Cannabis sativa L., an incredibly useful species of plant that includes both hemp and marijuana varieties, has been gaining acceptance and growing in popularity in the United States, where previously all forms of this plant were banned. There are many reasons to return cannabis to its status as a beneficial herb – in addition to its industrial uses (as hemp fiber, oil, and seed,) cannabis has a number of medicinal uses that have gone ignored as governments sought to regulate its more intoxicating compound, THC.
About THC and CBD
The two most well-known cannabis compounds, due to their medicinal (and recreational) uses, are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol.) THC stimulates appetite, elevates mood, reduces the perception of pain, and produces a euphoric “high” (which can impair cognition and motor function for a time.) CBD lowers anxiety, reduces inflammation and neuropathic pain, and can improve sleep. It also has a dramatic effect on reducing seizures in certain rare childhood seizure disorders. While both compounds can be found in all cannabis plants, THC is more concentrated in the marijuana plant, and CBD is more concentrated in hemp. Because the two compounds have distinct effects, there is a demand for a THC free CBD.
Legal Status
The Farm Bill of 2018 gave hemp and hemp products, including CBD, legal status in the U.S. Currently, “hemp” is defined as cannabis plants and their derivatives containing less than 0.3% THC. The laws continue to shift in favor of the usefulness of hemp, and cannabis in general. A proposal in the Senate would raise the level of THC allowable in hemp plants to 1% (reducing the requirement on farmers to destroy plants, which don’t recognize the arbitrary limits set on them.) Also, the number of states allowing medicinal or full recreational use of cannabis continues to grow.
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At the federal level, and in states where marijuana and THC is currently illegal, the sale, possession, and use of products containing more than 0.3% THC is against the law. In some states, products containing THC are allowed only when prescribed for a medical reason. In some others, all marijuana products are legal. However, CBD products that do not contain THC are legal in all 50 states.
Drug Testing for Work or Sports
CBD provides a number of benefits useful for working people and athletes, where the perception-altering effects of THC would be unwelcome. A broad-spectrum CBD, which contains other cannabinoids and terpenes that work in concert to produce anti-inflammatory and neural-protective effects in the body, is considered the best way to receive the benefits of CBD. However, while CBD does not trigger a positive drug screening, some other cannabis compounds like cannabinol (CBN) and THC will.
Athletes and others who want the pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and anxiety-reducing effects of CBD without risking a failed drug test need broad-spectrum CBD that THC free. Bluebird Botanicals makes such a product.
High on Life (Not THC)
Non-psychoactive cannabinoids have a growing body of research that supports the health effects of daily use. CBD and related compounds can lower inflammation, which is a factor in a wide range of diseases including arthritis, autoimmune disorders, allergies, chronic pain, and cancer. It acts as an antioxidant to protect against oxidative stress (another factor in many progressive disorders.) It reduces anxiety and can improve sleep. With all of these benefits, there is good reason to seek a CBD that can be used daily without the intoxicating effects of THC.
CBD compounds that do not contain psychoactive substances are also safe for children. To date, there is one FDA-approved medicine containing CBD that is intended for children, Epidiolex, which treats a severe seizure disorder. While research in this area is still lacking, it is possible that CBD may have other uses for childhood disorders characterized by inflammation, anxiety, and/or poor sleep.
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