Where does CBD come from?

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CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid from hemp preferred by main for its purported therapeutic effects. It is extracted from hemp parts using an appropriate extraction method and availed in CBD tinctures, edibles, vapes, topicals, and capsules. This article explains where CBD comes from and more about it.

Like many people, you might have realized that CBD is growing in haze and is becoming part of the mainstream. From edibles to tinctures and capsules, you can easily find CBD items. Although its novelty makes it slightly expensive, CBD is easily accessible in pharmacies, specialty shops, and stores. It remained outlawed for a long time, but when the 2018 Farm Bill was passed, making industrial hemp and CBD with less than 0.3% THC legal at federal levels, most states made CBD partially or fully legal. Still, a question remains, where does CBD come from? Peer into this article to learn more about CBD origin.

Introducing CBD

Before delving into where CBD comes to form, this section helps you understand it. With so many people using CBD worldwide, it has become necessary to provide clear information about CBD. What is CBD? It is the non-psychoactive compound in hemp and marijuana (Bauer, 2020), two strains of the cannabis plants. Since it is non-psychoactive, it does not cause the ‘high’ effect linked to THC (Schlienz et al., 2018). In fact, you can take CBD in any of its different forms, whether capsules, edibles, tinctures, or topicals, without fearing to get high from them.

Types of CBD

If you anticipate joining the CBD bandwagon soon, you may want to know the types of CBD there. While CBD is an umbrella term, you can have most of its products in the following formulations;

  1. Full-spectrum CBD; features CBD, additional cannabinoids such as THC, CBC, CBN, and CBG, as well as other cannabis compounds like terpenes and flavonoids. Full-spectrum CBD is linked to a synergistic effect due to the many compounds, an effect called full entourage (Anand et al., 2021).
  2. Broad-spectrum CBD; suits CBD users who want to enjoy the full entourage effect of many cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids but does not have THC. It has a composition similar to full-spectrum CBD but lacks THC.
  3. Isolate-based CBD; is pure CBD without any other cannabis compound. It suits those starting a CBD regimen who want nothing to do with THC or the earthy flavor of CBD because of the many compounds.

Where Does CBD Come From?

Back to the big question of the article, you want to know where CBD comes from. As stated at the outset, CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabis derivative. This means that it comes from cannabis plants, specifically hemp. Although CBD can also come from marijuana plants, most brands use CBD to derive and manufacture CBD in line with the 2018 Farm Bill requirements that consider hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3% THC legal at federal levels.

Knowing where CBD comes from is not enough. One also needs to understand how it comes to be CBD from the hemp plants. When the hemp plants mature, the CBD-rich parts, including leaves, flowers, and stems, are harvested by hand-picking or another method and dried. Once dried to the desired extent, an appropriate extraction method, such as ethanol or CO2 extraction, is used to strip off CBD from the hemp surfaces. The extracts feature any of the three formulations discussed above, depending on what one desires.

Purifying CBD

For CBD to make the high-quality CBD deliverables you consume, it has to go past the extraction method and CBD manufacturing. It needs to undergo further purification to make it safer for consumption. Like CBD extraction, the purification technique features an effective approach that does not add impurities to CBD. Reputable brands even go to higher levels as far as conducting 3rd party tests to ensure CBD products feature as much CBD and THC as indicated on the labels. Besides, the 3rd party tests confirm the purity of the products against standard contaminants, including mold, filth, heavy metals, organic matter, and industrial solvents. It is no wonder that looking for high-quality CBD products entails many things, including looking for evidence of 3rd party tests.

How Is CBD Delivered?

With the information on how CBD is made and where it comes from, many people would like to know how CBD is delivered. There are several ways of CBD delivery, and it is worth noting that no method is the best; they compare differently, and each has its pros and cons. If you are contemplating taking CBD soon, here are suggestions on what you could explore;

  1. CBD tinctures and drops; feature CBD in liquid form administered orally or sublingually for maximum bioavailability. Although it ensures more bioavailability and faster absorption of CBD into the bloodstream, the user has to bear the bitter taste of CBD.
  2. CBD edibles; best suit CBD users who want something to mask the bitter taste of CBD oils and tinctures. While it guarantees taste and flavor, it compromises bioavailability, and one has to wait for some time for the CBD taken this way to execute any effect.
  3. CBD capsules; are also great for masking the bitter taste of CBD oil. Since they dissolve fast in the stomach, they are more bioavailable than CBD edibles but not as much as CBD oils and tinctures.
  4. CBD Vapes; you can also enjoy CBD in vaping equipment, including cartridges, tanks, and pens, although you will have to bear the cost of CBD oil and the equipment. Yet, vaping CBD delivers the cannabinoid to the bloodstream faster than CBD oils and other methods.
  5. CBD topicals, if you mind ingesting CBD but still want to benefit from it, you might want to experiment with CBD topicals, including CBD balms, patches, and creams.
  6. High-CBD cannabis flowers; you can also opt to make cannabis flowers to enjoy their CBD. However, the CBD does not come without the psychoactive THC.

Conclusion

CBD is the non-psychoactive compound in hemp and marijuana plants, although most brands use hemp for CBD manufacture. It occurs in three formulations; isolate-based, full- and broad-spectrum CBD, which one can explore. Producing CBD entails using an appropriate extraction technique and a good purification method. Peer into the article to understand everything about CBD.

References

Anand, U., Pacchetti, B., Anand, P., & Sodergren, M. H. (2021). Cannabis-Based Medicines And Pain: A Review Of Potential Synergistic And Entourage Effects. Pain Management11(4), 395-403. Https://Www.Futuremedicine.Com/Doi/Abs/10.2217/Pmt-2020-0110.

Bauer, B. A. (2020). What Are The Benefits Of CBD–And Is It Safe To Use?. In Mayo Clinic. Https://Www.Mayoclinic.Org/Healthy-Lifestyle/Consumer-Health/Expert-Answers/Is-Cbd-Safe-And-Effective/Faq-204467000.

Schlienz, N. J., Lee, D. C., Stitzer, M. L., & Vandrey, R. (2018). The Effect Of High-Dose Dronabinol (Oral THC) Maintenance On Cannabis Self-Administration. Drug And Alcohol Dependence187, 254-260.

 

Charlotte Cremers
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