Standard Dose's Guide to CBD

What is CBD?

Short for cannabidiol, CBD is one of 113 natural chemical compounds called cannabinoids found within cannabis plants. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two most widely researched cannabinoids and make up about 50% of the cannabinoids found in cannabis plants. Minor cannabinoids, like CBN (which can be found in sleep tinctures), CBG, and CBC (which is typically found in tinctures for recovery), make up the other 50%.

Cannabis vs Marijuana vs Hemp

To understand CBD, we have to look at the cannabis plant family as a whole. 

• Within this plant family, there are several species including cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. 
• Within these species, there are classes like hemp and marijuana, with hemp being a class of cannabis sativa and marijuana being a class of both cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. 
• For a plant to be classified as hemp it has to contain very little THC, the cannabinoid that produces psychotropic effects. In fact, industrial-grade hemp legally must contain less than 0.3% THC.
• When it contains more, the plant is classified as marijuana instead.
• CBD products are derived from hemp and so will not produce a “high”. Instead, they simply allow you to remain balanced and benefit from the plant’s medicinal effects.

How CBD Works 

We each have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our body, a cell-signaling system that is believed to help regulate functions like sleep, mood, energy, and appetite. This system has three components:

• Endocannabinoids: Molecules that your body produces to help keep functions operating as they should.
• Endocannabinoid Receptors: Endocannabinoids bind to receptors (which are found throughout the body) to let the ECS know when and how to act.
• Enzymes: Substances that break down endocannabinoids once they’ve completed their jobs.
   

Experts are still figuring out how exactly CBD works with the ECS and its various components. Many believe that CBD prevents endocannabinoids from breaking down too early so they can have a greater effect on your body. Others think that CBD may bind to a receptor that has yet to be discovered.

Though these details are still being worked out, studies suggest CBD can help stress, recovery, sleep, PMS, mental clarity, and more. 

Forms of CBD

CBD comes in three forms: isolate, broad spectrum, and full spectrum.

• A CBD isolate formula, like our Standard Dose Tincture, contains only the CBD compound from the hemp plant, eliminating all other cannabinoids and terpenes (including THC). 
• Broad spectrum formulas, like the Rae Wellness Broad Spectrum Capsules, are those that keep CBD and many other compounds and terpenes, but remove THC. 
• Full spectrum formulas, like the Lord Jones Full Spectrum 500mg Tincture, feature all compounds found in the hemp plant and can include up to 0.3% THC.
   

The options that are right for you will depend on your personal needs and comfort levels. For example, those who want to avoid THC, even in the tiny legal amount, may prefer an isolate or broad spectrum formula. On the other hand, those who are reaching for CBD to assist with sleep may have more success with a broad or full spectrum formula as CBN and other terpenes can help with this need.

Ways to Take CBD

You’ll find CBD in countless products in our assortment. Again, the product that’s right for you will depend on your own needs – and these can be quite specific! For example, let’s say you’re an athlete who’s feeling some discomfort and strain after a workout. A topical treatment can be a great option for addressing muscle soreness and other forms of top-level discomfort, while an ingestible is recommended for stiff or achy joints. Often, combining two or more products will yield the best results.

• Food and beverages: Snacks and drinks make it easy to take CBD as part of your everyday. With these, you can enjoy your daily dose while sipping a warm mug of tea in the morning or a cold canned drink in the park with friends. 
• Supplements: CBD gummies and capsules with CBD allow you to make this powerful ingredient a part of your daily supplement routine. 
• Tinctures: A sublingual CBD oil lets you experiment with different dosages. 
• Balms, Creams, and Lotions: As well as helping to assist recovery, topical treatments like these allow you to make CBD part of your skin and bodycare routines! 

These different methods of consumption have varying bioavailabilities, which is the amount of substance being absorbed into the bloodstream. Patches, for example, have the highest bioavailability (up to 100%), while tinctures have about 6-20%, and topicals have 8-15%. Remember: the higher bioavailability, the higher efficacy. 

Dosage

There’s no universal “standard dose” for CBD intake. We recommend starting slow and small (taking 10-15mg of CBD at first) and working your way up by listening to your body and being mindful of its reaction. As everyone is unique, you can also speak with your primary care doctor about the dose that’s right for you.

Safety & Sustainability 

Finally, it’s important to consider how your CBD has been grown, harvested, and vetted so you know it’s good for you and the planet. For example, when creating our Standard Dose Tincture, we worked with a hemp farm in upstate New York that prides itself on growing plants organically, using regenerative farming practices, and employing third-party testing for quality and potency.

For this tincture and every other product in our collection, we require lab testing for toxins, heavy metals, and more so you can rest assured that your product was created with safety at top of mind.