7 Common Myths About CBD

CBD or cannabidiol is quickly becoming one of the most popular non-prescription medications in the United States. To an extent, that’s a good thing. To another extent, the sudden proliferation of CBD in everything from shampoo to sleeping pills spreads misinformation. As a result, there are a lot of common myths about CBD. Some of them are true, others are popular misconceptions.

If you’re buying CBD for any purpose, it’s important that you understand what CBD is, how it really works, and what you’re buying it for. We want you to purchase Green Care Solutions CBD and hemp products based on their actual function, not on a misconception. That’s why we’ve highlighted the 7 most common myths about CBD.

1.    CBD Gets You High

This myth can be stated in several different ways. For example, “CBD turns into THC”, “CBD is the same as THC”, “CBD has a psychotropic effect”. No matter how you say it, the answer is, “not really”. Similarly, the myth “CBD is not psychoactive” is also wrong, because “psychoactive” just means “has an effect on the mind”, however, CBD is not “psychotropic”, which means it doesn’t cause euphoria or a “high”.

Whether or not CBD “gets you high” heavily depends on various factors such as the strain, the source of the CBD, THC content, and your own Endocannabinoid System.

Source of the CBD – CBD is found in all types of cannabis, which includes high THC marijuana and low THC hemp. While marijuana has as much as 40% THC concentrations, the hemp CBD products at Green Care Solutions contain as little as 0.3% THC. Most CBD products will contain trace amounts of THC, but how much depends on how and where you source the CBD. So, if you’re using a marijuana product for CBD, it’s likely it has enough THC in it to get you high. Some persons are also especially sensitive to trace amounts of THC and will get high as well.

Endocannabinoid System – CBD induces relaxation, fights inflammation, and reduces pain by stimulating the endocannabinoid system. Here, CBD binds to the CB1 receptor in the brain and along the spine, stimulating the receptor and stimulating the production of cannabinoids naturally produced by the body. Endocannabinoids are the most well-known of these. In a tiny percentage of users (under 4%), the endocannabinoid production is high enough that you might feel a slight high.

Essentially, pure CBD, sourced from hemp products, like that offered in our store, is unlikely to get you high. 

2.    CBD Has Not Been Clinically Researched

While CBD was illegal in most of the United States for decades, research dates back to the 1940s. Today, there are dozens of clinical trials on CBD usage for everything from sleep management to pain relief and anxiety management. While many of these trials remain small, they are growing in number.

CBD is largely recognized as safe, effective for a large number of clinical applications, and is increasingly available for that treatment. In fact, CBD is already used in FDA approved medications like Epidiolex (seizure treatment). As research grows and more CBD products are brought to the market, this list will expand. However, as many people choose to go directly to the source by taking CBD oil and tinctures directly, specifically approved medications, which include other ingredients, are not always desirable.

3.    You can Take CBD As You Need It

While many pharmacy products attempt to pitch CBD as something you can take on-demand and achieve immediate results for any condition, that isn’t always the case. Most clinical CBD trials include daily doses of CBD, at quantities ranging (on average) from 2-300+ mg per day. In fact, for some uses CBD products can take 3-10 days to show real effects.

CBD does offer quick short-term benefits for many uses though. CBD is a medication that works to balance out neurotransmitter production, relax the central nervous system, and otherwise provide short and long-term benefits.

But whatever your use case best results are usually achieved with a regular daily dose. Contact us to speak with a Green Care Solutions CBD advisor to determine your CBD uses strategy.

4.    CBD Products Are All the Same

We already covered how some CBD products are made from marijuana and others are made from hemp. That’s one of the primary differences between CBD products. Some will get you high and others will not.

At the same time, some CBD products are simply a scam. Low-quality products might not contain any CBD at all. That’s why it’s important to source your CBD products from a reputable dealer with a proven history of cannabis sales. Green Care Solutions offers clearly labelled products, detailing how much CBD is in each dose, so you always know what you’re getting. And, our CBD products are 100% hemp, to ensure that whether you’re buying a tincture, an edible like our Hemp Honey Sticks, or one of our vape or hookah products, you know exactly what you’re getting and that it’s CBD and not THC.

5.    CBD Doesn’t Have Side Effects

Any chemical substance may have side effects. That’s a given. If it doesn’t, you’re probably taking water. That aside, CBD has a remarkably light side effect profile, especially in comparison with many prescription drugs. It’s important to discuss CBD usage with your doctor, especially if you’re already taking other medications:

• CBD can lower blood pressure
• CBD can have an additive effect with sedative drugs that target the central nervous system, such as benzodiazepines
• Excessively high doses of CBD can inhibit P450 enzymes in the liver, which will increase the potency and toxicity of all other drugs

A very small percentage of users will also experience fatigue, drowsiness, or diarrhea when taking CBD supplements. However, reports are extremely rare and may be related to the type of supplement taken.

6.    CBD is a Cure-All

CBD shows a lot of promise for clinical applications like treating anxiety and depression, helping with short-term sleep disorders, short-term relaxation for PTSD patients, seizure treatment, etc. However, CBD is not and cannot be a cure-all. Additionally, CBD doesn’t cure anything. Instead, it helps reduce symptoms, a lot like putting a band aid on a bleeding cut. That can be a powerful way to reduce symptoms while seeking treatment for a mental health disorder, a way to boost quality of life when suffering from seizures, or to potentially improve your skin while suffering from eczema – but it won't’ cure the problem. If you stop taking CBD, it will go away.

CBD isn’t a miracle drug and while it may help, it’s important to discuss usage with your doctor, especially before using CBD instead of another medication or on top of another medication.

7.    CBD Makes You Sleepy

CBD makes a tiny percentage of people sleepy. However, this rare side effect can more-often be chalked up to taking CBD with higher amounts of THC present. This myth likely related to the fact that CBD supplements are sometimes sold as sleeping aids or that CBD is sometimes used to help people overcome sleep disorders. The truth is, most CBD products don’t make you sleepy at all. When they do, they either contain THC, chamomile, or melatonin. Over the long term, CBD can help to balance your sleep schedule (for about 3 months) by relaxing the central nervous system. That won’t make you sleepy.

Hopefully debunking these 7 common myths about CBD has given you a better idea of how the Green Care Solutions family of CBD products might affect you or your loved ones.