With more dispensaries open now to sell recreational and medical cannabis products and products derived from hemp plants, including items that are high in CBD, you may be wondering how to sort out all the options.
Here is an overview of the different types of CBD products available on the market, from nicely cured flowers to edibles, tinctures and salves.
About CBD
CBD is short for cannabidiol. It’s one of the major cannabinoids or compounds found in cannabis and hemp plants. As Healthline explains, CBD interacts with the human endocannabinoid system. The cannabinoid binds with CB1 and CB2 receptors in our nervous system and immune system.
Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a cannabinoid that makes people feel “high,” CBD has a number of noteworthy benefits, from helping people relax and get better sleep, reduce anxiety and potentially even cut down on pain. In fact, people who want a more even “high” will look for strains balanced with CBD and THC. Some strains contain much more CBD than THC.
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration has sanctioned CBD medicine to treat epilepsy. So public policy is starting to catch up with scientific research being conducted on cannabis and hemp-derived products. So while it is legal to buy and use CBD products in general in states where CBD products are allowed, the only regulated use to date is for epileptic patients.
But you can use CBD yourself if you’ve determined it might be a good option for whatever’s ailing you. Under federal law, it’s legal to buy CBD products as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC, according to Medical News Now.
Types of CBD Products
- Flowers: Flowers from strains that are high in CBD include Charlotte’s Web, Harlequin, Sweet and Sour Widow and Cannatonic. Check the current offerings at your favorite dispensary to find flowers high in CBD. You can roll CBD-laden flower into a joint, use it in a one-hitter or consume a bowl in a pipe or bong. Or, you can vaporize flower to avoid inhaling smoke.
- Oils: To take in more CBD in a session, patients will use concentrated oil from a hemp plant high in cannabidiol. You can vaporize CBD oil in a desktop or handheld portable vaporizer that runs off of batteries.
- Edibles: You can find CBD edibles in a variety of forms, including CBD gummies and other candies, along with cakes, cookies and chocolates. Keep in mind that edibles take longer before you feel the effect as compared with smoking or vaporizing.
- Tinctures: For those who want to avoid smoking or vaporizing their CBD products, tinctures are a great formulation. You can absorb CBD under your tongue, which is why people refer to this method as sublingual when consuming tinctures.
- Salves: Many individuals are interested in getting relief for skin conditions, such as eczema, acne, psoriasis and contact dermatitis. Joint pain from inflammation is another motivation for people seeking help with CBD salves. It’s a topical application. Generally you will not consume a salve by mouth or by vaporizing.
Which Formulation Is Right For You?
Depending on what you’re looking to get out of CBD, you might find it best to begin with smoking or vaporizing flowers that are high in cannabidiol. Advanced users may prefer to vaporize CBD oil products.
Or, if you already know that you do better with edibles, there are plenty of products from which to choose. The same goes for tinctures and salves. Your dispensary will have knowledgeable staff, ready to answer any questions you might have about using any particular CBD product.