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ECOLOGIC / CBD Basics
Hemp 101
Look. There are really only 4 big questions when it comes to CBD and Hemp Extracts. ECOLOGIC™ is our custom built knowledge-base that provides simple and logical information, in order to facilitate a better understanding of these compounds. Dive in and get educated below.
CBD Basics with ECOLOGIC
Lets dive right into learning about cbd basics to answer the Hemp 101 questions with helpful information. Please choose a category above to get started.
We also frequently post popular articles in our blog which go into great detail about various CBD questions and industry relevant issues. If there is a topic you would like us to write about also, please let us know via email or phone.
You might have been recommended to try a CBD product by a friend or family member and it led you to wonder, what exactly is CBD anyway? How does it work? Is it snake oil, or just a placebo effect? Join us for some Hemp 101 so that we can tell you about CBD basics, and how it interacts with our internal systems.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is what is known as a “phytocannabinoid”, which means it is derived from cannabis (“Phyto” meaning that it is plant-based). Researchers have so far discovered hundreds of different phytocannabinoids, but CBD in particular has recently experienced a surge of interest in the last few years, partly due to the federal legalization of hemp at the end of 2018.
Every vertebrate animal on the planet has an internal structure known as the endocannabinoid system — endo meaning “inner” — and it serves to regulate imbalances within other body systems. The phytocannabinoids in hemp interact with two types of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, which function as part of the endocannabinoid system. At the molecular level, many phytocannabinoids are able to bind with CB receptors — a process that facilitates the creation of specialized neurotransmitters called “endocannabinoids”, which are responsible for performing a wide range of tasks throughout the body.
This means that our bodies have a specific mechanism that is exclusively dedicated to interacting with the phytocannabinoids in cannabis. However, CBD works a little differently from other phytocannabinoids, as it does not bind with CB receptors. Rather, it inhibits certain enzymes that are responsible for dissolving endocannabinoids from our bloodstream, so that those compounds remain active for longer periods of time in our system.
There has been a lot of research regarding the role of endocannabinoids and what functions they serve for each of our major body systems. Scientists are eager to identify the potential benefits that they could provide, in order to have a more clear idea of exactly how phytocannabinoids affect us.
CBD is an extremely prominent phytocannabinoid, but it has especially high concentrations in hemp, which is why hemp is the most popular variety of cannabis that is used for extracting CBD. At Eco Sciences, we use the highest quality hemp oil in the formulation of our products. However, the most important aspect of our hemp oil is that it is full spectrum, which means it contains the whole range of cannabinoids. Scientists have determined that these compounds are designed to work best in conjunction with each other, with a process called the “entourage effect”, which is why we believe full spectrum CBD products have the highest value.