Author: Shannon O'Sullivan

Many people find CBD oil can have a relaxing and therapeutic effect. But how long it takes to work varies from person to person, everyone is different. The quality of your CBD product will also play a part. So, how long does CBD oil take to work?  Before answering that in this article, we need to talk about what CBD oil is.  What is Cannabidiol & How Does this Product Benefit the Body? CBD oil, or CBD, is a derivative of the cannabis plant. The best known of these chemical compounds to come from cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. While THC is highly psychoactive and can be toxic, CBD is not. CBD does share some therapeutic properties, however due to CBD being classified as a food supplement (similar to vitamins & calcium) no medicinal claims can be made about CBD. Further research studies are needed to confirm claims of relief from various health symptoms as all studies on CBD and cannabinoids have suggested in their concluding comments.  If you do decide to try CBD products as a food supplement there a range of factors to consider before purchasing like quality ingredients and product testing. Don’t just buy anything from anywhere. Make sure to do all the research you can when looking for CBD topicals like cream, balm or CBD tinctures and their carrier oil.  But first, let’s take a look at what the Endocannabinoid System is.    How Does CBD Affect the Endocannabinoid System in People? In addition to knowing what CBD oil is, it’s important to understand the health effects its ingredients can have on the Endocannabinoid System.  At its simplest, the Endocannabinoid System is the cellular system that’s critical for managing body functions like: Sleep Moods and emotions Memory Reproduction While neurotransmitters, like dopamine, send messages to the body to tell it how to react in the moment, Endocannabinoids are triggered after the fact. They begin in postsynaptic cells and run backwards across the synaptic membrane to the presynaptic cells to tell the body to slow down or speed up.  Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome (CECD) arises when the Endocannabinoid cells don’t function properly. Because they play such a crucial role in controlling the body’s response, that can cause problems.  In this way CBD oils and other CBD products have been the subject of many testimonials and claims over the last few years regarding potential health benefits. Such anecdotal claims link CBD intake to helping with skin, stress, sleep, anxiety and pain among others. It is important to note however that such claims require more clinical trial results and research to be confirmed as fact. The same goes for side effects and symptoms of taking CBD products. Little or none are reported anecdotally, negative side effects that is, but research needs to clarify this officially.  Right now CBD is sold only as a food supplement and any medicinal claims or otherwise are unauthorised by the HPRA in Ireland. CBD can be added like any vitamin or mineral to your food diet to provide extra nutrients like omega’s and iron to your body. The cannabinoids present in CBD oils are also a source of nutrients for both men and women of any age. While CBD oil isn’t strictly medical, it can still mimic some of the responses of Endocannabinoid cells and help the body relax. This effectively mimics the ebb and flow of functional Endocannabinoid cells. So that’s what CBD oil does, but how long before you feel the effects of it?  How Quickly Does it Take CBD Oil to Work? If you’re new to taking a CBD oil product, it may take a while for you to start noticing the impact it has on your body. That’s because it can take up to a week for CBD to build up in your system. This mirrors the pace of well known health food supplements like calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C and multivitamins which can all take some time to affect immune system function and bone health for example.  Consequently, we recommend that new users take the drops from a CBD oil tincture daily for the first three weeks. This gives it time for your body to build up a routine amount of it. Not only that, but it allows you to get a sense of how it’s affecting you.  After that, you can start relaxing dosages.  You can even miss out on a daily dose to help judge the process and what method works best for your innate body chemistry.  However, the rapidity with which CBD oil impacts you varies based on: Dosage Frequency of dosage Method of use  Dosage We recommend people new to CBD oil start with between 20-30 mg of CBD daily and increase their dosage over time. You may find that, over time, you need higher dosages to feel the effects, everyone is different. The difference between people and cannabis products begs the need for further clinical research to be carried out in terms of human cannabinoid pharmacokinetics as suggested in one unbiased study.  Alternatively, if a subsequent dose is still in your system, you may feel the effects of CBD oil faster than when you started using it. If you are unsure about taking a CBD oil tincture or other CBD products then be sure to ask your doctor in advance of purchasing.  Dosage Frequency  Another thing that impacts how long CBD oil takes to work is how often you take it.  With regular use, it builds up in your system and combines with the new dose, heightening the amount of CBD oil in your body.  The larger the dose, the longer it stays around, and the faster you feel its effects. Conversely, infrequent dosages will take longer to work because there’s less CBD oil in your system.  Ways & Methods to Use CBD  Not only that but how you take CBD matters. Because CBD oil is placed under the tongue, its rate of absorption is better as it goes directly into the bloodstream.

CBG, more formally known as Cannabigerol, is the latest cannabinoid to storm the cannabis supplement market. The question is what makes this cannabinoid so attractive to consumers now and how it differs from the long-standing front runner – CBD. CBG, CBD and THC are just three of hundreds of chemical compounds found within the cannabis plant family. CBD and THC are certainly the two most talked about cannabinoids especially since CBD took off in popularity as a health food supplement over the past few years. Just as other vitamins, minerals & multivitamins are taken by people in Ireland each day, CBG oil supplements are now on the rise as a source of daily nutrients. THC on the other hand is often talked about due to its negative effects as this is the cannabinoid present in ‘weed’ and causes a ‘high’ in the user. This ‘high’ however only occurs when THC is present in large amounts. If it is present in small or trace amounts as it often does in CBD products, then an intoxicating high is not possible. CBD or cannabidiol hit the food supplement market with a bang a few years ago as much anecdotal evidence was cited by users regarding various health benefits they experienced. Since then, research has slowly increased on a small scale with more and more trials undertaken to uncover the true health potential of CBD oil & its effects. What is the ECS (Endocannabinoid System)? All of the above cannabinoids act upon the body’s endocannabinoid system, also referred to in short as the ECS. The ECS is a nerve cell signalling system made up of receptors, endocannabinoids and enzymes. It works to regulate the internal stability of the body which when stable is referred to as homeostasis. Cannabinoids from the hemp plant act just like the natural endocannabinoids made in our bodies to bind to receptors and send signals around the body to the places that need them. So, CBD and CBG alike work as neurotransmitters in your ECS to regulate your internal environment and achieve homeostasis. What is CBG Oil & why it is important for my Diet? Now, let’s get back to the latest cannabinoid on the market – CBG. CBG, just like CBD, is a non-toxic chemical compound, so it doesn’t cause the ‘high’ commonly associated with recreational cannabis use and THC. Limited research on Cannabigerol suggests that it binds to the same receptors in the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) as CBD does but there is one important difference. CBG acts directly in response to the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in the brain whereas CBD experiences a more indirect interaction. Further research is needed to determine the actual potential of CBG in the health food supplement market however this may take some time. Just as the popularity of CBD oil and other cannabidiol products spurred the interest in conducting research trials, the public interest in CBG oil will do the same. CBG can be added to carrier oils like hemp seed oil or MCT oil just like CBD. CBG oil is the same as CBD oil in all aspects except the main cannabinoid present is Cannabigerol (CBG) rather than Cannabidiol (CBD). It undergoes absorption by the body through the gums under the tongue and then into the blood. MORE READING: HOW TO TEST CBD STRENGTH Why is there little research on CBG oil? A major fact hinders the progression of CBG research, and that fact is that a very small amount of CBG is found in each individual hemp plant strain. That’s right, CBG occurs in a much smaller ratio in hemp strains than CBD does. For example, a hemp strain may have a CBD content of 20% in comparison to a mere 1% content of CBG. This means in order to conduct a significant amount of research, then significant amounts of CBG need to be produced. For now, those looking to add CBG oil to their food diet will have to rely on mainly anecdotal evidence found online or by word of mouth. From this information, it is suggested that CBG shows benefits towards mental clarity and increased focus. Can I take CBG oil supplements with other medications? There is not enough research to suggest that CBG oil will positively or negatively affect other medications taken by the user, so it is best to be careful. Firstly, you can always talk to your doctor and ask for advice regarding the use of cannabis food supplements in conjunction with prescription medications. Some doctors are quite open to talking about natural health supplements like CBD and CBG oil, but others steer clear due to blurred legislation around the association of cannabis food supplements with use as a medicinal product. However, it is always best to ask. The general rule of thumb in the CBD / CBG community is to take such hemp supplements at least two hours before or two hours after any other medication. This gives optimum time for both the CBG oil to work independently and the medication to take full effect also. This guideline eliminates the risk of either additive interfering with the other while your body metabolizes them. CBG as a Food Supplement in Ireland Like CBD oil, CBG oil is also classed as a food supplement. This means that no health claims can be made about CBG and it should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet. Where can I buy CBG Oil? CBG oil is not the easiest cannabis extract supplement to find. It is still in the early stage of its popularity on the holistic supplement stage but there are some CBD stores in Ireland that already have CBG featured in their range. Dr. Hemp Me is one Irish CBD brand that saw the future potential of this cannabinoid variation early on and has stocked CBG oil for some time now. So far only CBG oil is available to buy from their online store but if demands increase you could find

What does the future hold for the CBD industry in Europe and the rest of the world? Many issues surrounding CBD continue to evolve and change. When taking a look at what’s next for CBD, it helps to consult the experts. Welcome to the Dr. Hemp Me 2020 CBD Expert Roundup Talk. I contacted a wide variety of CBD experts from across Europe to gather their opinions on the biggest challenges facing the CBD industry. They explained where they think our industry is heading in the next five years. Their answers cover a wide range of topics, including legal issues, banking, retail opportunities, and much more. As you’d expect, the novel food issue, potential legalization, and changing public opinion also came up frequently. Ready to learn more about what the future has in store for CBD? Let’s dive into the details: Brian Cusack Founder Dr. Hemp Me Finding Reputable Banks One of the biggest issues I hear about is banking. How can CBD sellers find a secure, accessible way to handle their financial transactions? The two main areas sellers have issues with are the following: Setting up a business bank account Working with online payment processors such as PayPal and Stripe Almost everyone in our industry feels most of Europe’s banking laws need updating and reform in regards to CBD. However, it’s important to note that many believe we’ll only see significant banking reform after we see changes regarding the legality of CBD. The Novel Food Issue The legality of CBD in Ireland is complex. When we talk about CBD sold legally in the country, we’re almost always talking about hemp-derived CBD. It’s divided into two types: CBD Isolate A pure version of CBD without oil, chlorophyll, wax, or other parts of the hemp plant. It contains no traces of THC. It’s the only type of CBD sold in retail stores and pharmacies. Full-Spectrum CBD This type is made from the entire hemp plant. It contains waxes, chlorophyll, oils, and cannabinoids. The only way to buy it in Ireland, and much of Europe, is from online retailers. Full-spectrum CBD can have up to .2% of THC – trace amounts for sure, but still detectable. Novel Food Issue That trace amount of .2% THC is a big deal, legally-speaking, due to what’s often referred to as the “novel food issue.” What does that mean? The European Food Safety Authority recently changed the classification of CBD to that of “novel food.” They developed a set of guidelines for CBD products. While not legally binding, most EU countries follow these guidelines when developing their own CBD regulations. In Ireland, CBD is only legal if it has no traces of THC. However, if a CBD product is processed in a way that removes all traces of THC, that product then becomes subject to novel food authorisation from the European Commission. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland requires that the European Commission authorises all CBD isolate products as a novel food. The alternative is to use cold-press processing, which produces oils and other CBD products that have a trace amount of THC. However, the problem is that those trace amounts of THC mean the product violates the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, which bars all cannabis derivatives that contain THC. The Next Five Years & Beyond The novel food issue traps businesses in a no-win situation, where they’re either violating Ireland’s food safety regulations or the law. Fortunately, public opinion on cannabis use is softening. Most industry experts, myself included, believe public opinion towards both CBD and cannabis will increase in favorability during the next five years and beyond. Changing CBD Classification In the next five years, I predict Ireland will finally determine whether or not to add CBD into the medicinal cannabis range. If so, that means hemp-derived CBD could only be obtained with a prescription, because it would no longer be classified as a food. Personally, I believe classifying hemp-derived CBD oils within the medicinal cannabis category would be a mistake. The medicinal part of the plant is THC, so only cannabinoids should be classified as such. Hemp-derived CBD, which is THC-free, should remain classified as a food supplement. CBD Medicinal Claims CBD is currently classified as a food supplement, which means no company should make medicinal claims about its use. Unfortunately, an increasing number of CBD companies make medicinal claims about their products. I and many others in the industry worry about this trend. If CBD manufacturers continue to make medicinal claims about their products, eventually governing bodies will intervene to assess these claims. Ultimately, they might decide to reclassify CBD products from food to medicine, which I believe would harm the industry as a whole. As a member of the Cannabis Trade Association, I will continue to remain committed to a thorough screening of every brand that joins. All CTA members are forbidden from making medicinal claims about their products. Industry Classification Finally, I believe all facets of the industry will focus on developing and strengthening regulations related to the manufacturing of CBD projects. As we see an increase in cheap CBD oils made with substandard extraction methods, it’s important to always fight for fair, consistent production standards. Poor quality CBD products tarnish the industry and turn away customers. However, high-quality standards have the opposite effect. They entice customers and help project an image of responsibility for the entire industry. BRIAN CUSACK Founder Dr. Hemp Me Marc Garrett Founder of the Prime Spectrum CBD From the unnecessary negative stigma to the percentage of accepted THC value (Right now is 0% for CBD products) to Ireland relying on the billions the Pharmaceutical Industry gives the Irish economy and Trump wanting these industries back, to the Novel Food Act, there are so many unknowns that many would have to think twice or even three times before wanting to get into this Industry. There is so much wrong in this space right now. It’s not unjustified in thinking the industry is not up against

The legalization of events of cannabis for medical use in different states continues to revamp the popularity of this specific product. Not only has it become easy to manufacture and cultivate marijuana, but also in purchasing its derived products. As a result, an influx of these products is what many are witnessing in the market.