If you are a first time user, you might not necessarily have a clear idea about CBD oil, its selection process, administering methods, and dosage. One of the most versatile CBD products, CBD oil offers several therapeutic benefits to the users.
This article is a newbies guide to CBD oil.
What Is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is made by infusing CBD extract in any of the carrier oils like hemp seed oil and MCT oil. The extract infused in the carrier may contain other hemp compounds depending on the spectrum option of the oil. Take the case of full spectrum CBD oil. It has all essential hemp compounds including CBD, THC, CBN, CBG, CBDA, terpenes, and flavonoids. Its THC percentage is kept below 0.3% as per the legal guidelines. Broad spectrum has all full spectrum compounds except THC. The third spectrum option, CBD isolate has no hemp compound other than CBD.
CBD Oil Buying Guide
Multiple factors determine the quality of CBD oils. Let us take a look at them.
Extraction Process
Hemp plants cannot be added as such in CBD oils. The essential compounds have to be extracted from hemp by employing any suitable mode of extraction. Although several methods of extraction are available, not all will have the same quality. The purity levels and quality of the final CBD oil vary according to the extraction method.
CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction are generally regarded as ideal for the manufacture of CBD oil. The extraction method employed will be mentioned on the label of the CBD oil or in the third party lab report. Find out the employed extraction method and ensure that it is of high quality.
Spectrum Option Of CBD Oil
CBD comes in three spectrum options depending on the number of hemp compounds in the CBD products. Here are the options:
- Full Spectrum CBD: All essential compounds of the hemp plant are included in full spectrum CBD oil. Active cannabinoids CBD, THC(less than 0.3%), other cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, CBA as well as terpenes and flavonoids are the major components in full spectrum CBD.
- Broad Spectrum CBD: Except for the cannabinoid THC, broad spectrum CBD oil has all other compounds in full spectrum CBD oil.
- CBD Isolate: Known as the purest form of CBD, the only compound in CBD isolate is cannabidiol.
The spectrum option of the CBD oil of your choice exerts a crucial influence on the resultant effects on the users. Greater number of cannabinoids gives higher value to full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD oil. If you are using CBD oil to treat serious health conditions, you may choose a full spectrum or broad spectrum CBD oil.
The spectrum to which CBD oil belongs to will usually be mentioned on the product label. You should also check up the third party lab report to ensure that the information on the product label is true.
Potency Of CBD Oil
Potency refers to the percentage of CBD in the CBD oil. Higher the overall percentage of cannabidiol in the CBD oil, higher will be the CBD content per serving. Check the milligram CBD content of the oil mentioned on the label and check whether it conforms to the CBD content mentioned in the third party lab report.
Cannabinoid ContentÂ
If you have chosen a full spectrum or broad spectrum CBD oil, it will include cannabinoids other than CBD. Select CBD oils with fairly high cannabinoid content.
How To Administer CBD Oil?
Let us take a look at the different methods of administering CBD oil.
Sublingual Intake
In this mode of intake, CBD oil is measured out in a dropper and held under the tongue for not less than a minute. During the time for which CBD oil is placed under the tongue, the cannabinoids in it absorb into the bloodstream. As CBD oil taken sublingually is not being processed by the digestive system, CBD absorption is not influenced by the first-pass effect of the liver that causes a significant drop in the level of CBD reaching the bloodstream.
Edibles
CBD oil can be added to edibles in appropriate doses to make your favorite edible dishes. As CBD oil is the processed form of hemp, it would have already undergone decarboxylation. The process of converting inactive forms of cannabinoids into active forms by the application of heat is termed as decarboxylation. As CBD oil already comes in the decarboxylated form, you may add it to edibles that do not require cooking. While adding CBD oil to edibles that you are cooking, ensure that the temperature does not go high, as high temperatures can degrade CBD in the oil.
CBD oils mostly come without any added flavors, which is the major reason for its appreciable potency. When the number of ingredients is kept low, the percentage of CBD per serving will be high, indicating that higher amounts of CBD will reach our bloodstream.