CBD stands for cannabidiol. It’s one of over 113 naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds in the Cannabis plant. The flowers of cannabis (both hemp and marijuana) secrete a sticky resin abundant in cannabinoids like CBD, as well as terpenes and various other phytochemicals. Compared to THC — the other main cannabinoid in the cannabis plant — CBD is non-psychoactive. This means that no matter how much you take, it’s not going to produce the characteristic “high” from marijuana. CBD has also recently been categorized as a nutritional supplement in the United States — giving the public open access to CBD supplements.

CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system — a complex network of receptors and neurotransmitters spread throughout the entire body. This system is tasked with regulating the balance of various organ systems. The greatest abundance of these receptors is located in the brain, the central nervous system, and the immune system. Almost every organ in your body, including the skin and digestive tract, comes with cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoid system controls a plethora of major biological functions, including:

From a scientific standpoint, both hemp and marijuana are the same species — Cannabis sativa. The difference is in their chemical makeup. Anything with less than 0.3% THC by dried weight is classified as hemp (non-psychoactive), while anything over this is marijuana (psychoactive). Hemp is more commonly used for making food (hemp seeds), rope, paper, building materials, natural plastics, and most importantly — supplements such as CBD oil. Marijuana is used recreationally, spiritually, or for medical purposes because of its psychoactive effects. At Guards Down CBD, we only use hemp plants that have been specifically bred for their high CBD content and lack of psychoactive THC.

Yes. CBD is CBD no matter if it comes from a hemp plant or a marijuana plant. However, the ratio of cannabinoids will be very different from a hemp plant and a marijuana plant. The most obvious difference is THC and CBD — marijuana has high THC, and generally, a low CBD level, while hemp is high in CBD, and low in THC. The other cannabinoids will vary a lot between these two plants as well. Terpenes also vary a lot between hemp and marijuana — but this really depends on the strains being used and can vary a lot from one plant to the next. Our partnering farmers use selectively-bred hemp strains that contain higher terpene content than regular hemp plants.

There are many different ways you can take CBD — and none of them are more effective than the others. The most popular method is via the mouth or sublingually with the help of oil, capsules, or our favorite — CBD-infused gummies. CBD oils are the most versatile, as you can take your dose directly into the mouth, mix it in with food, or hold it under your tongue to speed up absorption.

The suggested daily serving size of our CBD oil is 5-50 mg CBD per day depending on your weight, and how CBD affects you individually. As a general guideline, you can star at 1-6 mg of CBD for every 10 pounds of body weight and increasing that by just a few mg each day until you get the desired results. If you’re using our 250 mg oil, there are a total of 30 drops (servings) with 8 mg dose per drop, while our 500 mg oil has about 16mg per drop with 30 drops per bottle.

When choosing between our different CBD-rich extracts, pay attention to two main factors: Strength/Potency Because the dose of CBD can vary so much from one person to the next, it helps to buy the right potency (strength) to match your individual dose. For example, if you require a high dose of CBD oil, it makes more sense to buy a high-potency oil. In order to achieve a high dose with the lower potency oils, you will need to take a lot of oil each time. If you need only a small dose of CBD to get the desired effects, a low potency oil is a better option because it’s harder to go overboard on your CBD dose with these oils. Types of CBD Product CBD comes in all forms — oils, capsules, gummies, teas, and even topical salves or ointments. Choosing the right type of CBD depends on what you’re using it for, and how important convenience is in your CBD regimen. CBD oils are the most well-rounded, as you can use them both internally and topically — but aren’t as straightforward to dose if you’ve never used CBD before. Other forms of CBD, such as gummies come with improvements in the flavor, and makes dosing much simpler, but aren’t as well-rounded as oils and tinctures.

Many people tend to confuse CBD-rich hemp extracts with the hemp seed oil you can find at their local grocery store. In truth, these two oils are worlds apart. Standard hemp seed oil is made by cold pressing the seeds of the hemp plant. The oil that’s produced is rich in nutrients like gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), amino acids, and trace minerals. It makes for an excellent source of nutrition — but doesn’t contain CBD or any of the other cannabinoids. CBD hemp oils, on the other hand, are made from the resinous flowers of the female hemp plants (without seeds). The resin is extracted using state of the art extraction methods to collect the cannabinoids, and terpenes naturally found in the plant resin. This is the source of CBD.