CBD oils are such a hot topic nowadays. Online news sites and social media platforms are abuzz with the numerous health benefit claims of these supplements. You also see them on the supermarket shelves and many other health and wellness stores.
Perhaps this has raised your curiosity regarding the uses, health benefits, side effects, and legality of CBD oils. These things are exactly what this post will explore. Jump right in!
What Are CBD Oils?
CBD oils are produced by drawing out CBD from cannabis sativa plants, and then mixing it with carrier oils such as hemp seed oil or coconut oil. CBD is a naturally occurring chemical compound extracted from the cannabis plant. FYI, the cannabis sativa plant family comprises both hemp and marijuana. The main difference between these two plants is the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.
Hemp has a low THC content, usually less than 0.3%, whereas marijuana has a high THC content, usually between 5% and 35%. As such, hemp is legally preferred for the production of CBD oils because of its low THC content.
THC is the most active compound in cannabis sativa plants. It can make you feel psychologically high when you consume it (in other words, you become intoxicated). That’s why CBD oils produced from marijuana are illegal in many countries and jurisdictions.
That tells you to always confirm that the CBD oils you’re purchasing are derived from hemp, having less than 0.3% THC. Also, look for trusted manufacturers such as Betoken CBD, which test their CBD oils for purity and safety first before distributing them.
How To Use CBD Oils
You can use CBD oils in any of the following ways:
- Spray CBD oils under your tongue: Once under your tongue, give the oil some five minutes to get adsorbed before you swallow it. Your mouth lining has numerous fine blood vessels, and thus CBD oils get into your bloodstream pretty fast. Scientifically, it’s referred to as high bioavailability. That makes this method the most popular among CBD oil fans. You can use a dropper or spoon as an alternative to spray.
- Rub CBD oils on the affected parts of your skin: Your skin has numerous cannabinoid receptors that can quickly absorb CBD oils. This method is especially suitable for the common topical CBD products that come in the form of creams, ointments, and balms, and usually contain other ingredients that may be harmful when ingested.
- Swallow capsules: If the taste of CBD oils irritates you, go for CBD oil capsules. You’ll be able to get the oil into your GI tract without upsetting your tastebuds. Use clean drinking water to help you swallow the capsules.
- Add CBD oils to foods or drinks: You can simply do this by adding CBD oils to the cooking oil you use to prepare your food. The rest of the preparation method remains the same. Otherwise, feel free to add CBD oils to salads, smoothies, honey, raw chocolate, porridge, etc.
- Vape CBD oils using a vape pen: You’ll have to specifically use CBD vape oils that are optimized for vaporization. Fill the cartridge with CBD oil, turn the pen on, and smoke the CBD vapor.
Health Benefits of CBD Oil
Researchers have conducted several scientific studies on the potential health benefits of CBD oils. Generally, cannabinoids interact with endocannabinoid receptors found throughout your body. CBD triggers the receptors to produce endocannabinoids which are believed to help regulate pain, mood, emotion, appetite, thoughts, movement, memories, and inflammation.
As such, CBD oils may help with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, asthma, allergies, various types of cancer, nausea, post-traumatic stress disorder, headache, migraine, sleep disorder, anxiety, depression, arthritis, acne, type 1 diabetes, and chronic pain.
Although all the above-mentioned benefits are supported by some evidence, the medical world is yet to conduct thorough tests to approve the use of CBD oils for the treatment of these conditions. Until then, you may want to use these oils only as a preventive measure, and not as treatment. Consult with your doctor to find out more on the health benefits of CBD oils and whether or not using it is appropriate for you.
Risks And Side Effects Of CBD Oils
As earlier mentioned, it’s very important to ensure that you’re getting your CBD oils from a trusted manufacturer with the necessary certifications. This way, your use of CBD oils will be safe. If you use non-approved CBD oils, you make yourself at risk of negative effects such as:
- Low fertility if you’re a male
- Mood swings
- Loss of appetite
- Digestive disorders
- Reduced alertness
- Nightmares
- Liver damage
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Interaction with other drugs such as valproate, clobazam, Nembutal, topiramate, and rufinamide, among others.
This can usually be attributed to non-disclosed additives in CBD oils. Unscrupulous manufacturers may add harmful substances to the oil and fail to include them in the ingredient label.
Legality Of CBD Oils
Many people are confused as to whether the use of CBD oils is legal. You’ve probably come across seemingly conflicting information as you searched for answers. To simplify matters, CBD oils may be legal or illegal depending on the state or country you’re from.
Most jurisdictions have legalized the use of CBD oils derived from cannabis sativa plants with less than 0.3% THC. This is usually the case with hemp. On the other hand, most marijuana farmers have long cultured their crops to yield high THC levels, and that’s part of the reason why marijuana-based CBD oils are illegal in most states.
To be on the safe side of the law, make sure you consult your country-specific laws on CBD products. You don’t want to be labeled as a drug trafficker, even though your use of CBD oils is purely medical or therapeutic.
Summary
CBD oils are increasingly growing popular because of their potential ability to alleviate a good number of medical conditions. Many people use these oils to help relieve chronic pain and various skin conditions.
If you buy them from a reputable manufacturer and use them as directed, you could reap most of the health benefits discussed above. What you need to do is to ensure that CBD oils are legal in your area of residence. And once this is settled, use CBD oils in any of the five ways described above.
