CBD is changing the world. This substance—otherwise known as cannabidiol—is being used in more and more products, and is exploding in popularity. It’s something that if you haven’t seen around much yet, you’ll most likely start to do so very soon.

And yet, even among those who have heard of it, most people aren’t really sure exactly what it is and have little knowledge about the amazing potential CBD products have.

First off, just so you understand that this industry is serious business, according to the Hemp Business Journal’s CBD Report 2018, the US market for CBD products is expected to hit $2.1 billion by 2020. That is an increase of over 700 percent since 2016.

In addition to this massively growing market, CBD oil and CBD based products are quickly gaining mainstream acceptance. The FDA recently approved a drug to treat epilepsy which contains CBD, and CBD products are available in one form or another across the entire country.

So What the Heck Is CBD?

Put simply, CBD is a chemical compound found within both hemp and marijuana plants. More specifically, it is one of hundreds of compounds found within the plants, 60 of which are only found within cannabis plants and so are called cannabinoids.

The two most well-known cannabinoids are CBD and THC. But unlike THC, CBD has no psychoactive effect on people. In short, THC is the cannabinoid that gets you high and brings us movies like Half-Baked and Up In Smoke, while CBD induces zero psycho-activity and does not get you stoned or high.

CBD’s Effect on the Body

Like all cannabinoids, however, CBD does interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system, an until recently unknown biochemical communication system in the human body. Increasingly, research is showing that this system plays a crucial role in regulating our physiology, mood, and everyday experience.

CBD and other cannabinoids tap into this system and trigger cannabinoid receptors existing within the body. These receptors then stimulate changes within the body, many of which result in positive health effects and which are extremely beneficial.

The ability of CBD to tap into this crucial body system, along with the fact that it is completely non-toxic for humans (i.e. it doesn’t get you high), is what has generated such high interest in the substance and its potential medical applications.

According to Project CBD, extensive preclinical research has shown that CBD possesses powerful anti-tumoral, anti-oxidant, anti-spasmodic, anti-psychotic, anti-convulsive, and neuroprotective properties. It also has been shown to directly activate serotonin receptors, allowing it to help alleviate anxiety and giving CBD potential as an anti-anxiety treatment.

This has implications of CBD being a potential treatment for a variety of conditions, ranging from  arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, MS, chronic pain, schizophrenia, PTSD, depression, antibiotic-resistant infections, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders.

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Where Do You Get CBD?

Currently, the most popular way to consume CBD is in oil form. This oil is extracted from either a marijuana or a hemp plant (although, a consensus is steadily building that CBD extracted from marijuana plants is more potent and more effective than CBD from hemp plants) and is typically taken orally by holding the oil under your tongue and then swallowing it.

Other ways to consume CBD are through edibles (all sorts of foods can be infused with CBD, even ice cream [link to product]) or with a vaporizer. The latter technique involves vaping CBD extract in the form of wax concentrate.

Topical ointments infused with CBD are also becoming increasingly popular. There is a whole host of beauty and hygiene products—from high end skin creams to face washes to shampoo to deodorant—that have begun to include CBD extracts as an essential ingredient.

CBD Is Here to Stay

We are about to pass the critical moment where the floodgates are fully open on the CBD revolution. The industry is growing exponentially, there is more and more research for an ever wider array of potential applications, and existing studies are showing that CBD possesses near endless medical and health possibilities.

Coupled with its total non-toxicity, the explosion of CBD on the market and in the medical research community is nothing short of exciting. If you want to learn about our CBD products, follow this link.