CBD seems to be everywhere these days. People appreciate its medicinal benefits and use it in foods, beverages and beauty products. Many materials on the Internet are devoted to this well-recognized abbreviation – CBD.
But what lurks below these three letters. How much do we actually know about CBD?
Lets’ analyse unknown facts about this unique substance. Hope this clarifies many things for you and this article will allow you to take a fresh look at CBD.
Fact # 1. CBD became illegal before it was discovered.
Ex-British colonies were among the first to illegalise the use of cannabis. Gradually, cannabis was also outlawed in the UK. One of the earliest legislation was introduced in 1928. However, they were made stricter in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise in the use of recreational marijuana and other illicit drugs.
The reason why CBD became illegal is that most governments, including the UK administration, refused to differentiate between recreational cannabis/marijuana and CBD oil. THC was first isolated in 19691 and this stimulated the cannabis research further.
However, it took almost 50 to 100 years for most countries to realise that CBD differs from recreational marijuana, and thus CBD was legalised only in the 21st century.
Fact # 2. Hemp is one of the world’s oldest crops.
Hemp is the CBD rich variant of the cannabis genus. In fact, archaeologists traced it back as far as the emergence of agriculture between 12 000 to 10 000 years ago. As one of the fastest-growing plants and a source of usable fiber hemp was widely grown by ancient farmers2.
Fact # 3. CBD is one of over 100 cannabinoids.
CBD and THC are the most famous of many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. The reason the other cannabinoids don’t receive much attention is the fact that THC and CBD are present in the highest concentrations. Other cannabinoids are available at very low levels3.
Anyway, while researchers have identified many chemicals inside the cannabis plant, they have primarily focused their efforts on studying how CBD and THC affect the human body’s systems.
Fact # 4. CBD oil is not intoxicating
We are sure that CBD is not psychoactive; it does not get you high. What CBD does do is interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system and receptors to maintain homeostasis.
Those receptors are called CB1 and CB2 receptors and are found throughout our bodies. CB1 receptors are concentrated in the brain and central nervous system while CB2 receptors are mostly in peripheral organs and cells of the immune system. 4
Fact # 5. CBD is CBD
No matter where CBD comes from, on a molecular level CBD from hemp is the same as CBD from marijuana.
According to researcher F. Grotenhermen “CBD is CBD. The human body does not care where the molecule comes from”5.
The main difference is in the percentage of the substance. But once CBD is extracted from the plant, this difference disappears.
Fact # 6. CBD is nutritious
CBD is sourced from the hemp plant which is full of nutrients and minerals6:
- antioxidants (Vitamin E)
- carotene (precursor to Vitamin A),
- phytosterols
- phospholipids
- calcium
- magnesium
- sulfur
- potassium
- phosphorus
- iron
- zinc
- chlorophyll
References
1. Bridgeman MB, Abazia DT. Medicinal Cannabis: History, Pharmacology, And Implications for the Acute Care Setting. P T. 2017;42(3):180-188.
2. Tourangeau * W. Re-defining Environmental Harms: Green Criminology and the State of Canada’s Hemp Industry. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice. August 2015. doi:10.3138/cjccj.2014.E11
3. Cannabinoids: A Secret History – Chemical Heritage Magazine. https://web.archive.org/web/20080619013348/http://chemicalheritage.org/pubs/ch-v25n2-articles/feature_cannabinoids.html. Published June 19, 2008. Accessed January 13, 2020.
4. https://mcanz.org.nz/the-endocannabinoid-system/
5. Grotenhermen F, Müller-Vahl K. The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2012;109(29-30):495-501. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2012.0495