CBD is the short term for a natural compound called cannabidiol. This compound is extracted from hemp or marijuana plants. Research on CBD shows that it can be effective for various health ailments and does not cause a psychoactive response. The psychoactive compound in marijuana plants is called THC. Hemp plants only have a small amount of THC. If you’re thinking about trying CBD, there are a few things you should know.

CBD Is FDA-Approved For Seizure Disorders

Research continues to look for the effectiveness of CBD on various health disorders, but the FDA currently only approves pure CBD to treat certain seizure disorders. Evidence continues to be encouraging that CBD might help pain, inflammation, anxiety and stress. Many people report that CBD has helped them with these issues. Currently, CBD is not regulated by the USDA or the FDA and regulations also differ by state.

Why Do People Take CBD?

People seek to take CBD for a wide variety of reasons. CBD reportedly helps alleviate pain, anxiety, PMS symptoms, ADHD, pain and insomnia among other conditions. Pure CBD not only has a lot of uses, but it is also generally regarded as safe for most people. However, you should still check with your doctor before combining CBD with other medications, whether over the counter or prescription. If you’re using topical CBD, make sure to try a tiny amount first to check for adverse reactions.

What Is the Recommended Dose of CBD?

As CBD doesn’t have any significant oversight, the recommended dose is typically whatever works for the individual patient. If you’re attempting to alleviate a particular physical condition, then it’s often recommended to try something between 10 and 15 milligrams per day. You can increase the dose gradually until you see some relief. If you start seeing side effects, then you can reduce your dose. Some side effects of CBD can include fatigue, nausea and irritability.

How To Take CBD

Two common delivery methods for CBD are soft gels filled with CBD oil and CBD oil alone. Soft gels are taken by swallowing. CBD oil can be taken orally as well or used on the skin. Pure CBD isolate is another way to use CBD, and it comes in the form of superfine powder. Powder has a number of advantages in that it can be added to just about anything. You can stir it into your coffee or mix it into a lotion or massage oil. CBD isolate powder is odorless and tasteless. It also dissolves easily in liquid.

How To Find Good CBD Products

As there is not much oversight from the FDA or USDA, it’s important to check the retailer sites for what they guarantee with their products. For example, Stirling CBD isolate for sale details the process of creating their CBD product. It uses CO2 extraction vs. harsh chemicals, which is a common way of extracting oil from plants and is not particularly healthy. The CO2 process uses pressurized carbon dioxide to remove CBD oil from hemp plants. This makes it non-toxic and far more environmentally friendly. Another thing to look for is third-party lab test results. It’s important to make sure that the CBD is as pure as possible without any contamination from pesticides, heavy metals and chemical solvents.

Is CBD Legal?

CBD is easy to get in most parts of the country. However, its exact legality is not fully confirmed. All states have some type of law that generally legalizes CBD with various restrictions. The federal government, on the other hand, considers CBD to be in the same category as marijuana. However, it also doesn’t generally enforce laws against it. As of 2015, the FDA loosened some of the regulations on CBD to allow it to be tested by researchers. It’s fairly easy to get CBD online even if you don’t have a medical cannabis license. Some of the legal restrictions on CBD also depend on whether it comes from hemp or marijuana. If the hemp crop is eventually made legal, then it would be difficult to prohibit CBD in any way.

If you’re looking to take CBD for a health condition, make sure to check the legality in your state as well as the purity of any products you’re intending to buy.