuptake of a certain neurotransmitter, ionic channels, and even non-cannabinoid receptors.
ANDL CBD IT PLACES YOU: FALSE!
CBD is not psychoactive. The FDA, despite only recently allowing clinical trials, still classifies CBD oils as dietary supplements. In fact, circumstantial evidence suggests that CBD is antipsychotic and anxiolytic, and generally a stress reliever.
Recreational marijuana users tend to prefer low amounts of CBD precisely because it tends to soften the high considerably.
ANDL CBD IT IS EXTRACTED FROM THE MARIJUANA PLANT: FALSE!
This is due, quite simply, to the confusion that exists around the taxonomic nomenclature of the plant itself. Even botanists and ethnobotanists have not yet reached a consensus for its classification. And then there’s the slang.
To (try to) keep things as simple as possible, cannabis is the scientific name for the genus, which includes three distinct species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis.
Marijuana and weed are slang words for types of cannabis that are high in THC, and therefore preferred for their euphoric and psychoactive qualities. They are usually grown with this in mind, and therefore CBD is often present in very small amounts.
Industrial hemp is the name given to a variety of cannabis that is selected for its ability to produce hemp fibers, seeds, and oil. Cannabis is usually considered hemp when it has a THC content of less than 0.3%. This type of cannabis usually has a much higher amount of CBD.
In recent years, largely due to the rise in popularity of CBD, breeders have dedicated themselves to creating specific strains for CBD production. Although hemp does exactly the same thing, a recreational strain can produce much larger female flowers. By selectively breeding some strains by removing THC and increasing CBD, these new strains can produce a much higher amount of raw material with the same ecological footprint. In summary, it is a hemp whose fibers are not so good, but with which you can harvest much higher amounts of CBD with respect to weight, and without THC.
ANDTHERE IS A LEGAL RECOMMENDED DOSE LIMIT: TRUE!
As a health supplement, CBD producers are not allowed to recommend that their customers consume more than 160mg of CBD per day. They do this to ensure that it is used in a supplemental way. Only doctors can recommend higher doses accompanied by a prescription to consume CBD. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek the help of a medical professional if you wish to use CBD as more than a dietary supplement.
youALL CBD OILS ARE MADE THE SAME WAY – FALSE!
Nothing could be further from the truth. To begin with, if you want to make CBD oils you need to have the highest quality raw material possible (flowers or female cannabis buds), but in huge quantities. This implies a problem, since most of the time the demand exceeds the supply.
Clandestine and unregulated production methods are riddled with very strong petrochemical fertilizers, bloom-enhancing additives, and pesticides. The result is far from a natural product, and you will end up contaminating the resulting oil. Therefore, only fully organic and naturally grown cannabis should be used.
Secondly, it depends on the extraction method used, since there are several. But since CBD oils are intended for human consumption, keep in mind that most of these methods will use toxic solvents, which are very difficult to remove.
CO₂ extraction is completely clean and environmentally friendly, ensuring no residue is left behind. The cost of the necessary equipment is prohibitive in many cases, and a highly skilled operator is needed to properly operate such a system.
Some producers prefer quantity, while others opt for quality.
CBD can also be obtained in its pure crystalline form. In theory, it is pure and unadulterated. But we do know that cannabinoids work most effectively when they act as a team, known as the entourage effect. The therapeutic value of an oil is found in itself, but as a whole, not in the sum of its parts. Most alternative extraction methods will destroy the terpenes and flavonoids.
Although CBD is the main component, terpenes and flavonoids also play an important role in the overall therapeutic experience of CBD oils, and certainly not just because of their tastes and smells.
ANDL CBD IT IS BEING SUBJECTED TO CLINICAL TRIALS: TRUE!
For a long time, cannabis research was conducted either in secret, funded by the US government for clear propaganda purposes, or by a few pioneers who somehow managed to bypass the bureaucracy.
Examples like that of Dr. Raphael Mechoulam in Israel, or Dr. Manuel Guzmán in Spain, or even the activist group NORML in the United States, to name a few, laid the foundation for serious analytical investigations.
For decades, the research was rejected by most therapists. Only in recent years, due to unprecedented legislative reforms and social upheaval, has it been possible to propose to academics and research centers the possibility of doing so without fear of reprisals from ethics committees or even authorities.
The number of articles currently being published around CBD research is unheard of, and there is no doubt that a lot of investment is being made in this field.
Recently, both the World Health Organization and the World Anti-Doping Agency reviewed their position on CBD for the Olympic Committee, both stating that it was completely safe, going so far as to recommend that legislators around the world reconsider their position on CBD. this very promising molecule.
