DORÉ

You know in college when someone asked if you ever smoked pot before and you were like, “Duh. Of course. All the time.” And then they passed you the bong and you started sweating profusely because you had never smoked pot before and the apparatus looked like a torture device and what if you inhaled that nasty bong water and then COUGH COUGH COUGH. Boom. You smoked pot. And from then on whenever a pipe was passed around you basically acted like you invented the smoking apparatus yourself BECAUSE YOU’RE JUST THAT COOL?!

No? Just my experience?

Well, researching and writing this article about CBD oil felt a lot like that first time I smoked pot. (Sorry mom!! I actually didn’t like it and don’t smoke anymore, scout’s honor!!)

It’s no secret CBD has been a buzz word as of late. And as it buzzed around I nodded my head like yeah, totally, I’m hip. I know what CBD is. Use it all the time. Love it.

Lies.

So I asked some of our interns to write up a few paragraphs of research on CBD and most of them looked at me crazy because they really didn’t need to “research” it. They could just explain it to me (me = old).

But I still had them do research because it’s a dying art and they’ll thank me later.

Here’s what they I learned in case you also need a crash course.

First off, what is CBD oil?

To understand what CBD oil let’s take a step back. Marijuana. Grass. Reefer. Hemp. The Gange. Bob Marley. That guy who still lives in his parent’s basement.

Marijuana is a cannabis plant that is bred for a high THC content. THC is a cannabinoid that has psychotropic effects (when someone “gets high” it’s due to the THC in marijuana).

But along with THC, marijuana also contains CBD or cannibinoidoil, a non-psychoactive compound that is purported to provide some of marijuana’s therapeutic effects without the high (I say “purported” because there really aren’t that many double blind studies we can rely on and say without a doubt, “THIS STUFF WORKS,” but more on that later.)

So when someone drinks a CBD oil latte and then claims to be “trippin’ balls,” they are most definitely not and feel free to burst their bubble and bring them back down to earth.

Side note: Hemp is a type of cannabis where the THC has largely been bred out of it. Something to keep in mind, hemp is legal across state lines, so only CBD derived from hemp can be distributed nationally. And there is a lot less CBD in hemp than in cannabis strains that contain THC. So if you want the most out of your CBD oil, think about buying local!

How does one consume it? (Does one even consume it?)

Yes. You smoke the reefer, you swallow the CBD. Either in capsule or oil form.

Some real hip people are now adding CBD oil to their salad dressing and smoothies on the daily. Some people even drink it straight but I personally needed a bit of help getting it down.

CBD is also now being used as an ingredient in lotions and even perfumes. So one could also slather it on oneself or spritz it on oneself if you prefer it in those forms.

What are its purported effects?

It seems like, practically everything. But the effects that are talked about the most include…

– Anti-inflammatory
– Dissolves tension in body (stress that has built up in neck, back)
– Distribute tranquility
– Aids sleep
– Joint and muscle pain relief
– Anxiety relief
– Increase focus and clarity
– Help build immunity
– Stimulate appetite
– Anti-acne properties

But, like, are those backed up with science?

Eh. Yes and no. Like I mentioned earlier, extensive research has yet to be done (mainly because legal marijuana is still such a new concept) and it would be helpful to have more double blind studies backing these claims. But we are starting to see a few (like this guy, or this one) which all conclude with “suggestions” that this might work but more testing needs to be done.

A lot of the studies that are cited have been done on rats and mice, whose cells react very differently to CBD than humans. (Which is probably good considered it did not help the sex lives of male mice.)

There is one study that is repeatedly cited where CBD helped kids with epilepsy. Which is great. But keep in mind the kids in that study were not taken off of their regular medication (for obvious ethical reasons) so we’re not sure if CBD helped on its own or helped by reacting with the other drugs. But it helped!

So much so that JUST YESTERDAY (BREAKING NEWS PEOPLE!) the CBD medication, Epidiolex was approved by the FDA to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy. This is the first drug comprised of CBD that has been approved by the FDA and definitely hints at there will be more to follow.

So why the sudden boom / craze? That’s has to mean it’s doing something good, right?

Because marijuana is now legal in 29 states and counting. Also it’s marketing 101 — everyone is intrigued and willing to try it once if packaged in the right way.

And yes, of course some people are singing its praises because it could really be working for them. It’s one of things that you can’t really knock it till you try it, ya know?

And since it’s not harmful, why not? If you try it and find it helps you in x, y, or z ways — hey, keep using it.

You want in? Look no further. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite CBD products below.