This is a continuation of my previous blog post about marketing CBD products and working as a consultant for a CBD company called, Zuna Brands.

 I have always had great success in my marketing campaigns by following a simple premise — if you have a good product and you can educate the consumer about that product, they normally make a decision to buy without any “hard selling” involved.

Right now there is a lot of interest and a lot of confusion when it comes to CBD products. I thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the same questions I initially had about CBD, as well as some questions I frequently get asked when talking to people about this subject.

Let’s start at the beginning.

What does CBD mean?

CBD is the abbreviation for Cannabidiol (pronounced: can-na-bi-di-ol). One of the many cannabinoids or chemical compounds found in hemp plants. To date over 100 cannabinoids have been found in hemp. 

Is CBD legal?

CBD is federally legal, but a few states still place full or partial restrictions on the purchase of these products. Most states define legal CBD as the extract from hemp. The amount of THC allowed for a product to qualify as CBD can range from 0.3% to 0.0%. This article provides a good guide to CBD regulations in each state.

Can CBD get you high?

No — Cannabidiol or CBD is the non-psychoactive ingredient in cannabis derived from the hemp plant, and will not get you high. Most CBD products are made from hemp plants, which naturally have almost no THC in them. THC is the compound that produces what many consider a “high” or altered state. CBD does not cause a high like THC. Here is another recent study that supports this as well: “Cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis does not impair driving, landmark study shows.”

Does CBD show up in a drug test?

No — it is not supposed to. All CBD products regardless of if they are full spectrum or single isolate made from hemp are required by law (2018 Farm Bill) to have 0.3% or less of THC (the thing that makes you high).

High quality CBD companies like Zuna Brands show on their website how much THC is in their products (0.3% or less) so you are sure that you will not accidentally get high and/or fail a drug test. This is not true of all CBD brands or products.

How should you take CBD?

People who use CBD these days are faced with almost too much of a choice. You have the option to take CBD in all manner of different ways — here are the most popular:

• Tinctures are CBD that has been dissolved in a little alcohol, and is absorbed easily when taken under the tongue. This is an ideal method if you want an instant therapeutic effect — especially if you need relief from pain or to induce sleep.

• Pills and Capsules are easy to use and can provide more consistent dosing than oils as each dose is pre-measured. Since you consume them orally they have to be broken down in the digestive system before the CBD can make its way into cells. As a result, the effects may take longer to kick in, but you may feel them for a longer period of time.  

• Topical CBD creams, salves and roll-ons have a local affect and help reduce pain, inflammation, swelling and redness. Topical CBD products can help address pain or inflammation that is at a specific area of your body, such as on the joints. The product won’t enter the blood stream, so a topical CBD product isn’t designed to address systemic problems, but it may help directly on the skin.

• Edibles are food products such as gummies, candy, cookies, brownies and other food or drinks that contain cannabidiol. As with pills and capsules, it takes much longer for the CBD to kick in.

What does CBD do?

People use CBD for a variety of reasons. Most commonly people use it to help with chronic pain issues, insomnia (inability to fall asleep or stay asleep), for anxiety both situational or chronic, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Women also use CBD products to treat menstrual cramps and hot flashes.

 How does it make you feel?

Since CBD products contain next to no THC you will not feel high. Most people who take CBD report that they have a greater sense of well-being, feel less anxious and calm. When used topically for pain people report less pain at the site where they applied the CBD products.

Is CBD addictive?

 CBD, in both single isolates (single active agent from the plant) or broad spectrum (all the active agents from the plant), are not addictive. It is a product that can be used many times a day when needed and then stopped without having to slowly wean off. 

Can you overdose on CBD?

In general it is very hard to overdose on CBD products. Studies show that it takes over 500 mg of CBD to start to irritate the liver. CBD is in a variety of products with most having between 1 to 10 mg topically and up to 50 mg in tinctures, and so it is hard to overdose when using CBD products as directed, 1 to 2 times per day.

How is CBD grown and harvested?

CBD is extracted from the female hemp plants grown in industrial hemp farming. There is a planting level of some 400,000 plants per acre. Rather than harvested like marijuana, industrial hemp is reaped more like wheat.

What dosage do I need to feel the benefits of CBD?

This is probably the most important question if you are planning to use CBD for any therapeutic reason. No matter what condition you are trying to treat with CBD, giving yourself an adequate dosage is key or it might not work for you. When it comes to working out the dosage you should use, talking to your doctor or health professional is your best bet. While not all doctors will be able to provide information on CBD depending on the laws in your state, some may be able to help recommend correct dosages and high-quality brands.

Zuna Brands are currently developing both a professional line of CBD products as well as a telemedicine hotline so you can talk to doctors familiar with the use of CBD and can recommend that proper dosage that will work for you.