CBD or cannabidiol is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant. CBD producers tend to focus on the hemp flower because most industrial hemp contains no THC or tetrahydrocannabinol.
Indica cannabis is also popular with CBD producers because the THC concentration in most of these plants is lower and thus easier to extract.
Buy Organic
Per experts at cbdMD, making sure that you are using organic CBD for yourself and your pets is the biggest decision you can make. Study the connections between your CBD producer and the farmers growing the hemp and cannabis plants for the products available on your CBD online store.
If you can’t see the connections between your CBD producer and the farmer, be ready to keep shopping. The extraction process will have an impact on the function of the products, but your first focus has to be on using only organically grown products.
Look for Third Party Testing
Third-party testing data is provided by the CBD producer so the buyer can be sure of the contents of the product they have chosen. This form of lab testing is paid for by the producer and is one more step to guarantee purity and product intensity.
When studying the contents of your CBD container, make sure you also study the carrier oil for sublingual use and the emollient base when looking at creams and lotions. An allergic reaction to CBD products is actually quite rare, but it is possible to be allergic to a nut-based carrier oil, a flavoring, or an emollient.
Check the THC Level
If your state doesn’t allow THC products, you should not be able to buy anything that contains THC. However, if your CBD producer doesn’t offer third-party testing, you can’t be sure that what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle.
For those who are at risk of facing a test, consider using CBD isolate powder in your pet’s food, water, or in your own smoothies. There are concerns about the efficacy of CBD isolate, but the risk of a positive THC hit on a test is much lower when using isolates.
Consider Your Dosage, Use, and needs
CBD can be ingested, vaped, applied topically, or taken under the tongue, also known as a sublingual dose. Each of these methods impacts your nervous system at a different speed. The sublingual dose will likely impact you within just a couple of minutes, while the gummies and capsules will need to be digested to work effectively.
The starter dose for sleep is 1 mg per 10 pounds of body weight. If you are just starting out, consider using it at home and starting with just a half dose to see how you react.
Depending on your need, you may need to invest in different formats. Sublingual CBD is a popular sleeping aide. However, it should never be vaped; the carrier oils tend to burn at a low temperature and you don’t want to inhale that smoke.
Similarly, applying CBD sublingual oil to your skin is
- not helpful
- expensive; edible grade oils are inherently more expensive than topicals
As you would never ingest lotion, make sure you only vape with vaping liquid. Never use it sublingually or on your skin.
Be Ready to Experiment
As of the middle of 2021, the only FDA-approved CBD product is used as a treatment for seizure disorders in children. If you are going to use it for yourself or your pet, keep a journal to track your results over time.
Note
- your dose
- the time of day
- how you felt after taking the product as in 15-minute increments as possible
Of course, if you took it to help you sleep, you will need to just track what made you sleepy.
You can extend your CBD benefits by stacking your dose. For example, you can take a CBD capsule or gummie before bed for benefits in an hour or two, then follow it with an edible for relaxation and rest in just a couple of minutes. It’s hard to get too much, but if you develop diarrhea, back off your dose.
