There is a lot of confusion surrounding CBD, many people are intrigued by its health & wellness properties but don’t know where to start. Clever marketing & fancy lingo can often confuse customers & put them off altogether.

 

Here is our top 15 frequently asked questions on Cannabidiol (CBD).

 1. How does CBD work?

CBD works with something called the endocannabinoid system. This is a system that exists in all mammals.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an important neurotransmitter system expressed throughout the mammalian central nervous system (including the brain) & peripheral nervous system.

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) refers to a collection of cell receptors & corresponding molecules.

You can think of cell receptors like little locks on the surface of your cells.

The keys to these locks are chemical molecules called antagonists (CBD would be the antagonists).

Endocannabinoids got their name from Cannabis as the plant cannabinoids were discovered first.

Endo means within as Wee produce our own cannabinoids.
Certain receptors are more concentrated in specific regions in the body:

CB1 receptors are abundant in the central nervous system.

CB2 receptors are more often found on immune cells, in the gastrointestinal tract, & in the peripheral nervous system.

The diversity of receptor locations shows just how important endocannabinoids are for day-to-day bodily function.

Endocannabinoids MAY help regulate the following:

  Sleep
  Appetite, Digestion, Hunger
  Mood 
  Motor control
  Immune function
  Reproduction & Fertility
  Pleasure & Reward
  Memory
  Temperature regulation

Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency

A common term you may hear is “Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency“ it’s simple: it just means when the body does not produce enough endocannabinoids or cannot regulate them properly you may want to introduce -slowly- phytocannabinoids. (cannabinoids from an external source).

 2. What Are Terpenes?

Another common FAQ about CBD that Wee get is about terpenes. Everyone hears this word at some point once they begin their journey in the world of cannabis.

Terpenes are the molecules in the plants that give the material its aroma or smell. Terpenes are responsible for the fragrance of the different types of plants. That’s why different plants have different, often very distinct, scents.

The scent it gives off depends on the terpenes it contains.

Terpenes have their own health & wellness properties & can increase the benefits of CBD.

Wee side note: Plants from the Cannabis Sativa genus are particularly rich in terpenes, and cannabis contains more than a 100 of these substances, majority of which are unique to it.

Terpenes are the reason why every cannabis/marijuana strain is unique in some aspect. Depending on its terpene profile, a strain may smell like pine, berry or a lemon. You name it.

That being said, we can say for certain that all strains have a unique undertone scent that provides that well known trademark cannabis/marijuana smell. This is the fault of a terpene called myrcene. 

Myrcene is the most abundant terpene in cannabis, which is where it’s mostly found in nature. In fact, one study showed that myrcene makes up as much as 65% of total terpene profile in some strains. Myrcene smell often reminds of earthy, musky notes, resembling cloves. Also, it has a fruity, red grape-like aroma.

Strains that contain 0.5% of this terpene are usually indicas with sedative effects. It
has also been reported that myrcene is potentially useful in reducing inflammation and chronic pain, which is why it’s usually recommended as a supplement during cancer treatments.

Mango contains significant amount of myrcene. Myrcene is also a significant component of the essential oil of several plants, including bay, ylang-ylang, wild thyme, parsley, cardamom, & hops.

3. Why does CBD effect people differently? 

CBD can differ in many ways. Why doesn’t everyone respond to CBD exactly the same?

Well, first of all — & perhaps most obviously — Wee all have different bodies. Our bodies all have different chemical makeups. No two of us are the same & some people will be more deficient in endocannabinoids than others.

That’s why it makes sense that people can respond differently to CBD. Factors like our age, weight, gender, lifestyle, medical history, & more can all come into play when it comes to how CBD will interact with us.

4. Does CBD effect memory?

Many people worry that CBD is addictive or that it can begin to have serious & unfortunate side effects like memory loss.

Luckily, Wee are here to tell you CBD is not addictive. It should not affect your memory or harm your brain in any way. In fact, people often turn to CBD for the neuro protective benefits it provides.

In other words, it may even help to improve or strengthen your memory — not detract or take away from it. 

5. Is CBD legal?

Yes! CBD is legal in most countries. It’s CBD’s cousin, THC, that makes cannabis illegal in many places. 

CBD & THC are just two of around one hundred (ish) different cannabinoids found in the cannabis family of plants.

CBD has no psychoactive effects, which is why it is legal in most places. You should always double check the laws of where you live & the rules of where you work, of course, but in general CBD that comes from the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa L) is legal.

The following is a list of countries that Wee know that allow CBD Oil from Hemp:

         ▪        United States

         ▪        Argentina

         ▪        Austria

         ▪        Belgium

         ▪        Belize

         ▪        Brazil

         ▪        Bulgaria

         ▪        Chile

         ▪        China

         ▪        Colombia

         ▪        Costa Rica

         ▪        Croatia

         ▪        Cyprus

         ▪        Czech Republic

         ▪        Denmark

         ▪        England

         ▪        Estonia

         ▪        Finland

         ▪        France

         ▪        Georgia

         ▪        Germany

         ▪        Greece

         ▪        Guam

         ▪        Guatemala

         ▪        Hong Kong

         ▪        Hungary

         ▪        Iceland

         ▪        India

         ▪        Ireland

         ▪        Italy

         ▪        Latvia

         ▪        Lithuania

         ▪        Luxembourg

         ▪        Malta

         ▪        Netherlands

         ▪        Netherlands Antilles

         ▪        Northern Ireland

         ▪        Norway

         ▪        Paraguay

         ▪        Peru

         ▪        Poland

         ▪        Portugal

         ▪        Puerto Rico

         ▪        Romania

         ▪        Russia

         ▪        Scotland

         ▪        Slovak Republic

         ▪        Slovenia

         ▪        South Africa

         ▪        Sweden

         ▪        Switzerland

         ▪        S. Virgin Islands

         ▪        United Kingdom

         ▪        Uruguay

         ▪        Wales

If you do not live in one of these countries, CBD Oil extracted from a Cannabis Sativa L (hemp) variety with a THC content less than 0.2% (other countries thresholds may vary) may not be legal. Please check the law in your country before purchasing such a product.

6. Does CBD get you high?

No.

This is because CBD alone is not psychoactive & it does not contain the psychoactive component that is present in other species of the cannabis plant. The cannabinoid responsible for causing (most) of the ‘high’ is called THC. (although there are other psychoactive compounds in lesser volumes in the cannabis plant).

CBD oil (usually) comes from specific hemp plants (namely Cannabis Sativa L) that purposefully contain little to no amounts of THC.

Wee side note: All CBD products in the UK must be made from hemp (Cannabis Sativa L), if you see a product that’s made from ‘Indica’ or just ‘Sativa’ it’s either illegal or clever/confusing marketing.

7. What is the difference between hemp & cannabis (or marijuana)?

Aren’t hemp, cannabis, marijuana, & CBD oil all the same thing?

Almost — but not quite. In most cases (& certainly in the UK), CBD comes from the hemp plant. Hemp belongs to the same family of plants as marijuana & cannabis, but it has some differing qualities. Hemp plants are specially grown to contain low levels of THC, if any at all.

This is because people can use hemp for more industrial purposes, like animal feed, rope, clothing, & other types of fabric.

Marijuana & cannabis, on the other hand, do contain THC. They are bred for more medicinal & recreational purposes rather than industrial (although CBD extracted from hemp (or Cannabis Sativa L) has the same health & wellbeing properties.

Wee side note: The more THC in the cannabis plant, the less CBD there will be & vice versa. This is why cannabis from the black market can be bordering on the dangerous side as it’s been bred to have massive amounts of THC (through the growing process) leaving the balance of THC to CBD way off, this can often lead to an unwelcome experience.

8. What are the benefits of taking CBD?

Eeeeh….moving on….

Joking, CBD is classed as a food supplement in the UK & no medicinal benefits can be made with a food supplement. If you do see companies making medicinal claims (that do not have a medical license…which they probably won’t have) they are breaking MHRA rules & regulations & putting the whole industry at risk. Your safety is paramount & it would be irresponsible to make claims that cannot be backed up.

9. Can I take CBD at work?

Won’t CBD cause me to fail a drug test? Can I take CBD at work?

Great question. This is something you should do further research into. In the UK CBD products can only legally contain no more than 0.2% THC (the legal threshold). This is not enough to show up on a drug test but it is advisable to let the medical professional in charge of your drug test know that you supplement with CBD.

You should also make sure that the CBD you consume contains no more than 0.2% THC, this information should be present on the product & be clear on the lab test certs.

It’s important to make sure you only purchase CBD from a reputable & trusted company.

10. What is the best extraction method?

There are different ways to extract CBD.

Wee stand behind the CO2 extraction method. This process keeps the integrity of the plant intact while also maintaining as much plant power as possible for human consumption.

Wee believe CO2 extraction is the cleanest & safest way to extract CBD from hemp or cannabis. It is commonly regarded as one of the purest, most efficient, and most versatile forms for extracting the components from said plants.

Wee fact: CO2 can be used to extract the key compounds from a wide variety of substances, including:

Coffee
Vanilla
Tea
Fruit and nuts
Fragrances and perfumes
Tobacco (for the production of e-cigarettes)
Hops (to create hop oil for beer making)
Spices (such as black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and more)
Cannabis and hemp (to create extracts or concentrates)

11. Is CBD safe to use while pregnant?

You should always consult your doctor before taking any new substance during pregnancy.

While THC looks to not be safe to use while pregnant, the general consensus is that we still require more research before we can declare that CBD is safe to use while pregnant.

Our advice, do not take CBD while pregnant.

12. How quickly will CBD kick in?

This is another one of those questions that can differ from person to person. Some may feel the effects of CBD right away. Wee have reports of people feeling the benefits after just one day of using our CBD.

Rebecca (The Wee Hemp Company Co-founder), who uses our CBD products for her Crohn’s disease & fibromyalgia didn’t feel the full benefits until nearly 6 week of use.

Wee side note: Just remember, everyone is different & it’s not a race, Rome wasn’t built in a day but they did work on it every single day, not a bad mindset to apply to your rebuilding journey.

13. What does bioavailability mean & what does it have to do with CBD?

The simple answer is that it is how much CBD is available to your blood stream or your body.

For example: if you consume CBD, you will have much lower bioavailability. If you vape CBD, the chemicals go directly into your lungs & absorb into your blood stream from there. The higher the bioavailability of your CBD, the more quickly & strongly you will feel its effects.

14. How do I know how much CBD to take?

Your CBD dosage will depend on a number of factors. These can include your lifestyle, age, weight, gender, medical history, personal preferences, & more.

Everyone is different & there is no ‘one dose’ for everyone. It’s all about waking up your endocannabinoid system slowly. If you go in with a high percentage product or too much CBD at once you will overload your endocannabinoid system & you may experience detox-like symptoms. This is actually the reason our strongest percentage product is only at 5%. The endocannabinoid system need awaken slowly, as we always say to our Wee Hempers, ‘low & slow is the way to go’, it’s not a race.

If Wee can recommend a starting dose it would be 1 drop 3 x a day for the 1^st week or two, from there you can up the dose to 2 drops 3 x a day but that may not be needed, if 1 drop 3 x a day gives you the desires effect then perfect, you have found your dose.

A Wee tip: If you are using a bottle & pipette type of CBD product, take your CBD in front of the mirror so you can actually see the droplets leave the pipette so you know exactly how many drops you are getting.

15. Where can I buy CBD products from?

www.weehemp.com