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The age of using plants as a therapeutic alternative to modern medicine is upon us; gaining popularity in many modern countries in the last several years. Although cannabis has been around for literal ages (think BCE) and has been used to treat many ailments for thousands of years; prohibition of the plant has left people with a lot of unanswered questions regarding the legality and benefits of cannabis, CBD and hemp. Medical marijuana gained legality first in California in 1996. After years of positive anecdotal evidence more states followed suite. Citizens of the U.S. began understanding that there was more to the plant than the Reefer Madness that shook the country in the 1930’s. 6 years later, governments across the country began to notice that their people wanted this plant available for recreational use; they also saw dollar signs and in 2012, Colorado and Washington
became the first states to legalize adult recreational use.
Following recreational legalization in many other states, came the Farm Bill of 2018. This bill allowed the legalization of hemp farming to resume after it was outlawed in 1937. The bill stated that hemp containing .03% THC was legal in all 50 states. For the first time in decades, cannabis and CBD became a staple in the medicine arsenals of families everywhere.
What is CBD?
CBD is Cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one (of many) chemical components that are present in the hemp plant. Female hemp plants product cannabidiol in the oil of their flowers. Once the plant matures, the flower is dried and the oil can be extracted from the flower using a variety of different methods usually using heat. CBD is the active ingredient in many of the hemp products you see on store shelves today.
Picture to the left is a hemp plant just beginning to flower.
Hemp begins to flower when there is 12 hours of continuous darkness.
The picture to the right is a female hemp plant in full flower- nearing the end of it's growing cycle
To ensure that the THC (psychoactive cannabinoid) in the hemp plant does not exceed the legal .3% THC levels, farmers have to test their flowers weekly and monitor the plant daily.
What Does CBD Do For the Body?
Mostly all vertebrates in the world have an Endocannabinoid system (ECS). The endocannabinoid system has not been widely studied however what research has found is the ECS is present in almost all functions of the body. Without cannabinoid supplementation through ingesting CBD - the body becomes out of balance. When you supplement your body with CBD, CBD will bind to the receptors in the ECS and help bring the body back into balance. This may look like improved moods, stabilized/improved digestion, joint/muscle relief, aids in movement disorders and other negative neurological symptoms and promotion of healthy sleep patterns (just to name a few).