The Ultimate Guide to CBD
If you're new to CBD or have heard about it and want to learn more about what it is then you've come to the right place. What is CBD? CBD (Cannabidiol) is a specific compound ("cannabinoid") found in Cannabis genus plants known to have therapeutic effects. The term CBD is often used to refer to cannabinoids in general, which is technically incorrect but loosely used and accepted in general. More recently, the industry has adopted the term PCR (or "Phyto-Cannabinoid Rich") when referring to the broader spectrum of compounds found in hemp and cannabis. PCR (including CBD and all the good cannabinoids) are distilled into an oil that can be ingested or infused as a product for therapeutic benefits.
What is THC?
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a chemical compound found in Cannabis plants that can create a psychotropic effect. It is a psychoactive compound that attaches to natural body receptors to induce a "high" or "head change". THC is found in low natural volume (less than 0.3%) in "Hemp" Cannabis plants and higher natural volume (more than 0.3%) in "Marijuana" Cannabis plants. Note: Epiones uses a specific strain of "Hemp" Cannabis plant that contains very low THC and removes THC to non-detectable levels (0.0%) through extraction. We refer to our PCR as "Full Spectrum 0.0% THC" because we have left all natural spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavinoids intact while exclusively removing the THC.
Cannabis - Hemp vs Marijuana?
The difference between hemp and marijuana is all too often explained incorrectly. Let's start with Cannabis - a genus of flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family, which consists of three primary species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Hemp and marijuana are regularly referred to as "species" of Cannabis when in fact they are not. Hemp and Marijuana are broad classifications of Cannabis that were adopted into culture. They are not scientific nomenclature for the Cannabis plant. Simply put - "Hemp" is a term to call varieties of Cannabis that contain 0.3% or less THC content (based on dry weight). "Marijuana" on the other hand is a term to call varieties of Cannabis containing more than 0.3% THC (based on dry weight) and can induce psychotropic or euphoric effects on the user. The important takeaway from anyone interested in CBD benefits is that the Epiones and other companies in the CBD (or PCR) industry use Hemp and not Marijuana.
Is it Legal?
Yes - the United States federal government considered PCR (or CBD and hemp-based products) legal. Without diving into too much detail, it is perfectly legal to distribute CBD (or PCR) based products that contain less than 0.3% THC throughout the United States. Parts of the Cannabis sativa plant have been controlled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) since 1970 under the drug class "Marihuana" (also "Marijuana"). As of the 2018 Farm Bill, "the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis" were removed from the CSA and no longer a controlled substance under federal law - thus allowing the distribution of hemp and hemp-based products legal. At the federal level, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334, (the 2018 Farm Bill) was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2018. Unfortunately, there are state, counties, and municipalities that have yet to update their local provisions and statutes to match federal law. In such areas, the local government may consider CBD (or hemp-based products) a controlled substance. Please check with your state statutes to understand how this may affect you.
Can CBD (or PCR) products help me?
Yes. Countless people have proclaimed that they have experienced therapeutic benefit from CBD (or PCR) products. Use of CBD products is skyrocketing and millions of users have given ample testimony that they felt less anxious, less stressed, and less pain after they've used CBD. Medical research on CBD is limited and the FDA has not taken an official position on the industry. We expect more findings and substantive review by the FDA and FTC to further validate what millions of people already know. It's a matter of time.
What type of CBD products are out there?
It's important to understand the difference between Isolate, Broad Spectrum, and Full Spectrum. CBD isolate is pure CBD - no other chemical compounds are present and all terpenes and flavinoids removed. CBD isolate contains zero THC and most users find isolate to work less well compared to Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum CBD (or PCR) products. Full Spectrum by industry definition refers to CBD (or PCR) with ALL compounds intact - including THC up to 0.3%. Users tout the benefits of using Full Spectrum as all compounds are working together creating an Entourage Effect with THC included. (Note: We refer to our products as Full Spectrum (0.0% THC) whereby all compounds are intact EXCEPT THC which has been extracted purposely.) Users of a THC-free product can feel more assured that they are not going to "get high", "feel head change", or fail a drug test should they be subject to one. Finally, Broad Spectrum refers to products with a partial cannibinoid profile - where some of the natural compounds are intact but not all.