It seems like everybody is talking about CBD. But what is it? And why has it become so popular so quickly? CBD stands for cannabidiol. Multiple types of cannabinoids can be found in hemp plants. Most of the CBD products that we carry are called full spectrum, meaning that they have multiple cannabinoids, the same ones found in hemp plants. A full spectrum product also has trace amounts of THC (<0.3%), which is the component in marijuana that causes the feeling of being high. The trace amounts of THC in full spectrum products cannot get you high, but it does tend to make the CBD more effective. However, it can show up in a urine drug screen. If this is an issue, we do carry products that are completely THC free.

One of the reasons for CBD’s popularity is that people are finding it can work for a wide variety of different ailments, including pain, arthritis, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, anxiety, migraines, sleep, and tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease. CBD can also help people to decrease their use of opioid pain medications, which in the current environment is a very important benefit.

CBD is completely safe to use and side effects are uncommon. However, like any supplement or over the counter medication it can interact with some medications. Ask our pharmacists for more information.

How you use CBD is a little bit different based on what type you are purchasing, what you are planning to use it for, and your weight. Our pharmacists will calculate a starting dose and give you instructions on how to increase the dose to find out the amount of CBD that’s right for you.

A full spectrum product contains trace amounts of THC (<0.3%), the active component in marijuana. While this cannot get you high, it can show up in a urine drug screen. We do carry a completely THC free product that will not show up in urine drug screening, as these tests look for THC, not CBD.

Whether you buy CBD from us or another source it is important to make sure the product is safe. Unfortunately, this is not always easy to do. Be extremely wary when buying CBD products, as 60% do not contain what they claim. Some products do not have the amount of CBD they say, some don’t have CBD at all, and the worst ones have harmful contaminants. Many cheap CBD products online are not authentic.

Thankfully, we do the legwork of verifying that our products are safe for you. We only buy CBD from companies that get their products tested by a third party laboratory. That means an unbiased company is testing each batch of CBD, ensuring it contains the amount of CBD it claims and that there are no contaminants like pesticides and heavy metals. Each batch of CBD we receive contains a certificate of analysis (CoA) from the laboratory showing the results of the tests that were performed.

Skepticism around CBD is very understandable, as there are a lot of claims about what it can work for. We have had patients tell us that CBD has helped their pain, arthritis, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, anxiety, migraines, sleep, tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease, and even in decreasing their opioid use. Many of these conditions have ongoing studies designed to further evaluate CBD’s effectiveness.

Our brain communicates with the rest of our body using receptors. When certain compounds bind to specific receptors in our brain, it can affect our mood, our health and many other bodily functions. CBD binds to receptors known as endocannabinoid receptors found in our brain and throughout our body. Through this action it can exert many of its therapeutic benefits.