What is Cannabidiol? CBD 101
- February 24, 2022
CBD, or Cannabidiol, is a chemical from the marijuana plant and it has been gettig a lot of attention over the last decade or so.
In this Blog we explore the basics: what is CBD? Cannabidiol, as it’s known in scientific circles— is one of more than 80 chemicals (called cannabinoids) found in the marijuana plant. But unlike THC, the most famous of the cannabinoids, CBD does not have psychoactive properties (read: It won’t get you high). CBD can be derived from either the cannabis plant or hemp, and it comes in a variety of medicinal forms: flowers for smoking or vaping, edibles, tinctures, gel caps, topical oils, and more.
CBD has been generating a lot of buzz in the medical world and a number of studies and larger clinical studies that further explore its potential are currently underway.
How CBD Works
CBD exerts its many effects by interacting with different parts of the brain and body—activating some neural receptors and inhibiting others in ways researchers are still working to fully understand. For example, studies have shown that CBD can activate the brain’s serotonin system, which has an anti-anxiety effect; others demonstrate that CBD can raise the levels of certain neurotransmitters that protect against seizures.
What is known: CBD doesn’t activate the same parts of the brain and body (specifically, the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2) that THC does, which is why it doesn’t produce the same euphoric feelings.
We’re going to run through some more of the basics of CBD in these blog posts that will help anyone to understand the plant and how they should get more information about its potential.