6 Misconceptions about CBD (in Miami)
CBD is still a big unknown for many people, especially in areas like Miami, Florida where the Cannabis industry is undeveloped.
It’s new and exciting, so there’s a lot of buzz around it.
People cautiously bring it up around friends and family in fear of judgment. “CBD” is still a trigger word or a code word for something else Cannabis related.
The world of Cannabis and CBD is complex to a new user.
There are many factors to consider when you use Cannabis and that can affect the outcome of your experience.
Today we’re going to talk about some myths and misconceptions around CBD, so next time you’re out at a party or need something to help you sleep, you know what you’re getting into.
CBD is a drug
CBD comes from a plant.
This answer might not satisfy everyone who is skeptical of CBD because there are a lot of drugs on Earth that come from plants.
The difference with the Cannabis plant is that the effects it has on your body are beneficial for your health.
CBD works with our bodies’ Endocannabinoid system to improve the function of our overall well-being.
Recreational illegal drugs offer only a temporary thrill at the expense of your overall health.
There are both recreational and medicinal benefits of CBD, so the reasons for use can be wide and vastly different between individuals.
There is an FDA approved medicine for CBD that is used to treat seizures.
It’s called Epidiolex, and it’s administered orally daily to people suffering from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
This is the far end of the spectrum, where CBD as a pharmaceutical drug helps reduce the symptoms of serious illness.
The other side of the spectrum is recreational, which is what Hurcann services.
Recreational CBD comes in a variety of forms, but its use revolves around the enjoyment of CBD and its effects on the body.
The most common form is smoking.
Smoking is not considered healthy for the body, but there are many people who enjoy relaxing and smoking CBD.
They enjoy the taste of the flower, known as the buds, which are derived from naturally occurring chemical compounds in the plant called terpenes.
Aside from the taste, many people enjoy the smell of the buds, and report a relaxing effect from smoking certain kinds of CBD.
Others enjoy CBD products that make them feel more energized and alert during that.
The effects of CBD are psychoactive, but they do not create a “high”.
This leads us to our next myth:
CBD makes you high
You might be unsure how using a CBD product will affect you.
You might feel concerned or scared that CBD will make you high out of your mind.
Not to worry, you won’t feel high if you use CBD.
There is confusion for many about the psychoactive nature of CBD and Cannabis.
Psychoactive is a misunderstood and often misrepresented word.
Psychoactive literally means “affecting the mind”, and that sounds like some sort of crazy time you might not be interested in having.
But that’s not how this works.
CBD affects your mind positively, and not in the same way that THC does.
THC is the cannabinoid most people are familiar with.
It’s the one that creates a euphoric and/or sedating high.
For those interested in why, THC is different because it binds to receptors in our brain that create the high its users wish to achieve.
CBD doesn’t create a high because it can’t bind to those receptors without THC.
Make sense?
So yes, while CBD affects your brain, it does so beneficially through the Entourage Effect.
This means you can enjoy the benefits of CBD without a high.
Your body thanks you, but your mind stays the same.
CBD is THC
The Cannabis plant is very complex.
Even in 2022, there’s still a lot we don’t know about its benefits.
We know that there are over 160 Cannabinoids.
We think there are likely more that have yet to be discovered.
Even amongst the ones we know about, there is still plenty of research to be done about their specific benefits.
If we were to look into a crystal ball of the future, we would probably see a world that has very specific and defined uses for each Cannabinoid.
For now, the most popular two are CBD (short for Cannabidiol) and THC (short for Tetrahydrocannabinol).
Both have medicinal and recreational uses, but they aren’t the same.
They are like a brother and sister...from the same family, but not the same person.
They complement each other, but they have their own separate things going on.
CBD is found in much higher quantities in the Hemp plant, which is one type of Cannabis plant.
Hemp plants have negligible amounts of THC, but are high in CBD.
These plants are legal in all 50 states and in a growing number of countries and around the world.
THC is found in higher quantities in Marijuana, which is another type of Cannabis plant.
Marijuana plants are usually very low in CBD, but high in THC.
Marijuana is the plant that is illegal in many states and countries, medically legal in others, and fully legal for recreational use in a growing number.
Both varieties of the plant are also made up of many other Cannabinoids.
CBD and THC usually have an inverse relationship.
Through increased research and knowledge, scientists and farmers are breeding plants for certain Cannabinoids.
If you look back into the crystal ball of the future, you will probably see a lot of different Cannabis plants that have been changed to achieve the desired levels of Cannabinoids.
This likely means the availability of Cannabis plants high in both THC and CBD at the same time.
CBD will make me fail a drug test
Drug tests for Cannabis are testing for the amounts of THC in your system.
There are different levels and thresholds for tests.
The type of test determines how much THC you can have in your system to fail.
This will not always be information you can get a 100% accurate answer to prior to a drug test.
Depending on:
- company administering the test
-type of test
-reason for the test
The allowable threshold will be different.
We mentioned above that Hemp has negligible amounts of THC, however, there are still trace amounts of THC in Hemp plants.
The Federally legal limit is <0.3%, but that does not guarantee that it will be low enough for you to pass a drug test.
It is still a real possibility that if you used a CBD product, especially within proximity of a drug test, that you might FAIL the test.
This could definitely be a deciding factor for someone thinking of trying CBD.
If you’re concerned, be smart about it.
Don’t use CBD while you’re looking for a new job.
If you have a job that tests you randomly, well, that really stinks.
Many states where Marijuana is legal are easing off the idea of testing for THC.
It’s steadily becoming taboo for companies to drug test for Marijuana.
There are plenty of exceptions to this, but that is up to the individual employers’ choice.
It’s also up to the employee to determine if that’s the work culture they want to enter!
There are many factors to consider when using a CBD product, and your job might be one of them.
All we can do is look into our crystal ball and see a future where Cannabis use is accepted in a mainstream lifestyle just like alcohol.
CBD is all the same
Even within a single Cannabinoid like CBD, there are many factors to consider.
This helps drive the myths and misconceptions people have about using CBD.
Within CBD, you have many options. This includes:
1. How you use it
CBD is one of the most versatile products on the market. These days you can find just about anything CBD:
- Smokeable Flower
- Concentrates
- Topicals
- Pet CBD
- Edibles (food and drinks)
There is really no end to the amount of products that have CBD (for good reasons).
2. What you use
CBD comes in 3 different forms:
If your head is spinning, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
We talked about how the Hemp plant comprises more cannabinoids than just CBD.
Isolate means that you are getting a concentrated form of 1 Cannabinoid (example: only pure CBD).
Full-Spectrum means you are getting the broadest range of Cannabinoids found in the particular plant that was used to make your product.
Every Hemp plant is created differently, so there will be different cannabinoids levels you may seek depending on your use!
Broad-Spectrum is in the middle ground between an Isolate and a Full-Spectrum.
Your product will have over 1 Cannabinoid, but does not include all the Cannabinoids that were available.
This could be for a variety of reasons, depending on the use of the product or what was required to make it.
3. When you use it
Not all Hemp plants are created equal.
They come in a variety of types, better known as strains.
Each strain has a different profile that affects what happens when you use it.
Some strains, known as Sativas, are recommended for daytime use.
Sativas have plant compounds that induce alertness and energy.
These are suitable for when you have things to do or any sort of waking activities.
Other strains, known as Indicas, are recommended for nighttime use or periods of time where you are relaxing.
Use of Indica CBD is better for calmness, tranquility, and sleeping.
In the middle of these two types of strains are Hybrids.
Hybrid strains can provide a mixed bag of effects that are combined from Indicas and Sativas.
Every strain, and every plant, is unique.
There is no one-size-fits-all for a Cannabis plant.
This can feel overwhelming if CBD is new to you.
Once you make sense of it, it’s really fun and exciting!
4. Why you use it
This guides the entire process of picking the right CBD for you.
Your “why” is individual to you and there’s no right answer.
If you have localized pain or arthritis, topical CBD could be a great option for you.
Then again, topicals are also great if you just want to moisturize your skin.
Some people take CBD medicinally for things like headaches, pain, inflammation, anxiety, digestive health.
CBD has been linked to help with serious diseases like Parkinson’s, Crohn’s, and seizures.
Others use CBD because they want to enjoy some free time or because they’re out with friends.
Regardless of your reasons, CBD helps people, and it also brings them together.
Delta-8 is Marijuana
Now that you’ve got some more confidence about using CBD, it’s time to add in another layer.
There is a Cannabinoid from the Hemp plant that is psychoactive, and will also induce a euphoric high.
It’s not that simple, though.
Delta-8 (short for Delta8-Tetrahydrocannabinol) is a Cannabinoid naturally found in the Hemp plant.
It’s found in tiny amounts and not enough to induce a high if you were to use a CBD product.
Delta-8 is very similar to Delta-9 (which is the THC we’ve referenced the whole time) in effect, but not in the same naturally occurring amounts.
To create enough Delta-8 to induce a high, the CBD has to be chemically processed over days to transform the compounds into Delta-C THC.
Because of this, many view Delta-8 as a “synthetic” cannabinoid.
This is kind of true, but also misleading.
Delta-8 is naturally found in Hemp, but it needs to be extracted and chemically transformed before the finished product will induce a high.
In states like Florida and cities like Miami, where Marijuana is illegal, many people have turned to Delta-8 as a legal way to induce euphoric highs.
This is not something you should worry about if you buy any CBD product.
You should look for product labels that specifically mention Delta-8 THC to achieve this high.
Of course, there is controversy around Delta-8 products.
The safety and legitimacy of Delta-8 are questioned by government officials.
There is no evidence at this point to suggest that the use of Delta-8 is unhealthy from a medical standpoint.
The controversy surrounds the lack of regulation to produce Delta-8 products and the purity of the finished product.
Consumers can protect themselves by only purchasing their Delta-8 products from reputable companies like Hurcann.
A reputable company means one that openly provides you with testing results, offers product support, and stands behind the products that they sell.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve helped you navigate the major myths and misconceptions around CBD in Miami, feel more confident about how CBD can be beneficial in your life.
We invite you to message us with questions you may have before you purchase any of our products at Hurcann.
There’s always new and updated information being released about the Cannabis industry, so sign up for our latest news releases or shop at www.hurcann.com/shop.