
In this day and age, there are a ton of CBD-based products that are beneficial for your health and wellness. It’s become extremely popular these days, yet there are still several questions surrounding this extract.
The history, legality, and source of CBD can get confusing in a snap. But don’t worry because we’re here to clear things up for you.
We’re going to tackle the most frequently asked questions about CBD that people have. Plus, we will provide answers from our CBD experts.
One of the most frequently asked questions about CBD is about what it is since not everyone is familiar with it. So if it’s the first time you’re encountering the term, you’ll definitely wonder what it’s all about.
CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it’s the second active compound present in cannabis.
Generally, CBD is a vital compound of medicinal marijuana, and it’s a direct by-product of the hemp plant. The latter is known as the marijuana plant’s cousin.
Not only that, but CBD is naturally-present as an element of hemp.
While CBD is treated as one of the elements from marijuana, on its own, CBD doesn’t give you a high.
Its Origins
CBD is one of over 60 naturally-occurring cannabinoid elements present in cannabis. It’s mainly taken from agricultural hemp plants.
Cannabidiol is the most non-psychoactive and ample cannabinoid that can be found in cannabis. Plus, it’s usually consumed to improve and support your overall health and wellness.
Do note that CBD is also in the marijuana plant, and it’s known to be the hemp plant’s cannabis cousin. However, the difference is that the marijuana plant has lesser CBD content and more THC. The latter is what causes a high.
According to the USDA, hemp is a legal plant and is defined as any Cannabis sativa L. category.
CBD – A Drug?
Aside from “What is CBD?”, among the frequently asked questions about CBD related to it is if it’s a drug.
Generally, CBD isn’t a drug. Instead, it perfectly fits the definition of a psychoactive element that shifts perception and moods.
Yet compared to weed, CBD does not get you intoxicated. As we mentioned, it’s a non-intoxicating element, so it won’t encourage the levels of sensory and psychological effects of THC.
To learn more on what CBD is, click here
Another one of the most frequently asked questions about CBD is the difference between CBD and THC.
Technically, there’s a huge difference between the two compounds despite coming from the same plant family.
Here are the differences between them:
Their Chemical Structure
Both CBD and THC have the same molecular structure: the same number of carbon atoms, oxygen atoms, and hydrogen atoms.
A slight difference in how their atoms are set accounts for their different effects on the body.
Generally, both CBD and THC are chemically-similar to the endocannabinoids in your body. It lets them interact and work with your cannabinoid receptors.
Their interactions affect the production of neurotransmitters in your brain. These are chemicals that are responsible for transmitting messages between your cells. Additionally, these neurotransmitters have roles in your immune function, pain, sleep, and stress, to name a few.

CBD and THC’s Legality
Other frequently asked questions about CBD include its legality.
Technically, cannabis-related laws continue to evolve in the US regularly. With that, CBD is still considered as a Schedule I drug based on federal law.
When it comes to hemp, it’s been pulled out from their Controlled Substance Act. However, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and FDA (Food & Drug Administration) still classify it as a Schedule I drug.
Despite that, 33 states, as well as Washington D.C., passed their cannabis-linked laws. These make cannabis with high levels of THC legal. However, cannabis requires a prescription from a licensed and professional physician.
Not only that, but a couple of states made recreational use of cannabis legal. In these areas, where cannabis is legal for medical or recreational purposes, you can purchase CBD.
Yet before buying products with CBD, always research and study your state’s laws.
Do note that if you own cannabis-based products in states where they’re illegal, you would likely face legal penalties. That also goes for instances when you don’t have medical prescriptions in states where these are allowed for medical treatment.
Medical Benefits of CBD vs. THC
Both CBD and THC have a lot of similar medical benefits. Both can provide relief from some of the same issues.
However, the difference between them is that CBD doesn’t give you euphoric effects like THC. It also doesn’t have the side effect that gives you a high.
Frequently asked questions about CBD are linked to queries regarding its uses. It includes what various conditions CBD helps with.
These include seizures, pain, inflammation, nausea, migraine, depression, psychosis/mental disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease. It also helps relieve depression, anxiety, and other concerns.
When it comes to THC, it helps with issues like muscle spasticity, pain, anxiety, nausea, glaucoma, and more.
To learn more about the difference between CBD and THC, click here
CBD vs. THC: Chemical Structure
When it comes to chemical structure, both CBD and THC consist of the same molecular build. They consist of 2 oxygen, 30 hydrogen, and 21 carbon atoms.
However, these two have a difference in terms of how their atoms are set and arranged. Hence, the atoms’ arrangement is responsible for the varying effects of these compounds in each person’s body.
Both CBD and THC are chemically analogous to the endocannabinoids in your body. This allows the compounds to readily interact with your cannabinoid receptors.
The interaction between them influences the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. These are the chemicals for relaying information between cells.
CBD is confused with marijuana, so it’s become one of the most frequently asked questions about CBD.
CBD is not marijuana, and these two come from different plants. However, they come from the same plant species as the cannabis plant.
Three Species of the Cannabis Plant
The Cannabis plant has three highly recognized species. These are Cannabis sativa, Cannabis ruderalis, and Cannabis indica.
Both CBD and marijuana come from the Cannabis sativa species. And while both come from the same Cannabis plant species, CBD and marijuana are derived from different Cannabis sativa species.
Technically, CBD is from hemp, while marijuana comes from the marijuana species.
Difference between Hemp and Marijuana
Among the frequently asked questions about CBD is the difference between hemp and marijuana.
Hemp and marijuana are varying species of Cannabis sativa and are bred for varying purposes.
Industrial hemp is produced exclusively by Cannabis sativa, while marijuana can come from Cannabis indica or Cannabis sativa.
Both hemp and marijuana have CBD, but hemp contains a much higher content of it. Also, hemp contains very low levels of THC. Specifically, it has less than 0.3% compared to the marijuana species.
The Industrial Hemp
When we speak of industrial hemp, it’s grown to have long stalks, a few flowering buds, and is quite durable. The reason why few flowering buds are necessary is to make extracting high amounts of CBD easier. It will also be easier to extract smaller amounts of THC.
The chemical profile of help means you won’t get a “high” from it. Plus, it’s utilized to create medicinal remedies, oil, food, and other products.
Other products include bricks, rope, fiber, natural polymers, clothes, and more.
Marijuana strains of Cannabis usually come flimsier and smaller. Plus, they have a lot of flowering buds that primarily function to increase THC concentrations.
Do note that marijuana is only utilized medicinally and recreationally.
Another one of the important frequently asked questions about CBD is if it’s legal.
Since CBD is extracted from hemp and has less than 0.3% of THC, it’s legal at federal state levels. Plus, during late 2018, it has the passage of the Farm Bill as well.
Not only that, but each state comes with its laws linked to CBD’s legality. With that, the legality of CBD and its related products vary from one state to another.
When it comes to the marijuana-derived CBD products, they’re illegal on a federal level. However, they are legal under a couple of state laws.
Always check your state’s laws, and anywhere else you plan to travel to. Remember that non-prescription CBD products aren’t FDA-approved and can likely get labeled inaccurately.
The Different Areas Where CBD Is Legal
The United States is unique since all of its 50 states have laws regarding CBD products. There are a couple of CBD products that are federally and explicitly illegal, like the CBD gummies. Any drink or food that has CBD added to it is illegal as well.
However, just a small number of states have laws that permit CBD in food and beverages. Also, labeling requirements for CBB-based products vary by state.
It’s good to note that not all products are allowed and legally sold in all 50 states.
Any product that has over 0.3% of THC is federally illegal in the United States. However, do note that each state has specific requirements for what’s considered illegal.
Some states require less than 0.3% of THC. For other states, they require a more accurate report of THC. A calculation of delta-9-THC + THCA is multiplied by the THCA amount to be activated and altered to delta-9-THC once heated.
However, do note that this accurate THC calculation isn’t always the one utilized for labeling.
For CBD in the US, it’s vital to read their state laws. It’s good to understand that products that aren’t produced in your state may be illegal to purchase, possess, or use.
Good examples would be for the states of Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina. These areas prohibit any smokable hemp or CBD-based products, including concentrates, flowers, and vapes.
Additionally, there are states such as Idaho, where CBD and hemp are illegal and heavily penalized.
“What is ECS?” is among the frequently asked questions about CBD. Technically, ECS is the endocannabinoid system. It is an essential part of the neuro-immuno endocrine network.
It’s a system of tissues and organs that sends and receives signals to your body. This system affects different aspects of your health, including inflammation, pain, mood, immune function, and stress response.
Endocannabinoids are what our bodies produce naturally. Phytocannabinoid or plant-derived cannabinoids like CBD can activate similar receptors in your body. The thing is that they either have the same or stronger effects compared to our endocannabinoids.
CBD is safe, and it comes with a lot of health benefits. Yet what makes it excellent are the non-psychoactive and non-euphoric effects, unlike with THC.
It’s relaxing yet non-intoxicating. That’s how a lot of people describe CBD once they utilize it. However, the effects of CBD on each person varies. Some may feel high even with low doses.
With that, it’s always best to ask a medical professional first and always start with very low doses of CBD.
Generally, CBD is safe and doesn’t cause any forms of high. It doesn’t exhibit any effects that are indicative of dependence or abuse potential. To date, there’s no evidence of CBD being utilized recreationally or any health-related issues linked with its use.
In chronic use, higher doses of CBD of up to 1,500mg/day is reported to be well-tolerated by humans.
To learn more about if CBD makes you high, click here
Among the essential and frequently asked questions about CBD is if it influences a drug test’s results.
Yes, it can influence the results. With that, you may fail the drug test even if you don’t experience any mood-altering effects from your CBD product.
This is because full-spectrum hemp extracts can contain THC traces and can cause a positive result during screening. This will be more evident in blood and urine specimens when such extracts are taken in high doses.
Remember that these drug tests lean towards identifying THC and not CBD or any other cannabinoid. So if you use CBD-based cannabis with even small amounts of THC, it may register in your drug test.
We recommend a cautious approach when taking CBD-rich hemp products and extracts during urine drug screens.
CBD Interactions with Other Medications
Since we’re tackling CBD’s safety and reactions, let’s see if it interacts with other medications.
Technically, low doses of CBD, specifically less than 150mg/day, will unlikely cause any drug-herb interactions. However, it’s still possible for drug-herb interactions to occur, especially in higher CBD doses.
CBD and other similar plant cannabinoids can interact with a lot of pharmaceuticals. It happens by inhibiting the activity of P450 cytochromes, the family of liver enzymes. Plus, it’s linked with metabolizing a lot of drugs.
Grapefruit consists of compounds inhibiting the same enzyme group. This is why medical experts advise their patients to avoid eating grapefruit shortly after taking any medications.
By inhibiting P450, CBD can either increase or reduce the effects of other medications. In some occurrences, your physician should monitor your blood levels with other medicines while taking CBD.
If you’re taking medications for blood level maintenance, speak with your healthcare provider first before using CBD-based products.
Frequently asked questions about CBD include what cannabinoids are. These are chemical compounds released by the cannabis flowers and can affect your body. These work by emulating compounds that our bodies produce naturally, and they’re called endocannabinoids.
These affect your brain, immune cell, and nerve activities.
The two known main cannabinoid receptors are the CB2 and CB1 receptors. CB1 can be found in the central nervous system and various peripheral tissues. It affects your muscle control, appetite, pain, thermoregulation, cognition, and stress responses.
For the CB2 receptors, they’re mainly set in the immune cells and at lower densities in your central nervous system. Its activation is linked with the immune function and cell proliferation, pain, and inflammation.
The two receptors have been extensively studied, yet there are more of these that are being examined.
If you want to try CBD, then you probably have one of the frequently asked questions about CBD in mind. It’s how to choose a CBD product that will suit one’s needs.
There are a lot of CBD products out there, and you can utilize any of these depending on your preferences. However, there are a few essential things that you should consider before making your purchase.
First, you have to make sure that the place you’re purchasing from sells products that have been third-party lab tested. They should test for the three P’s: the product’s potency, purity, and pesticides in them. Also, ensure that the third-party lab testing is present on the brand or shop’s product website.
You should avoid CBD products extracted using toxic solvents like propane, hexane, BHO, and other hydrocarbons. Instead, choose products that use cleaner extraction processes like the supercritical CO2.
Based on research, experts have discovered that a lot of CBD products have inaccurate and unreliable labels. Meaning, the amount of CBD and other content isn’t the same as what they advertise. This is one reason why you should always purchase CBD-based products from known, legitimate, and trusted brands.
If you’re planning to use the CBD vape pen, beware of its oil that contains propylene glycol. When this gets overheated, the chemical additives produce formaldehyde as a by-product.
One of the frequently asked questions about CBD is the conditions that it can treat. CBD doesn’t totally cure any conditions, but it aids your body in regaining its balance.
Your body is often out of balance, which causes internal and external issues, mood imbalance, sleeplessness, inflammation, and more. Taking CBD is a natural way to regulate your body’s imbalances.
Naturally, CBD has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties. It also provides pain relief, improves mood, reduces stress, and a lot more.
Additionally, it assists the central nervous, skeletal, muscular, immune, and digestive systems.
Mental Disorders
CBD helps treat a wide range of mental disorders. These include chronic anxiety and social anxiety by regulating the functions of the amygdala. This is the part of our brain that is responsible for fear responses.
Aside from that, it aids in treating insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, drug addiction, and chain-smoking.
CBD is also shown to decrease the occurrence of seizures in epileptic patients who took it regularly. Although CBD is unable to completely eliminate the symptoms of epilepsy, it can significantly decrease seizures and improve patients’ conditions.
Moreover, CBD aids in removing the beta-amyloid plaque, the biggest factor contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Physiological Disorders
Aside from mental disorders, CBD can help address various physiological disorders like rheumatism, arthritis, and various types of chronic pain. Plus, it reduces the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
It aids in treating drug-resistant infection and diabetes. Not only that, but it also helps kill breast cancer cells and prevents lung cancer from spreading.
Other Possible Effects of CBD
CBD is shown to have other possible effects in various studies. It’s a neuroprotective compound that can help decrease brain damage. It promotes neurogenesis or the production of new brain cells.
Additionally, it’s a powerful antioxidant and can help you be less prone to diseases that are partially genetically-acquired
When applying CBD topically, it can treat various skin ailments like rosacea, acne, and psoriasis.
To learn more about the benefits of CBD, click here.
CBD and THC are the two most active cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Both hemp and cannabis produce CBD and THC. However, cannabis produces a greater concentration of THC, while hemp produces more CBD.
Today, the average strain of cannabis has about 12% of THC. CBD oil can contain small THC traces since it’s present at decreased levels in hemp plants. Remember that CBD products can’t have more than 0.3% of THC to be legal at a federal level.
With CBD oil, it can have very small traces of THC, which you’ll barely notice. Understanding why and how to avoid this requires you to have basic knowledge of what CBD oil is. You also need to know how it’s being extracted and how it works for your body.
CBD ESSENTIALS
Shop our collection of high-quality CBD products including CBD oil tinctures, infused gummies, oil capsules, and CBD for pets in a variety of options.
Final Notes
These are the most frequently asked questions about CBD. Yet aside from these inquiries, it’s best to remember some important things if you plan to use CBD-based products. Before you start taking CBD-based products, or any medication for that matter, it’s best to consult with your physician first. Always tell your doctor of other medications that you’re taking before taking any CBD products.