There is so much information concerning more natural remedies of health and wellness. How can you make sure that you are making the right decision for you and your wellness? Knowledge is power and we here at Panacea Life Sciences are committed to educating our customers the best we can. It is likely that you have either heard of cannabidiol (CBD) or are researching CBD, otherwise you probably would not be here. What is CBD? What is hemp? How do you know you are getting the best benefits possible out of your hemp gummies? There are so many questions surrounding this particular topic. It is time to shed some light! Read on to find out more about CBD and its potential wellness benefits.
What is CBD? What about THC?
Let’s start with the basics. What is CBD? CBD is one of the 113 cannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa plant. There are different varieties of cannabis, one of them being the hemp plant. Because of the 2018 Farm Bill it is legal to grow and sell hemp throughout the United States. This is different from other strains of Cannabis, commonly referred to as marijuana, which contain greater than 0.3% Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The various strains of Cannabis will contain different amounts of THC and CBD.
THC is another cannabinoid found in the Cannabis sativa plant. This particular cannabinoid, however, has an inebriating effect. THC gives users a feeling of euphoria or a ‘high.’ Because of this, products made with marijuana or products that have higher than a 0.3% amount of THC are not legal to sell in all 50 states. However, there are some states that have legalized the use of marijuana products for recreational and/or medicinal purposes. It is important to know the laws in your state before purchasing any products. Unlike THC, CBD does not have the inebriating effect when used, but could have the potential to increase user’s overall health wellbeing in many ways.
Hemp gummies: What are they made of?
There is a reason you decided to read this article out of the many we have posted on our blog. You are likely interested in hemp gummies and want to learn more about them. Hemp gummies are considered edibles and are a great option for adding CBD to your dietary regimen. A gummy made with CBD is made like any other type of gummy you may encounter, but, with CBD.
The way that the CBD gets into your system through a gummy goes like this: chew the gummy, swallow the gummy, then the gummy reaches the stomach and is digested as a normal food. Once broken down, the CBD is absorbed into the bloodstream. Then you are able to reap the benefits of CBD.
There are many ways to make gummies. How does Panacea Life Sciences do it? Our Cherry Bomb CBD Gummies are vegan and contain 20mg of CBD in each piece. After the extraction process, the CBD is mixed with these ingredients: Panacea Pure CBD Hemp Oil Extract, sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, citric acid, tartaric acid, natural and artificial flavors. These cherry flavored gummies come in 20 and 30 count bottles.
Why use hemp gummies?
There are many options when it comes to CBD products (we will discuss these later) but, why use gummies specifically? There are many benefits surrounding choosing CBD gummies. First, it is an easy way to get CBD into your system. Each gummy comes in with a certain mg so getting the same amount every day is easy. It is also a delicious and fun way to get CBD into your bloodstream. Hemp gummies take a bit longer of a time to get into one’s bloodstream but tend to last longer than other options. Keep in mind the height, weight, and other factors may make your hemp gummy experience different. Another reason is because the hemp gummies are flavored it masks any of the earthy flavor from the CBD.
Why use CBD?
Now you know why people choose to use hemp gummies over other CBD products. Why are the benefits of CBD and why are a growing number of people adding CBD to their diet?
- Promote a sense of calm: Promoting a sense of calm in those who have feelings of anxiousness is just the beginning of the potential CBD has. In this study, researchers used brain imaging to test subjects who have SAD (social anxiety disorder). Those who were given the CBD showed a decrease in their SAD-related brain activity as shown through brain scans. Those who did not receive the CBD did not have any decrease.
- FDA approved medications: There are several FDA approved medications that contain CBD. Epidiolex is the most well-known. This medication helps those with two severe types of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. There are also a handful of others that assist those going through anti-cancer treatments and the nausea it may cause. These are called Marinol (dronabinol), Syndros (dronabinol), and Cesamet (nabilone). These medications can only be prescribed by a healthcare professional.
- Skin health: CBD topicals typically do not the bloodstream. However, this does not mean that they cannot assist in skin health. In this study scientists explain that those with and without skin conditions had improved skin health after the use of CBD topicals. The study evaluated skin health through a number of tests, including photographic evidence, to evaluate the effects of a CBD topical before and after treatment.
- Antibacterial properties: There have been whisperings of the potential antibacterial properties of CBD. And these whisperings may be true. In this study they concluded that CBD had the capability to kill certain types of bacteria.
- Joint health and flexibility: CBD has been researched for the possibility of joint health benefits. Panacea Life Sciences has done their own research regarding this aspect. We used dogs who are older and have joint health issues. During this study, we asked pet owners to administer CBD to their dogs two times a day for four consecutive weeks. The owners were to take a weekly test to show if anything had improved. At the end of the four weeks pet owners described their dogs to be more mobile. Therefore, the CBD may have helped with their joint health.
CBD products available
As there are several reasons to use CBD there are just as many products to choose from. Besides CBD hemp gummies that is.
- Vapes: Panacea Life Sciences does not advocate the use of vapes, it is an option for CBD use. This way of using CBD has a high rate of absorption as it directly enters the bloodstream via inhalation. That being said it is important to note that the effects may be shorter lived and inhaling CBD may have negative health associations.
- Tinctures: This type of CBD gets into the bloodstream quickly. When the dropper full of CBD is placed in the mouth it is absorbed into the bloodstream from there. A tincture is an oil like substance that is added to carrier oil. Some tinctures come flavored to mask the earthy hemp taste. Although tinctures give the CBD effects quite quickly, they have been described to last not as long as other products.
- Soft gels: A soft gel is a capsule that is full of CBD. Once the capsule is swallowed it goes through the digestive tract and then lands in the stomach. Once there the CBD is absorbed as the capsule is broken down. These types of products are similar to edibles in their bioavailability.
- Tablets: Tablets are more similar to tinctures than soft capsules in time of onset, efficiency of dosing and duration of effect. A tablet is placed in the mouth and dissolves there. It enters the bloodstream from the mouth as the tincture does. You can add/subtract amounts of CBD with a dropper, but tablets are made with the same mg every time making it easier to know how much you are getting.
- Topicals: CBD topicals are the odd man out, as they usually do not reach the bloodstream. CBD, however, can absorb into the skin to provide a wide range of benefits. These are best used frequently and in the same area. They come in lotions, salves, creams, and even hand sanitizer.
How is CBD extracted from the hemp plant?
Although the extraction process can be a bit complicated it is important to know before purchasing CBD products. Here are the top three different extraction methods.
Solvent extraction (hydrocarbons and natural solvents): In this process one would use a type of solvent to extract the CBD. The solvent and CBD oil are combined and then the solvent is extracted leaving the CBD behind. There are two types of solvents used: hydrocarbons and natural solvents. This type of extraction is not as preferred because it has been found to leave unwanted elements after the solvents have been extracted. These elements could be including naphtha, petroleum, butane, or propane for hydrocarbon extraction. These elements can be harmful and therefore products that were made with this extraction process should be tested thoroughly.
Steam distillation: In this process, the steam separates the CBD oil from the plant itself. The hemp is placed in a separate container while a boiler is full of water beneath the hemp plant. Once boiling, the steam from the water travels upward to extract the CBD oil vapors from the hemp plant. The vapor from the plant is then trapped in a tube and added to oil or water. After this is collected, the oil is extracted from the water to make an oil. This process works well, but it does require a lot of the hemp plant and if the steam gets too hot it may damage the CBD oil extract.
Carbon dioxide extraction: Carbon dioxide is used to extract the CBD from the plant by using both carbon dioxide liquid and gas properties to extract. This is why carbon dioxide extraction is often known as Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE). To begin the extraction, two different pressurized chambers are used. One, with the carbon dioxide, while the other chamber contains the hemp plant. Then the chamber filled with carbon dioxide is pumped into the second chamber that contains the hemp, where it solubilizes the hemp oil containing CBD and allowing the oil to be separated from plant material. CBD-CO2 mixture is then pumped into a third chamber where the carbon dioxide is evaporated, leaving the CBD oil without the carbon dioxide.
Why should you know this information? How your CBD is prepared as an ingredient is important as certain extraction techniques may leave behind unwanted contaminants. Companies who do not disclose their extraction process are not likely reputable. We want you to have the best CBD possible. That’s why we explain how we extract CBD and all the testing it goes through.
Where can I get CBD?
There are many places to get CBD products. Some grocery stores carry it, as well as natural food stores, dispensaries, drug stores, and even vape shops. Call ahead to double check they have the product you are looking for.
One of the most popular places that carry CBD are online retailers. Everything has moved to online and CBD companies are one of them. Shopping online can be nerve racking, so, make sure to read reviews, check for their reliability, their extractions process, etc. It is important to look for labels. If their product labels are not on their sites it is likely a bad idea to purchase from that company.
Hemp gummies: the benefits
There are so many different products to choose from when it comes to CBD. All products have their pros and cons. It just takes preference to decide what works best for you and your overall wellness. When it comes to gummies, make sure the ingredient list is up to par with your health decisions. If you are vegan, make sure they are vegan as a lot of gummy candy contains gelatin (not a vegan product). If you are a one a sugar-free diet, a lot of gummies contain sugar, so double check the label! There are so many reasons that one would want to try CBD and hopefully we have assisted our readers on making this decision. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected]
