Is CBD legal? Is it a drug? What are its benefits ? We answer all these questions in “Côté experts” on France bleu.
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What is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol . It is a molecule present in the hemp flower known for its numerous physiological properties.
It is mainly known for its natural anxiolytic effects, it helps relieve certain inflammatory pain and it also promotes better sleep.
But if CBD products can do so much, it is not only thanks to CBD, but also to the other molecules present in the hemp plant.
Today we know about a hundred phytocannabinoids in addition to CBD, CBN (cannabinol) with even more soothing effects and which promotes sleep, CBG (cannabigerol) with analgesic properties among others.
But the substances that will also interest us a lot in the hemp flower are terpenes, aromatic molecules responsible for the odors of plants and with many benefits.
Myrcene, the major terpene in the hemp flower, was discovered to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects after in vivo and in vitro studies.
Limonene, a terpene in common with citrus fruits, has anxiolytic effects.
The same goes for linalool, both present in lavender and hemp flower, very soothing.
This is why our grandmothers rubbed lavender flowers to relax.
It is therefore not only CBD but a set of molecules present in the hemp flower which give it its many benefits.
This is called the entourage effect, but we'll come back to it later.
Is CBD a drug?
A question we hear perhaps most often in front of our store, and still today after a year of existence.
No, CBD is not a drug. During its November 2017 meeting , the WHO (World Health Organization) concluded that cannabidiol (CBD) does not present any potential for abuse or harm to health. In addition, CBD does not cause addiction or dependence. This means that you can consume CBD for a month then stop overnight, and there will be no withdrawal phenomenon, the body does not demand more CBD.
What are the effects of CBD?
As we briefly said, CBD has three main effects.
It is a natural anxiolytic , it has real soothing properties with a major advantage compared to drugs of this type, it does not cause addiction or dependence. It is therefore additional help for people who suffer from anxiety, sometimes even agoraphobia or more debilitating disorders.
At higher doses, CBD also has analgesic properties . It helps relieve pain, not all pain, but especially problems of an inflammatory nature. Joint pain, tendinitis, many people who suffer from fibromyalgia feel relieved with CBD, or even for severe menstrual pain such as endometriosis.
Studies have also demonstrated a muscle relaxant effect of CBD, meaning that it helps to relax the muscles, which has the dual effect of relaxing the person and also relieving pain due to excessive tension.
And finally, CBD but also the other molecules of the hemp flower are a real help for sleep problems . In a study published in 2013, the effect of acute systemic administration of cannabidiol on the sleep-wake cycle was investigated in rats. They randomly administered 2.5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg of CBD or a placebo to rats. Total sleep percentage increased significantly in the 10 and 40mg/kg CBD groups compared to the placebo group.
Can you test positive on a drug test with CBD?
We have many customers who consume our products and are regularly subjected to drug blood tests as part of their work. At Maison Sativa, we scrupulously respect the law in force and our products never contain more than 0.3% THC. So you do not risk being positive in a stupefying test.
How is it consumed? Which is better?
First of all, you have to choose a CBD product that you feel comfortable consuming. The three main ones are: CBD oil, CBD infusion or decoction with Brute hemp flower.
For example, the raw flower, to be used as an infusion (as a decoction to be exact) requires a lot of work. It must be chopped and then infused with a fatty substance, and many people will prefer CBD oil which is ready to use.
CBD oil is also more practical because it is a small bottle that you can carry in your bag, in your pocket, and you just need to place a few drops under the tongue to feel the effects quickly. .
We therefore use this oil if we experience increased levels of stress during the day, or if we suffer from chronic pain and are looking for an additional crutch. And many will even take it in the evening to get better quality sleep.
One thing is certain, among all CBD-based products, sublingual oil is the most effective because it is very concentrated.
A 10ml bottle contains the active ingredients extracted from more than a hundred hemp flowers.
If the goal is to have a moment of relaxation during the day, this time there are CBD infusions where the already chopped CBD flower will be combined with other plants such as chamomile, linden, bark of orange tree or even red fruits. The effects will be less strong but the moment more delicious.
And if we're talking about smoking cessation, some of our customers prefer to vaporize the raw flower, in a vaporizer (not to be confused with the electronic cigarette), a small device that heats up the CBD flower to extract its active ingredients. in the form of vapor.
Here we find the pleasure of steam, and without combustion and therefore without the carcinogenic risks.
You will have understood that there are many CBD products but with all of them you have to be uncompromising on one point. Products containing only CBD in isolate form should be avoided.
To be effective and well assimilated by the body, the cannabidiol molecule must be accompanied by the plant's other phytocannabinoids and terpenes, this is what we call the entourage effect.
Some CBD oil producers take advantage of this ignorance and their oils only contain CBD alone, so they will be significantly less effective. To illustrate this, in the United States, laboratories marketed a drug, Marinol, which contained only THC alone, with the aim of restoring the appetite of cancer patients.
And many patients preferred return to using the raw plant because the proposed medication either had no effect or had far too many side effects.
How to choose the right CBD oil ? What should you look at?
1. The method of production of CBD oils
To fully understand this subject, we must distinguish between edible oils consumed for their fatty acids, such as olive oil, where olives are pressed to extract the oil naturally contained therein. We will then speak of first or even second cold extraction.
There is no question of this type of technique in the world of hemp oils. In fact, the active ingredients, such as CBD but also terpenes and flavonoids, are produced by trichomes, a sort of small bag on the surface of the hemp flower. It is not enough to mechanically press the flowers to extract an oil.
To extract these active ingredients from the trichomes, the flowers must first be harvested and then two main methods are used. The so-called dyeing method using alcohol as a solvent, or the supercritical CO2 method.
The tincture consists of soaking the CBD flowers in an alcohol bath, which allows molecules such as CBD to be extracted from the trichomes, then the alcohol is allowed to evaporate and the product formed is then mixed. to an oil, such as hemp oil (less expensive, but with a very bitter taste) or other more neutral oils.
Strong points :
- the production cost is low
- simplicity
Weak points :
- there may be leftover alcohol which can give a bad taste and cause greater or lesser toxicity depending on the alcohol used
Supercritical CO2
The supercritical CO2 method consists, after harvesting the CBD flowers, of placing them in a tank in which CO2 will be heated and increased in pressure until it reaches its so-called supercritical state, halfway between the liquid and gas phase. . This state allows CO2 to pass through the trichomes and extract all of the active ingredients which are in turn collected in an oil. Commonly, hemp or coconut oil will be used. Once the process is complete, the pressure and temperature return to normal and the CO2 evaporates, leaving no trace of solvent in the mixture formed.
Strong points :
- without health risks
- taste without bitterness thanks to the use of coconut oil
Weakness
- The cost
2. A full-spectrum CBD oil
A full-spectrum CBD oil is an oil in which in addition to finding CBD you find all the phytocannabinoids produced by the plant as well as terpenes and flavonoids.
All of these molecules play a fundamental role in what is called the "entourage effect", which means that each of these molecules are more effective when administered together than separately. They act in synergy with each other and modulate their effects between them. This explains why CBD administered alone is often not very effective.
This is why it is important to buy a full spectrum oil (also called Full Spectrum) and not a broad spectrum oil, often called "broad spectrum" in which we find much fewer molecules of interest than in a full spectrum oil. complete.
3. Choosing the right dosage
The concentrations usually offered in specialized stores generally range from 5 to 30%, or even 40% of CBD.
The choice of percentage will depend on the nature of the targeted disorder and your body mass.
4. Do not exceed 20% CBD concentration
It is useless to exceed 20% CBD for a simple reason: as we saw previously, it is not only the CBD that counts. There are around 500 active ingredients that work in synergy with CBD, allowing you to properly relieve your pain or anxiety.
We therefore recommend that you do not exceed 20% CBD in order to have a so-called “balanced” oil where the ratio of CBD is not in large excess compared to the other molecules.
By following this rule you will avoid buying oil that is too expensive and often less effective.