- CBD is an abbreviation of cannabidiol, a chemical compound found in marijuana. It is also the acronym for central business district in Sydney, in case that’s relevant. Not to be confused with CBE, which is the thing you get awarded by the Queen that’s better than an MBE and an OBE, but not as good as a Damehood.
- You won’t get high taking CBD oil like you would if you smoked a joint. That’s because the THC (the psychoactive ingredient that makes you want to stare at a wall for two hours or turn an entire loaf of bread into French toast for no reason) has been removed.
- There are two types of CBD oil – the over-the-counter stuff and medical CBD oil, which can only be prescribed under specific circumstances because it contains THC. Not enough to get you high, unfortunately/fortunately (delete as appropriate).
- CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant and then diluted in a carrier oil, like hemp or olive oil, so you can take it like a tincture, in a capsule, apply it topically, vape it or eat it as a gummy sweet.
- Cannabinoids work by attaching themselves to neurotransmitters the body produces that regulate things like sleep, pain and appetite and helping rebalance them. All this without you getting severe munchies afterwards and having to drive to a 24-hour garage for some Monster Munch and chocolate buttons at 3am.
- In fact, it has been used to treat everything from MS, arthritis, post-traumatic stress, the side effects of cancer treatment, diabetes and epilepsy, to depression, anxiety, headaches, skin conditions and period cramps. If it could empty a dishwasher and remember your birthday, you’d probably marry it.
- Everyone gets a bit confused about the legal side of things, but CBD oil is totally legal in the UK, ‘provided it has been derived from an industrial hemp strain that is EU-approved’. Definitely raise this information in the next row you have with someone about Brexit.
- Medical CBD oil is different though, because of its THC content. If that exceeds 0.2 per cent, it becomes illegal. Which is why you may have heard stories about it being confiscated at airports from mothers who are using it to treat their epileptic children. Great work, guys! (OK, so they’re only obeying the law, but still)
- ‘But this is the elixir of life!’ you may be shouting out of your window. Just hold your horses. At the moment, it can work brilliantly for one person and not at all for someone else, but research is ongoing and it is still an unregulated product. Watch this space.
