Cannabis and hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD, is renowned for providing pain relief, suppressing seizures, relieving muscle spasms, treating ADHD, combating insomnia, and easing stress and anxiety. CBD reduces inflammation, which is one of the primary causes of disease and disorders, including arthritis and migraines. New CBD companies are flooding the market faster than we can say “the latest fad.”
With tons of new products hitting shelves, here is a handy guide to help sort the helpful ones from the hype.
Charlotte’s Web
Hemp Plus Extract oil is twice the strength of their basic hemp extract oil. Each serving of 1ml contains 28mg of hemp extract. It comes in mint chocolate, so it includes 10 fat calories per serving of 1ml. It is also mixed with fractionated coconut oil and sunflower oil. Hemp Plus is a natural addition to smoothies, coffee, foods, or taken alone. CW claims its hemp oil plus can offer support for normal, everyday stresses, help provide healthy recovery from exercise, and support a sense of calm, for focus. It is manufactured in Boulder, Colorado.
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A pharmacist at Columbia Care dispensary recently confirmed to a consulting patient that Charlotte’s Web makes high-quality CBD. The secret to their high-quality products is in the top-of-the-line, precision Hightech Extracts machine, which uses a fully automated recipe-driven process that meets pharma-grade standards. Hightech Extract provides CW Hemp with consistent, predictable and repeatable extractions.
Juju Royal
Julian “Juju” Marley is the latest Marley family member to get into the marijuana market, and rightly so. If anyone deserves to cash in on the myriad uses for cannabis, it’s the members of the Marley clan. Without Juju’s father, Bob, spearheading the movement, marijuana’s healing properties might not have received global, mainstream recognition in the modern age. As Juju’s brother Stephen is often fond of saying, “Education before recreation.” Juju’s CDB “vape juice,” comes in multiple flavors that smell like Fruity Pebbles, but taste like smoking a menthol cigarette.
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Juju’s 10mg sublingual tablets are made with full-spectrum CBD oil from hemp grown in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Because they are designed to be dissolved under the tongue by the mucosal lining of the mouth, they bypass the digestive tract, for quicker absorption. Incidentally, taking medical marijuana or CBD sublingually is the healthiest route to pursue.
What’s more, the company donates 1 percent of its proceeds to the Weed for Warriors project.
Patriot Botanicals
This company was developed by West Coast mom Roxanne Benton to treat her son’s ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome. CBD worked so well to control and reduce his symptoms that she put it on the market to help other moms and kids. Their company slogan, “Relax, it’s just hemp,” makes it clear that their CBD oil doesn’t contain any THC. It comes in mint and vanilla flavors and is legal to ship across the U.S.
Sensi Chew
The company’s Insomnia Plus contains CBD and Melatonin, a combination that’s helpful for patients who struggle with insomnia due to chronic pain. It includes a total 60mg of organic CBD cannabinoid extract, and 4mg per dose of natural melatonin, suspended in a bedtime snack-sized, chewy chocolate caramel bonbon. The cannabinoid profile is primarily CBD, with .03% THC and small amounts of CBC, CBN, CBG, THCV, and other whole plant cannabinoids and terpenoids. Unfortunately, due to its trace amounts of THC, it is temporarily available only on the West Coast.
Sensi Chew has a whole line of CBD “candy,” from chocolate ches to gummy bears. But as Dr. Anna Folckomer, a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist, pointed out, “Regarding eating sugar at night, your insulin cycle follows circadian rhythms and light exposure. We are less sensitive to insulin at night, and it’s hypothesized that timing meals with insulin sensitivity would be a game changer in the onset of diabetes. Your body knows how to use glucose for fuel during daylight hours, but due to decreased sensitivity at night, it tends to store it for later.”
Tasty
Operated by husband and wife team Jeff and Lisa Gallagher, this Michigan-based store sells hemp oil extract in spearmint and vanilla flavors. Each bottle (40 servings) contains 1,000mg of CBD and contains MCT oil, organic Sunflower Oil, stevia and other natural flavors. Put half a dropper under the tongue and hold it there for 60 to 90 seconds before swallowing. A minute and a half may seem like forever to hold liquid under the tongue. It helps to use a stopwatch, or be distracted by a task.
Vita Canna
Vita Canna from Keef Brands seems to provide the most “science” behind their dietary supplement, which is derived from the whole hemp plant without the high. Vita Canna’s Colorado Hemp Oil has a citrus flavor which contains 40 percent CBD, encapsulated into nanoparticles by the nutraceutical industry’s leading liposomal delivery system. (Did anyone else imagine Borg Seven of Nine taking this stuff to regenerate?)
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Vita Canna claims their patented phospholipid encapsulation system brings the power of intravenous delivery into convenient oral ingestion, which improves upon liposomal technology with smaller, more stable, single-layer spheres made from the highest-grade ingredients available. In addition to excellent absorption rates, nanospheres have demonstrated the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, deposit their cargo intracellularly, and enhance lymphatic circulation of nutrients. Also, the phospholipids that compose the liposome shell feed the cell membranes; this helps ensure the proper function of the absorption of nutrients and the excretion of cellular waste products and toxins.
Science has identified two primary cannabinoid receptors in the human body: CB1 and CB2. These are embedded in cell membranes and present throughout the entire body. CB1 receptors are highly expressed in the hippocampus and other parts of the Central Nervous System, multiple organs, and glands, and have been shown to possess anticonvulsant properties. CB2 receptors, while commonly reported as confined to the lymphatic system, are also now being studied for their vital role in suppression of both pain and inflammatory processes.
With so many CBD products on the market, ultimately, picking the right type of product and dosage is a personal choice. As with any CBD oil, remember to store the bottle in a cool, dry place, away from light, shake the bottle before each use, and hold the liquid or tablet under the tongue for up to a minute and a half, for best results. It is relatively difficult to impossible to overdose on CBD, so trying a few different kinds until a favorite is found, can’t hurt.
