There is so much noise and fuss about CBD and CBD Oil in Canada lately. We at Happy Bears Edibles know that your time is way too valuable to spend hours browsing the internet and reading all kinds of blogs and publications.
That is why we have decided to give our visitors some CBD education. We came up with a list of questions that we think might interest you when starting your CBD journey. Hopefully, this will help you find the best CBD product for you, your loved ones and even pet-friendly products for your pets.
What is Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The most commonly grown species are Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica.
The first known use was for medicinal purposes. In China, hemp seed has been used as food since 2700 BC, while marijuana seeds were discovered at archeological sites in Mexico dating back to 300 AD. It’s also believed that Cannabis may be one of the earliest domesticated crops.
It works by interacting with cannabinoid receptors throughout the body. These receptors are found primarily in the brain and central nervous system. They play an important role in regulating mood, sleep, appetite, pain perception, memory formation, motor skills, immune response, fertility, cardiovascular function, metabolism, gastrointestinal activity, hormonal balance, blood pressure, and respiratory rate.
What are the main compounds of the Cannabis
Cannabis contains over 100 different chemical compounds, including cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and many others.
What are Cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are compounds that naturally exist in Cannabis that interact with Endocannabinoid receptors throughout your body. They affect your mood, appetite, sleep issues, energy levels, and even pain and inflammation.
What are Terpenes?
Terpenes are organic compounds that give plants their characteristic smell and flavour. Besides Cannabis, we can find them in many different plants, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees, and grasses. We divide terpenes into two groups based on how they are produced:
- Monoterpenes are the simplest type of terpene, containing only one carbon atom.
- Sesquiterpenes contain three carbon atoms.
According to research, both of these types of terpenes have specific medicinal properties.
What are flavonoids?
Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that occur naturally in plants. They have been shown to possess antioxidant properties and may help prevent cancer. Besides the Cannabis plant, we can find flavonoids in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, tea, chocolate, and red wine.
What are the main types of Cannabis
There are three main strains of Cannabis. Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa are more commonly found, and people use them both for recreational and medical purposes. Indica strain tends to produce a high level of THC. Sativa strains contain higher levels of CBD. The third type is called Cannabis Ruderalis. Compared to Sativa and Indica, Cannabis Ruderalis is rare. The cannabis plant contains a huge variety of cannabinoids. There are over 113 cannabinoids identified in these types so far. Out of these 113 cannabinoids, CBD and THC are the most common.
What Is Cannabis Sativa?
The Cannabis Sativa is a strain of the Cannabis plant. It has two further classifications known as Hemp and Marijuana. Marijuana is a purely THC dominant strain. Hemp, on the other hand, is a CBD dominant strain containing less than 0.3% THC.
What is Hemp?
Hemp is a variety of Cannabis Sativa that humankind cultivates for industrial uses since ancient times. People use Hemp in various products, including paper, clothing, food, building materials, biofuels, bioplastics, bio-composites, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles, insulation, construction materials, fuel, lubricants, paints, adhesives, sealants, and asphalt.
In more recent times, Hemp became popular because Hemp-derived CBD products are rich in cannabidiol (CBD). CBD products producers use it as the primary source of high-quality CBD.
What is the difference between Hemp and Marijuana?
Hemp is a type of Cannabis Sativa that contains less than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive ingredient). In comparison, marijuana has more than 0.3% but less than 10%.
What is CBD?
Now that we know what the main compounds of the Cannabis plant are, we can focus more on our main star – CBD.
CBD is short for cannabidiol, and it is the primary cannabinoid in Hemp. It is one of many cannabinoids naturally found in Cannabis. Scientific research and anecdotal evidence from its users show that CBD has therapeutic effects for some medical conditions.
How CBD Affects your body?
All mammals have Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Researchers studying the effects of THC and CBD identified this system in the late 20th century. Since then, ECS is in the focus of many scientific researches. Scientists are still trying to figure out what ECS is and how it affects our bodies. We are confident that more education on this topic is yet to come.
What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
Although researchers do not understand ECS fully, they know that it is a complex cell signalling system that plays a significant role in regulating body functions.
Some of the body functions that ECS regulates are chronic pain, inflammation, learning, memory, sleep, mental health issues, stress, skin condition and normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.
This system has three main components: Endocannabinoids, Endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes.
What are Endocannabinoids
Endocannabinoids are molecules pretty similar to cannabinoid molecules, except they are made by our body naturally. It’s their job to make sure that the internal functions of our bodies are running as they should.
Our body produces them when needed and as much as necessary, so it is almost impossible to set a standard or typical level of endocannabinoids in the human body.
Scientists have discovered two endocannabinoids so far: AEA and 2-AG.
What are Endocannabinoid receptors?
There are two, so far identified, types of receptors:
- CB1 – Mainly located in the Central nervous system
- CB2 – Mainly located in the peripheral nervous system
What are Enzymes
Enzymes are responsible for dissolving endocannabinoids in our bodies once they are no longer needed. Depending on which endocannabinoid they are dissolving, there are two types of enzymes:
- fatty acid amide hydrolase – dissolves AEA endocannabinoid
- monoacylglycerol acid lipase – dissolves 2-AG endocannabinoid
How ECS Works and what is Homeostasis
Scientists believe that the primary responsibility of ECS is Homeostasis which essentially is the stability of your internal systems. Once some external force kicks those systems out of their balance, ECS steps in to help your body re-establish its balance. Endocannabinoids can bind to either CB1 or CB2. The result of the binding depends on the location of the receptor and which endocannabinoid binds to it.
THC works with ECS by binding to its receptors. One of the advantages of THC is that it can bind to both types of receptors, CB1 and CB2. Because of that, it can have a wide range of effects, some of which are not so beneficial. Recently, scientists are looking to find a way to create artificial THC that will only produce beneficial effects.
Scientists are still not sure how CBD interacts with ECS. Some believe that it can bind to ECS receptors, but not in the way THC does. Others believe that CBD has a bigger role in preventing enzymes from dissolving endocannabinoids, thus allowing them to affect body functions fully.
There is also a theory that advocates a condition called clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD). In plain English, that would mean that our body does not produce enough endocannabinoids and that this disbalance triggers some conditions. Further scientific research proves that some conditions such as migraine or irritable bowel syndrome could result from CECD. Using CBD products to supplement our body with cannabinoids could potentially be the solution.
What are the benefits of CBD?
There are many health benefits associated with using CBD. Some of them include:
Anxiety Relief
According to research conducted at McGill University, CBD could potentially relieve symptoms of social phobia. A study published in Psychopharmacology showed that people who have panic disorder experienced less severe anxiety when taking CBD compared to placebo. Another study published in Molecular Psychiatry revealed that CBD might be effective against generalized anxiety disorder. Based on anecdotal evidence from Military veterans, CBD also helps relieve the effects of PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder).
Depression Treatment
A study published in Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that CBD may improve depressive symptoms. According to another study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, CBD may help treat major depressive episodes.
Pain Management
In 2017, researchers at Rush Medical Center discovered that CBD might help relieve chronic back pain. They concluded that CBD helped patients manage their pain better and reduced opioid consumption. Research and anecdotal evidence from users suggest that a variety of products infused with CBD provide effective pain relief for a wide variety of severe pain conditions such as Chronic pain, Neuropathic pain, Arthritis pain, Constant pain.
Sleep Disorders
Another study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience shows that CBD helps treat sleep disorders like insomnia. The same study also found out that CBD increases delta waves which are brain waves responsible for deep relaxation. This means that CBD will help you tackle sleep disorders and improve the quality of sleep.
Inflammation Reduction
Research published in Phyto-therapy Research reveals that CBD reduces inflammatory responses caused by arthritis.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Another study published in Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that CBD slows down cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Epilepsy
The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke states that CBD may be beneficial in reducing epileptic seizure activity. CBD may be beneficial in treating conditions (for example, childhood epilepsy) that do not respond to conventional drugs.
Multiple Sclerosis
Researchers at the New York University School of Medicine suggest that CBD may slow the progression of MS.
Parkinson’s Disease
One study published in Experimental Brain Research found that CBD improves motor function in mice with Parkinson’s disease. However, more studies must be done before we know if CBD works similarly in humans.
Diabetes
CBD has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in diabetic rats.
Heart Conditions
Several animal studies show that CBD lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These findings were confirmed by a clinical trial published in Cardiovascular Drugs & Therapy. Researchers concluded that CBD was safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers.
Anti-cancer properties
Some evidence suggests that cannabinoids like THC or CBD have anti-tumour properties. For example, one study published in Cancer Prevention Research indicated that CBD inhibits tumour growth in breast cancer cells. Other studies suggest that CBD can kill glioblastoma multiforme tumours.
Depression treatment
As discussed earlier, CBD appears to decrease depression. One study published in Molecular Psychiatry showed that CBD improved mood in people who had bipolar disorders.
Nausea reduction
According to research conducted at McGill University, CBD might be an effective remedy for nausea.
Are there any negative effects of CBD?
CBD is a safe compound with no known serious health risks or adverse reactions when used as directed.
Minor side effects that users of Cannabis products reported are:
- diarrhea
- fatigue
- changes in weight and appetite
However, if you have certain medical conditions, you should be more careful. In that case, some medications or other substances in your body may interact with CBD. This interaction can produce minor side effects and even severe side effects in some rare instances. Remember to always talk to your medical professional before using CBD products. Make sure to do that if you’re taking prescription medication or herbal supplements to avoid potentially severe side effects.
How can you take your CBD?
You can supplement your body with Cannabis plant-sourced cannabinoids in several different ways, depending on your preferences. The main ways of taking CBD are:
- Sub-lingually – By placing drops of CBD oil under your tongue;
- Topically – By applying CBD infused creams and balms directly to your skin;
- By Ingestion – By eating CBD gummies and other edibles;
- By Inhalation – By using CBD vapes.
What is the best way to take your CBD?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to deciding what the best way to use CBD Products is.
First of all, you need to decide what is your preferred method of taking CBD. Some people prefer the sublingual method. Others like to chew CBD gummies or mix few drops of CBD oil into their food.
No matter which way you choose, if you want to experience the complete benefits of CBD, it is important to get your timing right. The fastest way to feel the natural benefits of CBD is to use a CBD Vape pen. The onset of effects is within minutes. The next fastest way is to use a tincture or spray. Many people will feel the effects in around 20 minutes. If you take it in a capsule or gummy, it has to pass through your digestive system, so the onset of effects is around an hour or two.
What is CBD Oil?
Due to its increasing popularity in Canada, you have most likely heard of CBD Oil tinctures. But do you know what exactly they are and how they’re made?
CBD Oil is oil that contains cannabidiol (CBD). Depending on CBD Oil Type, it can have only CBD (Pure CBD Oil), CBD and some other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids (Full-spectrum Oil). But don’t worry, even in Full-spectrum CBD oil, the amount of THC content is tiny, below 0.3%.
To make a CBD oil, you first need to extract CBD from the hemp plant and then infuse it into a carrier oil. Manufacturers and brands use different oil as a carrier. Some of the most common carrier oils are MCT Oil – derived from coconut, Olive oil, sunflower oil, and others.
What are the main types of CBD Oil?
Full-spectrum CBD oil
True Full-spectrum CBD products (including Full-spectrum oil) contain all Cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, not just CBD. This means that Full-spectrum CBD oil contains over 100 cannabinoids, including THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid), CBN (a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in high levels in Hemp), and other naturally occurring compounds like terpenes and flavonoids. Although Full-Spectrum CBD Oil contains THC, its amount is very low (below 0.3%), so you will not feel its psychoactive effects. In other words, Full-Spectrum CBD oil will not get you high due to its low THC content. What you will feel when using Full-spectrum oil is the so-called Entourage Effect. The entourage effect is a term used to describe the effect that all cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids found in Cannabis produce when taken together, thus enhancing the overall health benefits of the plant on the human body.
Pure CBD oil – CBD Isolate
CBD Isolate contains only CBD, without any other cannabinoids and THC. If you don’t want to worry about drug tests, this is the right option for you.
What is the difference between CBD oil Canada, Hemp Oil Canada and Hemp seed oil Canada
There is a common misuse of the term Hemp Oil. Some people use it as a synonym for CBD oil, while others use it when talking about Hemp seed oil.
Hemp Oil, (aka Hemp seed oil) is usually made of crushed hemp seeds and does not contain CBD. Brands use hemp oil as a carrier oil to create a wide range of CBD Oil products.
CBD Oil, on the other hand is made from leaves, flowers and stalks of the Cannabis plant. Comparing to Hemp Oil, CBD Oil contains much higher levels of CBD.
What is CBD Oil Used for?
CBD Oil For Anxiety in Canada
CBD oil has been around for decades, but its popularity has only recently skyrocketed. It’s now being used for a wide variety of conditions, including symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety is a common problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Many people turn to prescription medications to treat their anxiety symptoms, but they often cause side effects.
Fortunately, there are natural alternatives to prescription medications that can help ease your anxiety without causing any harmful side effects.
As mentioned above, CBD has anxiolytic properties. It seems to work best on mild forms of anxiety.
A review published in Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences reports that CBD decreases anxiety when used orally.
Another study published in Psychopharmacology Reviews concludes that CBD is effective against generalized anxiety disorder.
Currently, the only medication for people suffering from Anxiety disorders is psychiatric medication. This is by no means an ideal solution. It can have some serious side effects, and ultimately can become addictive. CBD Oil for anxiety is a less risky option because it is a natural product that can be used over an extended period of time
CBD Oil For Pain Canada
CBD oil for pain is good for pain relief because it works on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a network of receptors throughout the body that interact with cannabinoids like CBD. These receptors are found in the brain, spinal cord, and immune cells. They help regulate many functions, including mood, sleep, appetite, pain signals, memory, and inflammation.
Because of how CBD Oil interacts with ECS, it is an excellent choice for those looking to get relief for their pain, no matter what type of pain they are suffering from. By interacting with your body chemistry, CBD can alter pain signals that your entire body sends to your brain. Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD-based products provide effective pain relief to those suffering from constant pain, neuropathic pain, Chronic Pain, Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, Arthritis pain.
CBD oil for sleep
CBD Oil For Sleep may help you get a good night’s sleep. It has been proven that CBD helps people who suffer from insomnia. There are several studies showing positive results using CBD for this purpose.
According to testimonials of our current customers and some recent scientific research, CBD may increase feelings of calm, help with muscle relaxation, decrease pain, and have anti-inflammatory effects – all of which may help with a better night’s sleep. A recent study found that CBD reduced symptoms of insomnia even more effectively than THC. Other research suggests that CBD may also affect sleep directly by interacting with receptors in the brain that govern the body’s daily sleep/wake cycles, according to a 2017 review of sleep and Cannabis in the journal Current Psychiatry Reports.
The most important thing about CBD oil for sleeping is that it will not make you feel drowsy or tired during the day. If you want to improve your quality of sleep, you should still go to bed at regular hours. Just remember to take CBD before going to sleep. If you do experience daytime fatigue after taking CBD oil for sleep, then try lowering the dose until you find the right amount for you.
CBD Oil for skin
CBD oil for the skin has very potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects.
Research indicates that CBD Oil and CBD Creams could be used as a treatment for a wide range of skin conditions. Some of those conditions include dryness, free radical damage, dermatitis.
CBD might also be effective in fighting acne as it helps reduce the production of sebum in the skin. Additionally, studies indicate that cannabidiol may be effective in treating eczema and psoriasis as well. Among other skincare benefits, CBD oil is also effective in scar removal.
CBD oil for focus and clarity
Although CBD is better known for its ability to relieve pain, anxiety or stress, CBD is also effective in improving focus and memory.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for memory and mental awareness. Levels of dopamine are responsible for focus and clarity. CBD is associated with the brain’s dopamine levels. Using CBD oil decreases the possibility of irregular dopamine levels, thus increasing focus and clarity.
Also, CBD tackles insomnia, and it is a known fact that enough sleep and a rested mind have fewer chances to be little concentrated or not focused.
CBD Oil For pets – great range of pet-friendly products
Our pets, just like all mammals, have Endocannabinoid System, which sends signals between nerve cells. Their bodies produce natural Cannabinoids, and the problems occur when those natural cannabinoids are degraded faster than they can be synthesized.
That is the time our pets could benefit from CBD – a Cannabinoid found in CBD products help their system transmit signal between nerve cells correctly, and all their body systems will benefit from that.
By supplementing their body with cannabinoids, you can effectively help the rest of their body operate better! Ongoing research continues to show that the Endocannabinoid System can affect the following areas: Appetite, Sleep, Memory, Mobility, Immunity, and Pleasure.
According to testimonials, people give pet-friendly CBD oils to their pets:
- To manage and decrease chronic pain;
- To relieve anxiety (separation anxiety, loud noise anxiety, crowd anxiety)
- To help dogs relieve stress on some occasions – grooming, for example
- To skin rash and some forms of allergies
- To help with irritated or dry skin
- As a supplement to slow or prevent conditions that are related to pet’s age
CBD Oil Dosage – How to choose your dosage options
Every person responds a bit differently to CBD, so there is no set dose for everyone or every condition. When thinking about choosing the right dosage for you and your condition, you might want to adopt the so-called Stepwise Dosing process.
Simply put, it is a process where you initially establish a minimum baseline dosage and then increase the dosage over a set period of few days (typically three days) until you find your effective dose.
If you follow a stepwise dosing procedure, you will easily find the dosage the is the most effective for you.
How to choose the best CBD Oil For you?
Choosing the best CBD oil for your needs is crucial to get the most benefits out of CBD oils. There are many facto