What is Cannabidiol (CBD Oil)?

CBD is an abbreviation of cannabidiol and is 1 of 113 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It accounts for up to 40% of the plants extract. It is a naturally occurring substance that is used in products like oils, vapes and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm. It has been scientifically proven to aid with an increasing number of physical and mental health issues.

How does CBD work?

Cannabidiol works by entering the body and connecting to receptors. These receptors are named CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors assist in helping with health and disease, cardiovascular and motor control, and are primarily located within nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. CB2 receptors help with the immune system by managing pain and inflammation. CB2 receptors are mainly found within white blood cells in the tonsils and the spleen.

The receptors work through something know as the Endocannabinoid system. The Endocannabinoid system is a molecular system responsible for regulating and balancing many processes in the body including immune response, communication between cells, appetite and metabolism, memory function and more. It is through this system of receptors and metabolic enzymes that cannabinoids interact with the human body and trigger beneficial effects. The Endocannabinoid system was only recently discovered, and its full importance is still unknown. Studies are ongoing and discoveries will continue to be made.

Can you get high from CBD oil?

CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it will not get you ‘high’. THC (CBD’s cousin) is the cannabinoid that is linked with the ‘high’ sensation and is psychoactive. CBD is completely legal in the UK.

Is CBD legal in the UK?

In the UK, CBD is classed as legal as long as it contains no more than 0.2% THC which is a controlled substance under the Misuse Of Drugs Act 1971. It must also be derived from an industrial hemp strain that is either EU-approved or comes from outside the EU.

How do you use CBD oil?

CBD oil can be used in many different ways including sublingual products, vapes, edibles and topicals.

Sublingual Products – These products are designed to be absorbed under your tongue. They include tinctures which is a solution made when cannabidiol (CBD) has been extracted into a powder and then mixed into an oil. Sublingual products can take around a week to start feeling the full benefits (that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t feel any effects straight away), but these give you better and consistent effects long term.

Vapes – High concentrate CBD can be used in most electronic devices which are increasing in popularity. Vaping allows the CBD to travel directly into your bloodstream meaning the effects are often felt immediately. These can also help reduce or quit smoking completely.

Edibles – Edibles come in many different forms including gummies to mints and are a great way to try CBD. When CBD is digested, it is partially broken down by the river and digestive tract and can take up to 2 hours to take effect. You will only absorb approximately 20 to 30 percent of it bearing in mind that edibles are already low in CBD.

Topicals – CBD Topicals include products such as balms, creams, salves and transdermal patches. They are designed to be applied directly to your skin. Topicals are a great choice for treating localised pain or skin conditions such as eczema and are scientifically proven to help with muscle aches and pains.

How quickly does Cannabidiol work?

Cannabidiol works differently in everyone and each product takes a different time to take effect. These are the estimated times CBD typically takes to become effective;

Sublingual products – 7+ Days

Vapes – Almost immediately

Edibles – 2 to 3 hours

Topicals – 6 to 8 hours

How CBD Oil is Made

CBD oil is made following two simple steps. Firstly, the extraction of the plant which is then mixed into a carrier oil in order for the CBD to be consumed. We will explain below each possible method of producing CBD.

Extraction Methods

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extraction

Supercritical Fluid Extraction is where CO2 containing properties of both a liquid and a gas state is used to separate the CBD Oil from the plant material. During CO2 extraction, a series of pressurized chambers and pumps are used to expose CO2 to high pressure and very low temperature, resulting in an extracted oil containing a high amount of CBD.

1. One chamber holds pressurized CO2 whilst the second chamber is pressurised holding the hemp plant. This is the start of the extraction process.
2. The CO2 is then pumped from the first to the second chamber. The oil will separate from the plant material as the supercritical CO2 will break down the hemp in the chamber.
3. The CO2 and oil will be pumped into a third chamber where the gas will evaporate. This will create an extract of pure CBD oil.

CO2 extraction is the safest and the most efficient process as it can extract as much as 92% of CBD. Another reason to why this is often the preferred method is that manufacturers can simply adjust the ratio of solvent and pressure to achieve the desired concentration of CBD.

Steam Distillation

In this method, the use of steam causes the CBD oil to separate from the hemp plant. With both an inlet and an outlet, the hemp plant is contained in a glass flask.  The outlet connects to a condenser tube whilst the inlet connects to a separate glass container beneath the plant flask and contains water that is set to boil.

1. The steam travels upwards into the plant flask. As the water heats up, it separates the oil vapours that contain CBD.
2. The vapours are captured in a tube which condenses them into oil and water.
3. The oil and water mixture is distilled to extract the CBD oil from the water once collected.

The steam distillation method has been used to extract essential oils for centuries. It has been tried and tested, however it is less favoured than CO2 extraction due to its inefficiency. This method also uses significantly larger amounts of hemp plant and is also more difficult to extract exact amounts of CBD. If the steam gets too hot, it can also damage the extract and alter the chemical properties of the cannabinoids it contains.

Solvent Extraction

This CBD extraction method is similar to steam distillation, however instead of using water it uses solvents to separate the CBD oil from the plant. Once mixed, the solvent then evaporates resulting in pure CBD oil. Hydrocarbons or natural solvents are what this method normally uses. Solvent extraction is more efficient and cheaper than steam distillation, however the solvents used in hydrocarbon extraction such as butane, propane and petroleum create great concern. If the solvent residue if not fully eliminated in the evaporation process, it can increase the risk of cancer.

To avoid the risk of toxic residue, natural solvents such as olive oil or ethanol can be used for the extraction. These solvents are just as effective but remove the risk of toxic residue. The down side is that chlorophyll may also be extracted when using natural solvents which can result in an unpleasant taste. The main problem with natural solvents is that they don’t evaporate very well, which means the CBD extract typically contains a lower concentration of CBD than any of the other methods.

So, what is the best extraction method for CBD?

Now we have explained about the different CBD extraction methods, which do you think is best? At CBD Pharm, we personally use the CO2 extraction method meaning that our customers get the safest and best quality product. CO2 extraction is the safest, most efficient process and gives the highest concentration of CBD resulting the best quality product.

Carrier Oils

What are CBD carrier oils?  Why not just sell pure CBD? Pure CBD (CBD isolate) comes in the form of a white powder. Not only would it be extremely difficult to measure out a serving of CBD isolate grain by grain, but, more importantly, your body wouldn’t be able to process the majority of the CBD you consume. For this reason, CBD is often infused into oil-based solutions where it binds with fat molecules your body is already familiar with breaking down. Once the CBD is evenly distributed throughout the oil, it is possible to evenly measure consistent amounts of CBD that your body can absorb and process.

What makes the best carrier oil?

Bioavailability is the biggest concern when determining the best CBD carrier oil. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of CBD your body can process to the amount taken in. CBD’s bioavailability is largely determined by the types of fat molecules contained in the carrier oil. There are many different types of fat and the way they vary on a molecular level affects how well it can transport CBD into your system. Besides bioavailability, individual differences between oils such as flavour, consistency and cost may affect their viability as carrier oils. In this blog we will look at the pro’s and con’s for each of the available carrier oils.

Top 6 Carrier Oils

Number 1: Fractionated Coconut Oil

Coconut oil naturally excels as a carrier oil in several categories. Coconut Oil has no flavour, which makes it a great choice for making tinctures. Additionally, it is thinner than most oils making it easy to measure. Coconut oil has natural antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.

The best part about coconut oil is its variety of saturated fats, particularly medium chain triglycerides (MCT). Medium chain triglycerides are smaller fat molecules which are easily absorbed by the body directly through the liver. Fractionated coconut oil is simply coconut oil which has had the longer fat molecules removed to isolate the MCT. For this reason, fractionated coconut oil is also known as MCT oil which is one of the best carrier oils for CBD.

Number 2: Palm Oil

MCT oil can be made using Palm oil in a similar way to coconut oil. This is because MCT oil is a somewhat general term which refers to the type of fat molecules in an oil, not the natural source of the oil. This is an important distinction because palm oil’s manufacturing process is often connected to deforestation, animal cruelty and climate change. This is the reason it is more eco-friendly to use coconut MCT oil.

Number 3: Olive Oil

Olive oil has a fruity taste which can be sometimes recognisable. Olive oil tends to be thicker which can affect the measuring process. Monounsaturated fats are the premier fat molecules in olive oil, generally in the form of oleic acid. These larger fat molecules need to be processed further which could decrease the amount of CBD your body absorbs, although oleic acid may help reduce inflammation and olive oil is packed with antioxidants.

Number 4: Avocado Oil

Like olive oil, avocado oil has high concentrations of oleic acid, however it is much thicker which can also cause problems when measuring the oil. Avocado oil has a nutty taste which can often affect the taste of the CBD. Avocado oil is often chosen for topical applications due to its slow drying time and abundance of vitamins A, D, & E, however avocado oil is one of the most expensive oils on this list.

Number 5: Hemp Seed Oil

Even though it is believed that this is the perfect mix with CBD isolate, it isn’t the case as it is generally an inefficient carrier of CBD on its own. To reach its full potential, it must be mixed with oils with higher bioavailability such as MCT oil. That is why we add fractionated coconut oil to our full spectrum tinctures.

Another thing to note is that some companies try to pass hemp seed oil as being the same as CBD oil which is far from true, so do make sure you are buying a product with verified levels of CBD. Any reputable CBD company should clearly display the volume of CBD in their products.

Number 6: Grape Seed Oil

Grape seed oil is very thin and has a wine-like aroma. It is isn’t very greasy and as a result is often incorporated into skin and hair products. Grape seed oil mainly consists of polyunsaturated fats which means it isn’t the best CBD carrier oil.