Over the last couple of years, CBD products seem to have exploded in popularity, and it’s now almost impossible to walk down a UK high street without seeing signs for CBD products. From beauty products to vape liquids and oils to fizzy drinks, CBD has saturated the British market and is showing no signs of slowing — but what exactly is it?
This article will take a closer look at CBD, offering a brief look at some of the science behind it and exploring how it can benefit users.
What Exactly is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound. It derives from the same plant family as marijuana or hemp, but it won’t get you high.
If you smoke marijuana, you’ll be smoking part of a plant that contains both CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana, so this is what causes the ‘high’ or ‘stoned’ effect often associated with the drug.
CBD products, however, can only be sold legally in the UK if they contain less than 0.2% THC. This is such a small amount that it has been shown to have no psychoactive effects on its users. In fact, the World Health Organization has stated that there have been no ‘public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD’.
So, What’s the Point?
If CBD can’t get you high, you may be wondering what it can do. Well, there are many touted benefits of using CBD. Some of these benefits include:
- Pain relief
- Reduction of anxiety
- Improvement of cancer treatment side effects
- Period pain reduction
- Muscle relaxation
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced risk of seizure among epileptics
The research into many of these claimed benefits remains limited, but studies have found that cannabis-based medicines (i.e., CBD products) can be highly effective at treating symptoms of epilepsy, the side effects of specific types of cancer treatment, and muscular spasms often associated with multiple sclerosis. These are the only instances for which medical cannabis is currently prescribed by the NHS.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the other oft-hyped benefits are real, and online reviews make it seem like the wonder product many people have been waiting for.
What Type of CBD Products Are There?
CBD can be taken in many different forms. Probably the most common type of CBD product is CBD oil. This is an oil that can be taken as a tincture, placed directly under the tongue to allow for fast absorption into the bloodstream. It has a pretty unusual taste, and not everybody can stomach it, so if you’re looking for CBD products without the bitter undertones, don’t worry.
You can also ingest CBD as a tablet, a gummy sweet, a fizzy drink, a coffee, or a vape liquid, or you could even use it as a skincare product.
What Does CBD Skincare Do?
It’s becoming more and more common to see skincare products, such as CBD Cream from Dutch Natural Healing, which are enriched with CBD oil — and the claimed benefits of this are numerous. It’s usually made from all-natural ingredients, so it is great for people with sensitive skin. It has anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties, so it could help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and redness.
Can I Sell CBD Products?
CBD products are completely legal in the UK as long as they have been derived from the hemp strain of the cannabis plant rather than the Sativa or Indica strains (these are the ones with higher levels of THC).
With that in mind, you could consider selling CBD products. JM Wholesale offers white label CBD products that you can customise with your own business’ logo and details. It’s a great way to diversify the range of products that your company has on offer, and with CBD’s ever-growing popularity, there’s never been a better time to start selling these products.
Are There Side Effects?
As is true for nearly all supplements and medicines, there are a handful of side effects associated with the use of CBD. The majority of these side effects are pretty minor and shouldn’t affect your day-to-day life too much — these are symptoms like drowsiness, lack of alertness, change in appetite, and occasional nausea. If you do experience these side effects, you may want to stop taking CBD.
However, something to watch out for if you’re considering taking CBD should be how it interacts with other medications. If you take any medicine that comes with a ‘grapefruit warning’, you should talk to your doctor before you take any product containing CBD, as it can affect the efficacy of those medicines.
Other than that, CBD has been proven to be a safe supplement that could benefit its users in a number of ways. Now that you know a little more about it, why not try it for yourself?
