Inspired Life CBD

CBD is an abbreviation for Cannabidiol which is a Cannabinoid, or simply thought of as a biological building block that is part of the cannabis plant.

There are around 113 different cannabinoids that make up the cannabis plant and each compound can be extracted and used for a variety of reasons.

Each extracted cannabinoid offers varied effects when consumed.

In extracted form, CBD is mostly consumed as an oil and in a lot of cases, the oil is added to various consumable products such as drinks, cakes, gummies, topicals, creams and capsules.

Imagine that the cannabis plant is a dining table full of 113 different beverages, there is only one alcoholic beverage within the 113 that will alter the state of mind. The remaining beverages consist of healthy and relaxing herbal teas.

The only drink at the table that will alter the mind represents the compound, THC which is the only part of the cannabis sativa plant associated with 'getting high'.

CBD is one compound out of the 113 and it is non-intoxicating.

The effects of CBD vary somewhere in between relaxation and no effect at all, as it would be with a safe herbal tea remedy.

Yes, CBD is legal in the UK provided it has been derived from an industrial hemp strain that is EU-approved or comes from outside the EU.

CBD must contain less than 0.2% of psychoactive compound THC with one exception following the November 2018 change in UK legislation to offer prescription cannabis to treat Multiple Sclerosis, in this case, Sativex, which is a 50-50 mix of THC and CBD, has been legally approved for use in the UK as a treatment for multiple sclerosis.

This blend of THC and CBD oil can only be obtained via medical professionals and cannot be sold for recreational use.

When the cannabis plant is consumed in its entire form, i.e. smoked or added to an edible, strong amounts of THC will alter the state of mind.

In the metaphorical example above where the cannabis plant is a dining table consisting of 113 drinks, or compounds, only one drink will alter our state of mind. This is the same with the cannabis plant, where THC isn't eliminated, the psychoactive compound, THC remains and  this is where we'd feel a 'high'.

The only way to get ‘high’ from the cannabis plant is to consume a large dose of the THC compound.  

When cannabinoids such as CBD are extracted from the cannabis plant, the THC compound is completed isolated from CBD.

There may be a very slight trace of THC inside the CBD compound, but this amount would not be enough to alter our state of mind.

The small amount of THC present in some of our CBD products is legal in the UK and in most countries around the world and it is not enough to get you high. 

The CBD compound has been studied for decades, perhaps even centuries, and it has been found to offer incredible benefits to our health.

CBD was said to have been discovered in 1940 and in more recent years following a surge in holistic health and scientific capabilities, there have been a wide number of clinical studies carried out on the CBD compound’s effects on anxiety, cognition, muscular and inflammation disorders, pain and relaxation, most of which show positive results towards healing.

Cannabidiol (CBD) can be ingested into the body in multiple ways.

One of the most common and potent methods is to:

Drop the CBD oil under the tongue with a pipette and leaving it there for a couple of minutes before swallowing. This allows the oil to quickly enter the bloodstream.

Other effective methods of ingesting CBD include:

Inhaling via a CBD Vape or CBD Flower in smoking papers. 

There are also ways to ingest through the mouth that include

CBD edibles such as lollipops, CBD gummies and CBD Chewing Gum, Drinks such as CBD Herbal Teas, CBD Capsules are also one of the best ways to ingest without the taste.

You may have heard this term in relation to CBD and the cannabis plant as a whole.

When we smoke or vaporize CBD, our bodies absorb a wide array of botanical compounds.

Each compound passes into our bodies with different effects and benefits.

The biological behaviour of these compounds may alter when they mix with other compounds. This is called ‘the entourage effect’.

Alike humans, who alter moods depending on environments, the compounds found within the Cannabis/Hemp plants are the same. 

The two primary cannabinoid compounds of interest in recent times are THC and CBD. The cannabis and hemp plants also contain other beneficial cannabinoids such as CBC, CBN, and CBG.

Terpenes are also present in the plant which are aromatic compounds such as those found in essential oils such as eucalyptus, and lavender.

A study authored by cannabis researcher, Dr. Ethan Russo, suggested that cannabinoids and terpenes potentially work together when they enter the human body.

For example, the cannabinoids CBD and CBG have been found to inhibit the potentially fatal bacterial staph infection, MRSA.

A few more potential synergies detailed in Dr. Ethan Russo’s study include:

The pine-scented terpene pinene may help counteract compromised memory caused by THC.A combination of CBD and the peppery terpene, carophyllene, may be beneficial in the treatment of addiction.CBD and the citrus-scented terpene limonene, might work together to alleviate anxiety.THC plus the cannabinoid CBN can potentially yield enhanced sedating effects.

In a 2010 study, patients with cancer pain were given either a pure THC extract or an extract containing near-equal levels of both THC and CBD—patients given the THC/CBD combo reported having less pain.

While the compounds found within cannabis plants continue to wow scientific researchers, the 'entourage effect' relates to how those compounds work together to provide optimal health in humans and mammals.