The Word

CBD Past, Present and Future

By Rose Carmel 

CBD products are available almost everywhere these days thanks to changing laws and attitudes about cannabis. Many consumers have found relief from a variety of symptoms by using CBD oil, and even pets can benefit, too!

Cannabis use came to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. American colonists grew hemp plants to use to make rope and different textiles. At the time it wasn’t considered criminal until the laws changed to officially criminalize it in the 20th century. In the United States, the use of any cannabinoids for legal and medicinal purposes was considered illegal.

It was the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 that legalized industrial hemp in the United States and opened the doors for more research about CBD. The law allowed hemp producers to become eligible for the federal crop insurance program and some USDA research grants.

Today, lawmakers have softened restrictions and consumers are becoming more interested in safe, controlled uses of the plant in their prescription drugs or wellness products.

In 2020, more of us are catching on to the incredible benefits of cannabinoids. CBD has the power to stop seizures. CBD is also wonderful for promoting a general feeling of relaxation, and decreasing symptoms of anxiety. It can even help with physical pain. Now, the best use of cannabis is taking full medicinal advantage of CBD. One amazing development is in 2018 when the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a drug called Epidiolex. This prescription drug is used to treat epilepsy and is the only pharmaceutical drug that a US patient can receive with CBD. Other CBD products are legally and recreationally sold in America and online, but Epidiolex is the only approved one as a prescription drug.

You can purchase hemp flower to smoke or vape, but you can also get CBD tinctures, sprays and food to consume. There’s even topical CBD lotions, creams and balms you can rub onto your skin.

Now we aren’t just talking about CBD, but which type of CBD product is best for the consumer. For example, CBD oil isolates are considered more pure than full-spectrum CBD oil because the process of creating the isolate removes all other compounds and leaves behind pure CBD. CBD isolate products contain a more pure form of CBD, whereas CBD distillate products contain CBD as well as other plant materials such as terpenes.

The presence of terpenes could also help enhance the wellness benefits of your CBD product, which is a major benefit of using distillates. What is your preferred way to take CBD?

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