As much as CBD and its uses have been lacking in official study and information, there remains a number of questions about what people are using it for and how to go about it. There are a number of products on the market, including different varieties and formats for how to get CBD into your body. CBD products are all pretty much derived from the same basic foundation starting as raw oil. This oil is extracted from the hemp plant, ideally with CO2, but often with solvents like ethanol. CO2 is the preferred extraction method.
CO2 is is the preferred method of extraction because, often times, using a solvent in the extraction process leads to residual compounds left over. Solvent extraction is not wholly undesirable whatsoever, but CO2 oil most often ends with a clearer, more amber or golden color. CO2 oil doesn’t carry the same taste and won’t be visually dark or murky like some oils extracted with solvents.
What is raw CBD oil?
Raw oil is a very high potency form of CBD oil.
Usually raw oil ranges from about 50 to 70% CBD concentration (10mL @ 50% potency = 5,000mg of CBD). Most raw oils are created from taking CBD and diluting, extracting, or blending it to make a final product. Most commonly, CBD is diluted or extracted to make tinctures. Tinctures are raw oils blended with hemp seed oil, vegetable glycerin, MCT or other oils, and flavorings. If MCT sounds like a scary chemical, know that it is simply a form of triglyceride containing fatty acids. MCT oil is found naturally in products like coconut oil. Tinctures with varying mg contents are a typical form of sublingual ingestion for patients to swallow orally. This is very different from something like CBD Isolate.
What is CBD isolate?
CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD, attainable by further extracting raw oil.
This process introduces some form of solvent and the key for the consumer is to make sure that final product is tested and contains no residual solvents. Pure CBD Exchange offers certificates of analysis in order to ensure that our customers know they’re not ingesting any unnatural or harmful chemicals. Usually other CBD vendors do not give proof of testing certificates.
CBD isolate is just CBD and nothing else. CBD isolates are typically 99% pure or higher. With less processing, you can also create something called CBD Distillate or certain types of waxes. THC users who take ‘dabs’ are familiar with wax mostly as a THC concentrate commonly sold in dispensaries in states where such products are legal. Waxes are typically most popular among people who are familiar with the concepts of smoking and dabbing. Waxes or dabs typically require a concentrate specific pen or concentrate pipe, though there are plenty of DIY ways to smoke dabs. For another level of CBD dabbing, Pure CBD Exchange offers a product called Isoterp Shatter. Isoterp Shatter is a potent isolate mixed with cannabis terpenes for an incredible flavor profile. Another less potent form of smokable CBD is vape oil. Vape oil is similar to a tincture, is usually glycerin based, but is usually less potent than a tincture. Vape oil works in an e-cigarette or cartridge pen and is commonly used to appease the desire for nicotine.
What if I don’t smoke?
For those who aren’t smokers, it’s obvious that you might typically steer towards orally ingested items.
Tinctures are the most popular form of orally ingested CBD for those who aren’t smokers, but there are a variety of edible items as well.
These edibles often come with a higher price tag and less flexible dosing. Some edibles are especially formulated as treats for pets. Some companies sell CBD edibles as a more basic medicine for customers to choose what to do with it, how to dose it, etc. The goal is to get CBD into your body in an easy way and it’s up to you and your preferences/imagination to decide what you’re comfortable with and how you want to ingest CBD. One of the easiest ways to incorporate the product into your diet is with a water-soluble liquid that can be easily mixed into any beverage.
Find the CBD products that suit you and your personality
In any case, the most important thing is finding CBD products that suit you and, more importantly, finding the dosages that suit your body. We don’t have set recommended amounts in place, but 1500mg is noted as a maximum for everyone. It’s important to keep in mind though that the only real side effect of from a high dose is drowsiness. Beyond that, it’s important to know what you’re using CBD for and following trusted examples of users who have tried in the past.
For a general user that wants to use this as a general wellness product for daily use, people often use between 10-25mg, dependent on their body type. Different individuals may use CBD as needed for pain or sleep and take anywhere from 10-100mg, dependent on body type and other factors. A cancer patient looking to keep cancer cell growth from returning might take 50-150mg per day. This is all entirely based on different individuals personal testaments. We cannot claim to know what works best, but we are able to research, listen, and experiment.
All in all, the best way to learn what CBD can do for you is try it out!
Experiment with different doses. Research and discuss with other users to narrow in on if and how to improve your life with CBD, and send us all your feedback so we can share it with the entire Pure CBD community!