Like with medical marijuana, the wonderful world of CBD can be slightly overwhelming for a newbie and with the mainstream media going crazy for its health benefits, more and more companies are popping up selling a variety of different CBD products, such as CBD vape, the vape pen, capsules, CBD gummies, and other CBD edibles, CBD isolate, a CBD tincture or two, and even CBD dog treats. With so much information (and misinformation) flying around the Internet and through word of mouth, many of those who are curious about experiencing the benefits of nature’s miracle supplement are finding themselves confused about what to take and when.

So, in a bid to clarify things and debunk some myths about CBD, or cannabidiol oil, along with the potential effects and benefits of CBD, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to get started with buying CBD for the first time. Looking to buy CBD? Read on.

Not All CBD Oil Is Created Equal

The very first thing you need to understand in order to get started with making a CBD purchase is that not all oils will be effective and the effects of CBD will differ. The rise in popularity with regards to CBD products means that every day, new CBD companies are popping up left, right, and center and, unfortunately, many of them offer poor quality oils at extortionate prices. You should always look for the following criteria before making a decision about which brand to purchase.

• Full spectrum CBD not isolate
• Organic-, GMO-, and pesticide-free
• CO2 extraction method for purity
• Transparency with regards to ingredients and concentrate
• Third-party lab tested
• The company is willing to provide a lab report on request
• Legal amount of THC

Buying a full spectrum oil means that you will also be able to enjoy all of the benefits from the whole plant and not just the isolated cannabinoid compound.

Don’t Be a Penny Pincher

Absolutely everyone loves a bargain in life and, most often, if someone knows they can get away with cutting corners to save money to buy CBD oil in tincture form, they will! This is absolutely fine when it comes to superficial products, but not when it comes to a product that we ingest into our bodies. Trying to save money by buying CBD oil that is way cheaper than other brands is pretty much the same as setting fire to the total amount you will be paying. Producing a pure, full spectrum CBD oil that is extracted in the purest way is expensive, which is why many of the reputable CBD manufacturers charge a higher price for their products. If you purchase premium quality oil from a reputable vendor, you might pay a higher price, but you will also be safe in the knowledge that the positive benefits are in sight.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Each and every one of us has a completely unique endocannabinoid system and the efficacy of a particular dose of CBD depends on the following factors:

• Severity of your condition
• Body weight
• Height
• Metabolic rate
• Tolerance
• Fitness level

This means that two drops of CBD oil might work really well for some people, but won’t even touch the sides with others. As it stands, the dosage is one of the biggest hurdles that cause new CBD users to become frustrated or give up in favor of pharmaceuticals. Before purchasing CBD oil, consider how serious your symptoms are and how you usually respond to medication. If you usually need a higher dose to feel an effect, then you might need to gradually increase your dose of CBD to several drops each day, in which case buying a bigger sized bottle could end up saving you money in the long run.

Do Your Research

And, by that, we mean Google should become your best friend until you make a decision about which CBD oil to purchase. A simple search of “most reputable CBD companies in your area” should produce a list of rated and reviewed companies. And the great thing about the Internet is that you cannot hide from it. This means that a genuine company will have received reputable reviews and a company offering poor products will also be ousted. A good quality CBD brand will have received media praise as well as recommendations from users online.

If in Doubt, Ask!

2019 has seen a rise in small businesses, especially within the CBD industry. Many of the companies offering CBD oil online will happily take the time to clear up any questions you might have and the better websites will offer an in-depth FAQ section.

Check the THC Levels

One of the common myths about CBD oil is that it will get you high. This is categorically not true and here’s why:

The Cannabis or hemp plant is made up of hundreds of compounds, the two primary ones being CBD and THC. THC is the compound that gets you high and it is only found in incredibly limited quantities in full spectrum oil. Legally, there cannot be more than 0.3% THC in CBD oil and this tiny amount will not produce any psychoactive effects when combined with CBD. If you live in a state where marijuana has been legalized, then it is possible that some dispensaries will sell oils containing a higher amount of THC. If in doubt, always check before making a purchase and, in any case, this information should be prominent on the packing of the product you want to buy.

Final Thoughts

The power of word of mouth goes a long way, especially when it comes to “hot topics” like CBD. Thanks to the Internet and public forums, scam artists are quickly exposed. In turn, good products will receive praise from consumers, media outlets, and, of course, social media. Spending some time browsing the Internet for CBD oil recommendations makes navigating the confusion you might be experiencing much easier and on finding a brand you feel confident about, a quick Google search on their company name will reveal everything you need to know about their products.

This article is originally published at SundayScaries.

We want to be healthy and maintain the planet, but what typically trumps that desire is our greed (and sometimes need) for cheaper products.

Soon we might have the best of both worlds. As people are becoming more educated on cannabis, laws are starting to relax. This is huge, and it’s not just opening the doors for getting high.

A change in law will mean we can start using industrial hemp to replace ANYTHING made with plastic…and it’s cheap. Hemp grows fast and doesn’t require much work (not even pesticides).

Hempcrete is made by mixing together hemp hurds, lime and water. If you’re imagining a crumbly, weak material — think again.

Although it doesn’t bear the structural weight of a house (if you were to drop a block of hempcrete into a bucket of water, it would float), it provides well-insulated walls and foundations. The material is durable, easy to work with, and cheap. It’s nearly a third of the price of lumber, according to The Daily Good. To top it all off, hempcrete boasts a great resistance to mold, insects and fire. It naturally regulates temperature, so people with hemp homes rarely ever need to turn on heaters or air conditioners.

A new home currently under construction in Texas is taking advantage of all the good perks of building with hempcrete. The owner of the property and designer of the home, Yoseff Ben-Yehuda, originally imagined the house being built with more mainstream materials. However, after much research he found hemp to be even more affordable…and it will continue to be cheaper forever as he saves on heating and cooling year-round.

Hemp has been used for centuries

Dating as far back as the 6th Century C.E., hemp has been discovered in antique bridges and clothing, along with other materials. The history of hemp is a powerful expression of the versatility of this amazing plant. Today there are over 30,000 uses for hemp; from eco-friendly textiles to fuel that doesn’t pollute the air.

Unfortunately building with hemp materials is only readily available to people who live in states with relaxed cannabis laws. There is no chance for abuse when it comes to hemp since it does not contain any psychoactive ingredients; but it was grouped together with marijuana in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

It’s a only a matter of time until hemp materials can be freely used in the United States, springing us towards a cleaner environment.

This article originally appeared on MadeByHemp.com

The CBD industry has hit the mainstream media and is sweeping the nation’s shelves, as well as the Internet. There are now a vast array of companies both online and offline who are releasing products from CBD-infused gummies to healing balms and creams. CBD oil is legal in almost every state in the US and since the UK legalized it last year, the market is booming bigger than ever.

The medical marijuana, hemp oil, and CBD industry have attracted household names like Snoop Dogg and Morgan Freeman, who swear by its powerful therapeutic abilities and Crypto Entrepreneurs are now flocking to CBD too. As the industry grows from strength to strength, it is becoming increasingly notable that there are so many similarities between these two vastly different industries. And this is why it makes perfect sense for blockchain and CBD to take on the future side by side.

CBD and Cryptocurrency

Silicon Valley is without a doubt the center of the blockchain and cryptocurrency universe and it has always had a somewhat complicated relationship with the health and wellness industry. Startups are absolutely booming, particularly those focusing on new and improved ways that their technology could help to improve health care systems around the world, yet the employees suffer at the hands of the pressure, stress, and burnout of the Silicon Valley environment.

This is probably one of the primary reasons that crypto entrepreneurs are becoming hugely interested in CBD and a simple Internet search will reveal a huge quantity of forums focusing specifically on the links between crypto entrepreneurs and CBD. There is, of course, the added catalyst of the fact that almost every single crypto worker has experienced the consequences of stress and anxiety and how important it is to treat it before it gets out of hand.

There are other important factors that come into play too. The number of Big Pharma scandals that have graced the headlines over recent years has caused even the most closed-minded individuals to think seriously about if they want to continue taking pharmaceutical medication. Feelings of mistrust and doubt towards Big Pharma companies are pushing natural medicines like CBD into the spotlight and the “thinking outside the box” mentality used by successful crypto startups can be easily applied to succeeding in the CBD industry.

The Similarities Don’t End There

Just like CBD and medical marijuana, Bitcoin was also once a frowned upon currency mainly used by drug dealers and dark web users. Last year saw a huge amount of blue-collar financial investors as well as successful individuals making huge profits from trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and this year this same boom is taking place within the world of CBD.

There is one major difference, however.

The majority of people still believe that cryptocurrency will ultimately fail in the long run and that Bitcoin has already seen its glory days. Cryptocurrency is still not commonly accepted as a mainstream form of payment and you can’t pay your bill at your local grocery store using crypto. In contrast, CBD is absolutely everywhere and while there is still some outstanding research required to make its classification as a medicine possible, good quality CBD products are selling out quickly, creating a demand that is set to continue outweighing supply. This is good news for the CBD industry and even better news for the crypto entrepreneurs who know how to come up with the technology that is required to keep up with the ever-growing CBD boom taking place worldwide.

Cannabis-Focused Cryptos

There are already a couple of cryptocurrencies in existence, most notably HempCoin that gives us good reason to believe that the marriage between cannabis and CBD-based products and cryptocurrency is going to go from strength to strength. With more crossovers happening between CBD companies and crypto entrepreneurs, it seems like the two are almost destined to be together. Many people believe that it is just a matter of time before Big Pharma companies buy out all the smaller independent CBD businesses and the most viable people to stop that from happening would be those who have survived the cryptocurrency storm by learning to apply new and innovative ways of problem-solving, as well as technology.

Final Thoughts

The next few years are going to be make or break for both the crypto and CBD industry; and so far, everything is looking incredibly positive. With more money invested in health and wellness companies, better quality products and better technology for manufacturers will continue to emerge and drive the market from strength to strength.

This article by Madeleine Taylor is originally published at SundayScaries.

This weekend, thousands of people around the world will celebrate April 20th, or 4/20. To some, this is just a number. However, for everyone else, we all know that it means smoking marijuana. Even with the thousands of people celebrating the holiday in their own way, a very small amount of them actually knows where the holiday originated, and how the number 420 became synonymous with the “weed culture.” The question of how did 420 start or where does 420 come from is associated with a handful of popular myths. Instead of knowing the facts, most resort to believing one of three popular myths. Let’s dive into them and get the facts.

Myth 1 – Celebrities

The first myth about 4/20 is that a big name in the marijuana world made it up. We’ve heard names like Willie Nelson, Wiz Khalifa, Cheech and Chong, and even Snoop Dogg. While the popularity of these icons could have let them have this sort of influence, there is actually no real connection between these celebrities and the holiday. It just seems like they all really enjoy it.

Myth 2 – California Penal Code

Many believe that the 420 refers to a California penal code, used for those incarcerated for marijuana-related crimes, like a foiled deal or even a drug bust. While we spent a great deal of time researching the California penal code, we could not find a connection between the two at all.

Myth 3 – Police Code

This brings us to the most-believed myth: the police code. The vast majority of those who celebrate 4/20 believe it refers to the reference number police use to classify a marijuana-related crime in progress. Once again, just like for the penal code, we could not find any connection between these two.

Where Does 420 Come From?

So where does 4/20 come from? It comes from a high school in San Rafael California.

the waldos louis pasteur statue san rafael high school

In the 1970s, a group of high schoolers, who called themselves “the Waldos,” would tell each other “420 Louis” to one another in the halls. They heard there was a marijuana plant which had been planted in a wooded area nearby. Their plan was to meet at a statue (Louis Pasteur) outside their school, smoke marijuana, and then go look for this alleged plant hidden in the woods.

They never found the plant, so it turned into a meeting at 4:20 pm and they would go smoke marijuana from there, thus a tradition was born.

4/20 and CBD

You might be asking yourself why a CBD company would even want to celebrate a holiday like 4/20, especially with our focus being on CBD and not on THC. However, 2019 is the first year that hemp is federally de-scheduled legal in the United States, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. With our focus being on educating people on all things cannabis, we look at 4/20 as a great way to tell the history of the holiday. While we won’t be celebrating the holiday like many people will be, we will be showcasing a side of cannabis that doesn’t result in a “high” effect.

This article originally appeared on MadeByHemp.com

How to Take CBD Oil for Migraines

Image Source

Migraines are one of the worst common problems you can experience. They go above and beyond the pain levels of the standard stress-related headache and, worst of all, a migraine can last up to 72 hours. During this period, many people find it impossible to undertake even minor household tasks, so they are forced to lie down in a dark room feeling absolutely debilitated and awful.  

Painkillers can be a good solution to alleviating the painful and uncomfortable symptoms of migraine headaches temporarily, but many people are concerned about the potentially harmful side effects that accompany over the counter brands.

All is not lost, however. There is an excellent solution to overcoming migraines and it comes from a cannabis plant.

What Is CBD Oil?

CBD is just one of the active compounds present in a marijuana plant. Over the past year alone, CBD products have risen to fame due to their powerful abilities to naturally treat an array of medical conditions—and that includes chronic migraines.

What Does Research Say about CBD Oil?

There is still limited research investigating the use of CBD and hemp oil to effectively treat research. This is mainly due to rules and regulations put in place around the legality of cannabis in each state and country, but the lab studies that have been performed suggest that CBD is capable of relieving all forms of acute pain and also chronic pain. Migraines included.

What Is the Best Way to Take CBD Oil to Alleviate Migraines?

While certain states in the US are still debating the use of medical cannabis and cannabis-based products as a mainstream way of treating illness, the cannabis plant has been used as an alternative medical tool for nearly 3000 years, according to the National Cancer Institute. Its use has largely been focused on pain management, reducing inflammation and also to manage neurological symptoms, which is good news for migraine sufferers.

Cannabis-based oil is mainly taken by vaping or ingesting it orally. Newcomers to the world of CBD may want to start by consuming by putting a few drops of it under their tongue, or even eating a CBD-infused sweet as potential side effects are reduced via this method.

If you are experiencing a severe headache or a migraine and you don’t have to leave the house, vaping the oil might be more beneficial as it will work quicker. When you vape CBD oil, the beneficial compounds will be delivered straight to your bloodstream via your lungs, offering migraine relief.

How Much CBD Oil Should I Take?

There aren’t currently any formal guidelines for how much CBD oil you should take if you are experiencing migraine attacks. However, several experts recommend using somewhere around 10–20 mg each day for treating severe and chronic pain, so could also work as migraine treatment.

When you take CBD oil for the first time, it is always advisable to start with a minute dose of the tincture and then work your way up. This will give your body time to adapt to the oil and also reduce the risk of any adverse reactions you might have.

Are There Any Risks or Side Effects Accompanying CBD Oil?

Generally speaking, the risks and side effects of CBD are incredibly minute. This is exactly why people are choosing cannabis-based products over addictive medications to treat their unbearable migraines and pain relief. If you are sensitive, in general, you could experience an upset stomach or feel drowsy. This will also depend on several other factors including the strain of cannabis you choose.

The effects of CBD can also be influenced by the way you ingest it. If you are not a smoker and you vape it, you might find you are susceptible to lung irritation. If you suffer from asthma or another type of lung disease, then vaping might not be the best course of action for you.

Will I Get High?

Pure CBD and CBD oils are derived from the cannabis plant, but not all oils are created equal. You can find some strains of CBD oil that contain only minor quantities of THC (the component of cannabis that makes you feel high when you smoke weed) and others that contain an almost equal balance of THC and CBD, in which case you might feel a gentle euphoria.

To make it easier for you to get your head around it, there are two types of CBD strains that are currently widely available for purchase.

• CBD-dominant: Very limited amounts of THC or even none at all.
• CBD-rich: Both CBD and THC are present in equal proportions.

There are no psychoactive properties in CBD oil, so even if you choose a product that contains just as much THC, the CBD component will counteract the effects of THC. So, if you don’t want to get high, but you want to benefit from medical marijuana- CBD could be an excellent choice for you.

Is CBD Oil Legal?

Because of the fact that traditional cannabis contains psychoactive components, it remains illegal in many parts of the United States. That said, over the past couple of years, some states have legalized cannabis solely for medical purposes. Other states have gone ahead and legalized it completely. If you are lucky enough to live in a state where you can legally use marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes, then you will also be able to access CBD oil.

This article by Madeleine Taylor is originally published at SundayScaries.