The CBD industry has come a long way since the first few products appeared on UK shop shelves. What was once a rare product, CBD is now easily available in many different forms and manufacturers have worked on formulating CBD products that can suit anyone’s lifestyle.
The results you will feel and receive from CBD are heavily influenced by what type of product you take. CBD consumption is a very personal thing, CBD products have varying effects on different people and since we all have different ways in which our bodies metabolize the cannabinoid, there is no one product for all. We’ll run through 5 factors that should help you to decide which CBD product is best for you
Knowing The Different Types of CBD
A quick search on the internet will show you just how diverse the CBD industry really is. All kinds of CBD-infused products are available today – oils, vapes, hemp flowers, topical creams, suppositories, extracts, and even water-soluble CBD. Each infused product listed will have a different effect on people and result in a unique CBD experience. These different CBD products are all administered in different ways, and these delivery methods greatly impact the bioavailability of CBD – the reason why water-soluble CBD is so much faster acting than CBD oil.
When choosing which CBD product works best for you, don’t just think about the speed of absorption and bioavailability, also consider which product works best for your lifestyle. A cream might be more suitable than a slow-acting oil if you’re athletic and only seek to localize where you absorb CBD. A CBD vape pen might fit very well into your lifestyle if you already inhale, and seek the fastest-acting CBD solution.
It is important to consider that whilst CBD is heavily researched for its medical properties, not all products are good at alleviating the same things. People might find that skin conditions or pain relief/reduction in a specific area may be remedied using topical skin CBD products. However, a CBD vape pen might not offer enough consistent support as its effects fade away faster than topical products, despite being so fast-acting. If you are looking for a CBD product that fits into most people’s lifestyles, it’s edibles, however, edibles are very slow acting and take a long time to exit the body.
Choosing The Right Type of Product For You
In order to set your CBD journey off to a good start, it’s important to choose a CBD product that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Perhaps you’re a busy person that needs a fast solution that is also discreet, or someone that could benefit from a slow-release long-acting CBD product that only affects specific regions.
After taking a look at cannabis communities on the internet, it is clear that many people are looking for a CBD product to start and end the day on. The product best suited for this type of consumption would likely be CBD oil. CBD oil is small and palatable, a product that can easily join your bedside table or medicine cabinet. CBD capsules equally are a good choice for someone in this situation, perhaps better suited for those that do find it difficult to stomach the taste of CBD oil. CBD capsules, similar to CBD edibles are slow-acting, however, their effects can be potent and catch you off guard. One thing CBD oil, capsules, and gummies all have in common beyond being orally consumed is that they are very discreet. Not everyone feels comfortable taking CBD products publicly, if you find yourself in that situation then these products can be for you.
Maybe you’re the type of person that regularly enjoys warm baths? In that case, it should be worth taking a look at the CBD bath bombs out there. CBD can be absorbed topically through the skin and bath bombs are a great way to take advantage of that. If you think that taking CBD in a bath bomb would help you keep up with your CBD regime because you have daily baths, then go for it!
A relatively new product type to be looking out for in the CBD space are CBD extract. They are consumed via vaping or “dabbing” and offer people the opportunity to macro-dose pure cannabinoids. There are very few companies out there in the CBD space with the expertise to make clean palatable CBD extracts, we’ve been watching The Goods for their work in this space with their impressive range. You can now experience CBD wax, shatter and even CBD diamonds and sauce and experience arguably the most potent CBD.
Isolate, Broad-Spectrum and Full-Spectrum
Isolate CBD, broad-spectrum CBD and full-spectrum CBD are all forms of CBD extract that can be base ingredients for CBD products. CBD oil can be a mixture of MCT oil (derived from coconuts) and Isolate/broad-spectrum/full-spectrum CBD. Each of these types of extracts is suited to different kinds of consumers so it’s important to know what you’re getting.
CBD isolate is the most refined type of CBD extract. It contains only one cannabinoid, CBD, and is a brilliant choice for consumers that want to ensure that they are not consuming any THC. This may be because of a sensitivity to trace amounts of THC, or even just to reduce the risk of accidentally testing positive for THC. CBD isolate is perhaps the most palatable form of CBD extract because it is merely just the CBD compound and contains no plant terpenes.
Broad-spectrum CBD is slightly less refined than CBD isolate as it contains more than just CBD. It contains a “broad-spectrum” of cannabinoids, usually as many as the plant is able to yield minus THC. This is a great way for a consumer to experience what is called the “Entourage Effect” without being exposed to THC. The Entourage Effect is something that can be experienced by consuming cannabis in its complete form, with all cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids present. Until broad-spectrum CBD products came about, it was near impossible for consumers to experience the entourage effect without consuming some trace amounts of THC.
Full-spectrum CBD is a great CBD extract that harnesses all the plant’s natural properties without deliberately filtering anything out. Things you’ll find in full-spectrum CBD that you might not find in isolated CBD are terpenes, THC, and minor cannabinoids. Both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD allow consumers to benefit from the Entourage Effect.
Choosing The Right CBD Strength
It’s important to note that CBD products come in vastly different strengths. Because CBD can be such a concentrated product, you can’t tell the strength of the product just by looking at it. A CBD oil with 10,000mg CBD might fit into the same bottle as a CBD oil with 100mg CBD. The general rule of thumb for new CBD consumers is to start with a low dose, and gradually increase it until desired effects take place.
While undertaking this initial teething process, it is key to monitor how the body reacts to specific doses. This will provide the information needed to adjust the dose in the future if needed. Adjusting your CBD dose is an easy process, most CBD oils have graduated pipettes that let you increase your dose by fractions of a decimal. Edibles can be cut into equal portions, vapes can be sucked on for longer/shorter durations, topicals can be left on for less time, etc. Once you’ve established what type of CBD works best for you and your daily dose, you can save money by buying more concentrated CBD products and dosing out what you’ve found to work.
Choosing the Right THC Strength
The THC strength on a CBD product is more important than you might think. You don’t want to find yourself experiencing potential side effects from a CBD product that has a high level of THC. In some cases, you might find that some trace levels of THC are just what you need to get desired effects from CBD. It’s important to note that in many countries, if a CBD product exceeds a certain threshold of THC, then it can be deemed illegal. Recently the EU increased its THC limit from 0.2% to 0.3%, however, CBD products in Switzerland are allowed to reach 1%. You can see how important checking the THC content can be to avoid getting caught with an illegal product.
You can take some steps to ensure that your CBD products are not above the legal THC limit but check the producer’s lab reports and refer to your country’s legal THC limits. Whilst you’re looking at the lab reports, take a look at the minor cannabinoids and terpenes, it will give you a good idea of how “full-spectrum” the product is. A COA is another term used to describe lab reports. They have certified documents from a 3rd party laboratory confirming compound values in a product. Looking at this document will help you avoid bad/illegal CBD products and ensure a healthy, long-term CBD journey.
