What is CBD?

CBD, also known as Cannabidiol, is the second most common active product in marijuana and is the most common active product in hemp. It’s a federally legal extract that can be used in a range of products. It is safe to consume for people and other mammals. Once extracted from hemp, CBD does not cause a high on its own and has no evidence of addiction, abuse, or threat to public health.

CBD can have side effects, including fatigue, which is why some people use it to help them achieve better rest.

While CBD is federally legal we should note that it is not legal at the state level in every state, and your individual state may have restrictions on it. See our blog on the legal questions around hemp for more information. Cannabidiol was made federally legal in 2018 when The Farm Bill removed all hemp products from criminalization, as long as it contains less than 0.3% of THC by weight. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. It is only legal if it’s extracted from hemp. If the manufacturers use marijuana to extract the CBD, they are breaking the law.

Additionally, Cannabidiol must be grown and processed in the United States or it’s not legal. That’s why every product at The Hemp Doctor is American-grown and American-made.

Some of the risks of using CBD include the fact that some manufacturers and retailers don’t provide accurate information on the content of the products. This is why at the Hemp Doctor we encourage our consumers to view our certificate of analysis page. Here you can see the lab tests done on each of our products and know how much CBD they contain and what other cannabinoids might be present in the product.

 

What is CBG?

CBG, also known as Cannabigerol, is a cannabinoid, much like CBD. It’s most common in young cannabis plants and is legal due to the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp products.

CBG is extracted from young cannabis plants, so strangely it’s referred to as the mother of all cannabinoids. That’s because all of the other cannabinoids begin as CBGA, or cannabigerolic acid, the acidic form of CBG. The older the cannabis plant is, the less CBG is found in it.

While it offers a great deal of benefits, CBG is harder to extract from plants, and therefore more expensive. At The Hemp Doctor, we use CBG in tandem with other cannabinoids to see greater benefits. That’s in part because of the entourage effect, which you can read more about on our blog.

CBG is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid, like CBD, and has benefits for the body. Like Cannabidiol it works with the endocannabinoid system and can even counteract THC’s psychotropic effects. CBG binds to both kinds of receptors, CB1 and CB2, whereas CBD binds with only the CB2 receptor.

 

What is CBN?

Cannabinol is known more colloquially as CBN. Like CBD, CBN is a hemp-derived product. Unlike CBD, CBN is derived from degraded cannabinoids. It occurs naturally when THC is exposed to heat or light and becomes oxidized. While THC is more prevalent in marijuana, it does exist in hemp. This means that CBN occurs in both marijuana and hemp, making it a legal cannabinoid according to the 2018 Farm Bill.

Neat fact: CBN was the first phytocannabinoid to be isolated from hemp, as far back as 1896. This was long before the discovery of Cannabidiol and the endocannabinoid system in mammals. While it’s one of the earliest known, it is still one of the least studied, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know that there are benefits to it.

To provide some context: CBD and THC are Mary Kate and Ashely Olsen and CBN is Elizabeth Olsen, the slept-on sister, who is about to make a big splash.

CBN is non-intoxicating and legal when derived from hemp. It also works better when introduced with the entourage effect, which you can get with broad-spectrum and full-spectrum products. CBN has similar benefits to CBD as well but CBN interacts with receptors differently in the body. Binding with both the CB1 and CB2 receptors, CBN bonds more strongly with the CB2 receptor.

When it bonds with the CB1 receptor, CBN can promote relaxation and help other cannabinoids encourage homeostasis.

 

Together or Apart: CBD, CBG, and CBN

Knowing when to use which cannabinoids can be challenging, especially when faced with serious situations where you need relief. While CBD, CBG, and CBN can all help with rest, relaxation, and relief from the duress of daily life, how they help can be different.

The way we recommend using these products most often is together. While isolates have a time and a place, you’ll always get a stronger effect at a lower dose with the entourage effect. The entourage effect is a theory that postulates that when different cannabinoids are consumed together, they create unique and strong effects. More than a hundred cannabinoids have been identified in hemp and each one of them affects the body slightly differently. While they may all bond to the same receptors, how they bond to the receptors when they’re consumed together is different.

To bring back a metaphor, it’s like having all the Olsen’s at a movie premiere and not just one or two. How the sisters interact at an event they’re all at is different than how they would act individually.

However, just because we recommend using these products together doesn’t mean that you can’t use them as isolates and still experience benefits.

 

What to Know About These Products

Looking at our categories, you’re seeing a range of products with different labels, which may seem confusing. Here, we’ll break them down so they make sense for the average consumer.

Full Spectrum: This means that a product contains a range of cannabinoids, including up to 0.3% THC. For example, we offer a wide range of full spectrum gummies that are as delicious as they are beneficial.

Broad Spectrum: This means that a product contains a range of cannabinoids excluding THC. In states like Idaho, where any amount of THC in a product is illegal, broad-spectrum products are legal, because the COAs we have proof there’s no THC in the products. Look no further than our tinctures for a fantastic THC-free product.

Isolates: An isolate is a product that contains only the cannabinoid on the label. For example, a CBD isolate would only contain CBD and no other cannabinoids. A great CBD isolates available at The Hemp Doctor is our Hemp Salve.

Blends: A blend is a mix of specific cannabinoids designed to provoke a specific response. The best example of this is our CBD + CBG salve that is soothing and supports your skin.

Flower: Hemp flower is the most natural way to ingest cannabinoids. It can be smoked, vaped or baked into your favorite products. We offer a number of strains that can help you achieve your wellness goals.