CBD is one of the biggest health and wellness products to ever hit the market. Its popularity as an alternative treatment for an enormous variety of symptoms has been supported by consumers everywhere singing its praises.
If you are trying to find the best CBD gummies around, you can learn more here. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about CBD, its legality, its use, and how to know which brands to choose.
CBD is Federally Legal – Kind Of
There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the legality of CBD, and with good reason. The farming and production of industrial hemp was made legal by the Farm Bill of 2018, and this legislation resulted in the removal of CBD from the FDA’s list of controlled substances.
The FDA later clarified that though CBD is now federally legal, it is not approved for human or animal ingestion. Topicals and cosmetics are fine. CBD gummies, not so much.
A Blind Eye
You don’t need to worry about the DEA busting down your door and confiscating your CBD gummies, though. The FDA’s primary concern is with companies that package their products as a curative, targeting minors in their promotion and using unsafe manufacturing processes. As long as your CBD gummies contain 0.3 percent THC or less, it is legal—from a federal standpoint—to purchase and possess CBD edibles.
State Laws
States can adopt their own laws regarding CBD, which muddies the waters even further. Some states require a prescription for CBD, others impose tighter restrictions on the amount of THC that can be present. South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska are the only three states that completely prohibit the sale of CBD, and laws around the country are beginning to relax.
CBD Has Powerful Benefits for Wellbeing
CBD works with the endocannabinoid system to balance nearly every other system in the body. It supports the neuroreceptors and neurotransmitters that receive messages about internal and external changes, then send messages for how to restore homeostasis.
CBD Reduces inflammation
Studies have shown that CBD can reduce inflammation by encouraging the production of endocannabinoids that attach to receptors responsible for immune activity. They calm the immune system down and bring balance, reducing inflammation and chronic pain.
Since systemic inflammation is the culprit in a number of illnesses and symptoms, CBD may be effective in preventing these illnesses and minimizing their symptoms. People are using CBD to help treat symptoms related to inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis, and they are seeing promising results.
CBD Reduces Anxiety
Anxiety is often a result of a physical fight or flight response happening even when no danger is present. Its symptoms include rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, appetite changes and irritability, and these are all triggered by an imbalance of the endocrine system’s hormone production. CBD helps to bring hormone production back into balance, reducing the anxiety response.
This effect has shown great potential in treating symptoms related to PTSD as well as psychotic episodes, in addition to anxiety.
CBD Promotes Sleep
A lack of adequate sleep leads to innumerable health and emotional problems. CBD promotes sleep on every level, by reducing anxiety, pain and inflammation, and increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. The increase in serotonin contributes to feelings of relaxation and calm, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Finding the Right CBD
The legal grey area that CBD rests in means that ingestible forms of CBD are on the market, but they are not being regulated. The USDA is responsible for controlling all hemp that is grown in the United States, but it is out of their hands once harvested. No one is watching what goes into CBD oils and gummies because it is technically not legal. This is why paying close attention to the ethics and practices of the companies that make our edibles is crucial.
Hemp Should be Organically Grown
Hemp is a bioaccumulator, which means that it absorbs everything in its environment. The only way to absolutely prevent exposure to dangerous toxins found in pesticides and fertilizers, is to ensure that brands use certified organic hemp to make your CBD gummies.
Hemp Should be Domestically Grown
The USDA has some of the strictest agricultural regulations in the world. Other countries may not be quite as stringent in monitoring their hemp production, meaning it may have been grown in polluted soil, irrigated with contaminated water, and sprayed with harmful pesticides and fertilizers not intended for human consumption. CBD companies that use imported hemp run the risk of causing exposure to toxins and heavy metals as a result.
The Distillation Method Matters
Distilling CBD from hemp is a delicate process. Some extraction methods use additives and solvents that may end up sticking around in the CBD, and other methods use so much heat that the integrity of the final product is damaged. The CO2 extraction method uses lower temperatures to distill CBD from hemp as cleanly and accurately as possible. Look on the website for the gummies you are considering to find out which method the brand uses.
Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Reputable CBD brands have every single batch of CBD tested by a third party lab to verify potency and purity. This is an extremely important step in the process because it ensures that the CBD used in your products does not contain harmful contaminants, and that it is in fact the dose of CBD being advertised. The certificate of analysis also verifies the amount of THC in your gummies, and you can use it to confirm you are within the limits of the law if you are ever approached.
Know Your Formulas
CBD comes in different formulas and it is important to understand the meaning of the variations so you know exactly what you are getting.
CBD Isolate
CBD Isolate is purely CBD with no other cannabinoids present. This is what you want to take if you are concerned about exposure to even minimal amounts of THC. While 0.3 percent is not enough to get you “high,” it could cause you to fail a drug test. You can avoid that risk as long as your CBD says isolate on the packaging and the COA indicates that there is no detectable THC present.
Full Spectrum
Full spectrum CBD contains all the cannabinoids in the hemp plant including THC. Because the hemp used is required to contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, you will not get “high,” but you will experience the “entourage effect,” which is the added benefit of all the cannabinoids together. This formula could unfortunately cause you to fail a drug screening, and it may make you drowsy.
Broad Spectrum
Broad spectrum CBD is the best of both worlds, in that it includes the benefits of all the combined cannabinoids with the exception of THC. The problem here is that you need to check the COA because sometimes keeping the other cannabinoids can result in traces of THC remaining as well. The COA will help you confirm if your CBD is in fact completely free of THC.
Final Thoughts
CBD can be a wonderful addition to your wellness routine, and many who take it report feeling better than ever. Your best chance for success is to ensure your CBD gummies are made with domestically and organically grown hemp, that the CBD was extracted using the CO2 method, and that it comes with a certificate of analysis confirming purity and potency.
Make sure you are taking the right formula for you, or feel free to experiment if you are not concerned with exposure to THC. Whatever you decide, make it about what makes you feel best, and enjoy your journey.
