Fact or myth: 8 common misconceptions about CBD
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When its soothing and medicinal effects became widely known, CBD’s popularity skyrocketed. Nowadays, numerous companies produce a vast range of CBD products: oils, lotions, tinctures, gummies, and even mascaras!
Yet, even though it’s no longer shrouded in a veil of mystery and CBD products are easy to find, there are still all sorts of misconceptions about CBD. In fact, maybe you believe in some of them too! Today, we will tackle the most common ones and correct them.
1. You Can Get High from CBD
Since CBD comes from the marijuana plant, many people believe it can get you high even in its isolated form. However, that simply isn’t true — the psychoactive element in marijuana is THC, not CBD. Thus, taking some CBD oil certainly won’t make you feel intoxicated or high.
In fact, some experts claim that CBD counters the paranoid and anxious feelings that THC can cause. So, even in marijuana, CBD makes your “high” feel less scary and unpleasant.
2. CBD Shows Up on Drug Tests
Drug tests are made to screen for THC, the psychoactive part of marijuana. CBD isn’t a drug, and it most definitely doesn’t have the same structure as THC. Thus, you don’t have to worry about pure CBD showing up on your drug test.
However, some CBD products might contain THC in trace amounts. Typically, full-spectrum CBD can have up to 0.3% THC, which may show up on the test. Ultimately, it depends on how much THC there actually is.
If you want to completely avoid anything showing up on a drug test, make sure to take only products with CBD isolates. These won’t contain any other substances, and certainly no THC. So, you can rest assured that your drug test will be as clean as a whistle.
3. CBD Is Used Only for Medical Purposes
Most people believe that CBD is only useful if you have some kind of medical or mental condition. For instance, it can soothe chronic pain, help with anxiety and depression, or put you to sleep faster. On the other hand, THC is the “fun” part of marijuana — one that is taken purely recreationally.
But this distinction isn’t entirely correct. While CBD does have all the abovementioned medical benefits, you can also take it recreationally. It may not get you high, but it can still make you feel quite pleasant. Plus, there are all kinds of fun products to try — gummies, vapes, and even caramels!
Similarly, THC isn’t only used for fun but also for its medical properties. For instance, it’s excellent for boosting appetite, soothing nausea, and reducing inflammation.
4. CBD Makes You Sleepy
Since CBD relieves pain and helps with sleep, your first assumption may be that it will make you drowsy. However, that wouldn’t be entirely correct. In fact, CBD in smaller and moderate doses infuses you with energy and helps you focus.
The feeling isn’t similar to the one you get from coffee — you won’t feel nervous or jittery. You’ll feel calm but still alert, which is exactly what you need as you go about your day. Of course, if you take high doses of CBD, you will get sleepy, but typically, it doesn’t work as a sedative.
5. High Doses of CBD Are More Effective
If you want to make the most out of CBD, you might be tempted to take high doses at once. After all, the more you take, the faster its effects will kick in, right?
Well, that depends on what you’re looking for. Low and high doses of CBD, as well as THC, can produce completely opposite effects. For instance, low doses of CBD help you focus and stay alert, while high doses may assist you in falling asleep. Similarly, a bit of THC will energize you, while a lot of it will make you drowsy.
So with that in mind, take high doses only when you want to achieve specific effects — such as relaxation and sleep.
6. CBD Becomes THC in Your Stomach
Some people may avoid taking CBD for fear that it will convert into THC in their bodies and get them high. But as experts have proven, there is no evidence that anything like that happens at all.
So rest assured — CBD does not produce THC-like effects in any amounts, nor can it convert into it. Clinical trials tested extremely high doses of CBD — above 600 mg — and concluded that even then they don’t have psychoactive properties.
7. It’s Better to Derive CBD from Marijuana Than Hemp
There is a common belief that hemp can’t produce nearly as much high-quality CBD as the marijuana plant can. That’s because, in the past, CBD was derived from male hemp plants that contained very little of the substance. Thus, you needed to grow thousands of pounds of the plant to get any CBD at all.
Nowadays, hemp farming is entirely different. Most CBD is sourced from female hemp plants that contain a lot more of it — even up to 25 percent. That’s more CBD than most marijuana plants have!
Besides, the difference between marijuana and hemp isn’t in the amount of cannabinoids each contains — it’s in the amount of THC. Marijuana produces a lot more THC than hemp, which only has up to 0.3 percent of this substance. But when it comes to other cannabinoids, their levels in the two plants can be exactly the same.
8. CBD Is Addictive
Many people fear or avoid using CBD because they think they might get addicted. But don’t worry — CBD is not addictive in the slightest. In fact, it may even reduce the addictive properties of painkillers and morphine by decreasing the pleasure you feel when you take them.
In Conclusion
Though CBD is incredibly popular right now, there are many things its users and potential users don’t know. We’ve addressed just some of the misconceptions here, but hopefully, that will be enough to make you feel more comfortable about using CBD.
Sponsored by: US Hemp Alliance