CBD use has gained traction in the US, especially after its legalization. As of 2019, 33 states have legalized medical marijuana, and the remaining 17 states have legalized CBD. There’s still a lot of confusion on what medical marijuana denotes and what CBD exactly is.
CBD products have been booming countrywide. In fact, a 2019 poll concluded that 14 percent of Americans use a CBD product.
You’ve probably heard of different CBD forms and their health benefits. Since CBD comes in so many ways, consumers buy CBD products for various reasons. Some buy these CBD products for cooking, some as a snack, and some for soothing muscular and joint pain.
If you’re planning to join the millions of Americans who use CBD products, then you’ve come to the right place. In this piece, we’ll elaborate on the different forms of CBD.
What Is CBD?
CBD abbreviates cannabidiols, and it is one of the two active compounds found in the Cannabis (Marijuana) plant. It occurs naturally and imparts a calmness and relaxation when introduced into the body. It’s starkly different from its counterpart THC, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol.
THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana, while CBD has no psychoactive effects on the body. So to straighten things out, CBD doesn’t get you high. CBD makes you feel less anxious, relaxes your mind, and helps you sleep better.
Apart from these effects, CBD has a lot of health benefits. For instance, CBD is known to help with inflammation and chronic pain and is also effective against gastrointestinal issues.
For these reasons, CBD immensely contributes to the “medical” portion of marijuana. Apart from the medical properties, the compound has more mundane uses that we’ll get to a bit later on.
CBD Forms All CBD Beginners Should Know About
It’s normal to be nervous when you first embrace CBD. After all, it comes from marijuana, which is a Schedule 1 drug. However, that shouldn’t worry you, rest assured that CBD has no psychoactive effects. However, few people attest to feeling a bit light-headed when they take CBD products.
You may need to ease into CBD if you’re just starting to use these products. Fortunately, there are so many forms of CBD that there are multiple ways you can comfortably kick off your CBD journey.
Here are some CBD forms you should consider when starting your CBD journey:-
CBD Oils and Topicals
CBD oils are a great way to start using CBD. That’s because they have different CBD dosages, and for topicals, you only apply it on your skin. These CBD oils and topicals are mostly for soothing chronic pain and reducing inflammation.
The potency of these oils varies depending on your situation. Low potency CBD oils are for folks trying to manage minor pain and discomfort. They are also great for relieving anxiety, mitigating stresses, and curing insomnia.
Higher doses are for people with chronic pain conditions like arthritis. They work wonders for these painful conditions and are a great alternative to regular pain medication.
If you’re a beginner, you should start slow with lower dosages, before getting to the oils with higher potency. Apart from skin application, you can splosh the CBD oil in your coffee or salad and enjoy the soothing effects of CBD oil.
Vaping
CBD can also be consumed by inhaling its vaporized form. This is the fastest way to get the CBD into your body, and you’ll start feeling the effects in a matter of seconds.
That’s because the CBD goes straight to your lungs and directly to the bloodstreams. If you have a history of lung complications, then you should go slow on the vaping. Science hasn’t yet confirmed or disapproved if vaping may be detrimental to the lung tissues.
Capsules and Pills
Thanks to the FDA approval, we now have CBD in pill and capsule form. This CBD pill is mainly used to treat epileptic disorders as an anti-seizure medication. The drug known as epidiolex is highly potent and is a prescription drug.
It is difficult to get you some epidiolex without a doctor’s prescription, but you probably don’t need it anyway.
Edibles
This is the most popular CBD form today. You can find a CBD product for almost everything edible. For instance, we have CBD gummies, CBD confectionery, CBD chocolate, and even CBD cola.
These edibles are cheap, readily available, and also pretty tasty. So remember to go slow on the gummies, but don’t worry, you can’t overdose on CBD. However, if you take too much CBD, you may experience extreme sleepiness, fatigue, and diarrhea.
Also, you can use CBD oil for cooking some of your favorite meals. CBD oil is excellent for cooking dinner because, after dinner, you can have a peaceful sound sleep. As a beginner, take it slow with the CBD edibles, maybe a pack of gummies should last you a week or two, if you don’t plan on sharing.
Potential Side Effects of CBD
Having addressed all the positive effects of CBD, it’s only fair to highlight some of the not so good effects of CBD. First, it is vital that you get THC free CBD. That’s because THC in CBD products increases the likelihood of these side effects.
These side effects are rare and only occur when you use CBD products excessively. However, as we’ve earlier mentioned, you cannot overdose on CBD. With that in mind, here are some potential side effects of CBD:-
- Fatigue
- Extreme sleepiness
- Dizziness
- Convulsions (very rare)
All in all, CBD is very safe to use and has plenty of health benefits for users, young and old.
Embrace CBD Today
Now that you know the various CBD forms, you’re all set to visit the CBD shop and jump into the bandwagon. Remember to ease into the CBD. You could try a bit of CBD edibles, maybe use a little oil when cooking at first.
However, you can never overdose on CBD, but just be careful about the potential side effects. Otherwise, you’re all set to begin your CBD journey.
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