What Is CBD oil and does it really work?

CBD oil has recently become something that almost everyone seems to recognise, with more people using it than ever before. However, despite its massive rise in popularity, there is still plenty of confusion about the product. Though many people are using it, surprisingly few truly understand what CBD oil is and how it works. Here is the truth unpacked.

What is CBD oil?

From the perspective of newcomers to cannabinoids, CBD oil has a bit of mystique. A sort of scientific, almost arcane bottle with a clear, viscous liquid dispensed as drops into the mouth; with a 100% match, what could be more frightening or intriguing? However, it gets a lot less intimidating once users realise that it’s generally nothing more than some extracted cannabinoids in inert oil.

CBD, the primary cannabinoid within CBD oil, is one of the major components in cannabis and is actually the second most common cannabinoid besides THC in the plant.

To make CBD oil, manufacturers take plants rich in the compound and put them through an extraction process, typically supercritical extraction. This process uses superheated carbon dioxide in a “supercritical” state, which means it can act as both a liquid and a gas at the same time. By swirling the superheated CO2, cannabinoids and other compounds are extracted from the plant and can then be separated and suspended within the oil.

The oil used depends entirely on the manufacturer; some use MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oils, like coconut oil, whereas others try to stick to things like hemp seed oil.

From there, the oil is either packaged and sold, or it undergoes further filtration processes to remove additional cannabinoids such as Grass & Co. The extent of the filtration determines what kind of CBD oil the customer ends up with. Unfiltered CBD oil, containing other cannabinoids like trace amounts of THC, is known as full-spectrum CBD oil. However, extremely filtered examples are known as CBD isolate and are designed to contain nothing but CBD and carrier oil. 

How does CBD oil work?

Understanding how CBD oil is made is helpful, but how does it work? Everyone expects that regular cannabis is guaranteed to have an effect, but in what way does this happen?

It turns out that CBD affects a person pretty much the same way as hemp does, albeit with different outcomes. Whenever a person imbibes cannabinoids, the chemical interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, interacting with its two primary receptors, the CB1, and CB2 receptors.

THC, the better known cannabinoid found in regular cannabis primarily interacts with the CB1 receptor, attaching itself to it and overstimulating it. This is one of the reasons why a person gets “high” after imbibing THC.

CBD, meanwhile, is a little bit different; it attaches much more gently. Many studies, such as this one by Shenglong Zou and Ujendra Kumar, have found that CBD stimulates the CB receptors more gradually and over a more extended period of time than THC does. This results in extremely mild effects, allowing a user to experience them at a much more therapeutic pace. Furthermore, it avoids inducing any psychoactive high.

The specific effects of CBD on the human body are still being studied, but there is a basic understanding of how the chemical works when it comes to its interaction with our bodies.    

Final thoughts

Thanks to its gradually increasing reputation, as well as its well-researched safety, CBD oil for sale is becoming incredibly commonplace, and the apprehension surrounding it is dissipating. New users struggling with selecting products should stick with buying from brands like Premium Jane. There are plenty of options out there, but known brands such as this offer exceptional quality and trustworthiness when it comes to the integrity of their product.

The editorial unit