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Curious about cannabidiol, that quirky chemical compound that all the cool kids are calling CBD? While CBD is perfectly safe and easy to use, there are a few things you should know before giving it a try.
Forget taking CBD; here’s something you need to know before you even buy it. Like with its notorious cousins, marijuana and THC, CBD exists in a slightly murky legal limbo. Unlike the other two, it’s not a matter of it being illegal on the federal level but legal on the state level.
Quite the opposite, hemp-derived CBD is legal federally, but each state has its own rules and regulations regarding buying and selling. That’s why it’s important to research your state’s stance on CBD before you try to buy it. Then again, since hemp-derived CBD products are legal on a federal level, you can shop CBD online even if it’s usually heavily regulated in your home state.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: CBD will not get you high. The psychoactive effects of cannabis come not from CBD, but from THC. That said, CBD has its own side effects that you should be mindful of.
CBD is used to treat a lot of different things: depression and anxiety, nausea, insomnia, hypertension, chronic pain, and more. However, most CBD products aren’t formulated to highlight just one of CBD’s effects. That means, depending on the strength of the dose and your own tolerance, you may end up experiencing more of CBD’s effects than just the ones you planned on. In other words, expect to experience elevated mood, increased appetite, drowsiness, and lowered blood pressure.
Before taking CBD, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself: What conditions are you hoping to treat? What concentration of active CBD is in the product you’re taking? How much do you weigh? Don’t worry, you can keep the answer to that last one to yourself.
Ultimately, these are the factors determining the ideal CBD dose for you. The best way to figure it out is to use a CBD dosage calculator or consult your doctor. While there are no official recommended doses, it’s a good rule of thumb to start with a lower dose than what you think you actually need, then see how you feel and gradually increase the dosage from there. Your body may build up a tolerance to CBD over time, necessitating higher dosages, so it’s better to start small.
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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