With the passage of the Farm Bill at the end of last year, 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting year for CBD. Estimates vary, but Business Insider recently put the cannabis-derived supplement at a $1 billion value and Rolling Stone’s most recent deep-dive article reported that by 2022, the CBD market will outpace the THC market, hitting a value of $22 billion. That’s a hell of a lot of hemp. So what exactly is it? How do you use it and where can you get it? We checked in with Jessica Hanson over at My Natural CBD, a vegan and organic line of CBD products from Southern California to get the skinny.
Q. What is CBD?
Jessica: Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is a cannabinoid that’s available in supplement form and has a number of possible uses, including help with stress, anxiety, pain, and sleep problems. Unlike medical cannabis, CBD is legal in all 50 states, even if you live in a state where medical cannabis is currently illegal. It is extracted in oil form and then processed and sold in various types of products, including tinctures, gummies, vapes, and CBD-infused edibles.
What is CBD For? What Types of Things Can it Help With?
Where do I start? The biggest benefit of CBD, in my opinion, is the easing of anxiety and mental health issues for people of all ages. Recently, the National Council for Aging Care posted an article touting the benefits of CBD for panic attacks, moderate depression and general anxiety in seniors. It quoted a study showing how CBD gummies help stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain (which is the main goal of medications like Zoloft). I personally have used CBD oil for years for sleeplessness and pain. One of my favorite blogs, The Sleep Doctor, has a great article about how people with sleeping issues can benefit from pain. He explains that “CBD has the ability to reduce anxiety, which can be helpful in reducing sleeping difficulties and improving quality of sleep. CBD may increase overall sleep amounts and improve insomnia, according to research. CBD has been shown to reduce insomnia in people who suffer from chronic pain.” Vice also just put out a great article recently about how CBD oil is thought to have anti-pain, anti-soreness, and anti-inflammatory benefits for everyone from professional athletes to teenagers.
Where Can I Get It and Is It Legal?
In regards to legality, the answer is (finally) YES. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp has been reclassified as an agricultural crop and is finally allowed to be treated as such. In terms of where to find it, you have a few options: if you live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana such as California, it could be as quick as driving to your local dispensary. If your state hasn’t quite gotten on the legalization bandwagon, however, you can very easily order it online from a CBD store. Most high-end US manufacturers, like My Natural CBD, will offer a variety of products; both full spectrum and isolate, and will drop ship to you within a few days. There are also reputable subscription services that will auto-ship a 30-day supply to you every day so you never run out. That’s my favorite way- it saves you a ton of time and brainpower from trying to remember to order every month.
