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Frequently Asked Questions

We want you to understand CBD

In order to make the most out of your purchase, read our FAQ’s for in-depth information about how to use CBD, and what CBD is. If  you have any questions that we haven’t covered, please get in touch using our live chat feature and we will add them to this page!

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second major cannabinoid found in cannabis plants like hemp and marijuana. Unlike the other major cannabinoid THC, CBD is non-psychoactive. The effects of CBD include alertness at low doses, sedating at high doses, pain reduction, relaxing muscle spasms, potent anti-inflammatory effects, stopping nausea/vomiting, reducing anxiety/depression, anti-convulsant, neuro-protectant, and anti-tumor effects.

CBD oil is the term used to describe a sublingual tincture of CBD. A CBD oil or tincture is made by mixing a CBD extract from a cannabis plant into a base like alcohol or hemp seed oil. The CBD oil is meant to be held under the tongue and absorbed directly into the bloodstream. A sublingual absorption provides a faster effect than absorption via the stomach (i.e. taking a CBD capsule or edible product). 

The amount of CBD to use depends on the purpose of use and your personal circumstances. It is often recommended by other companies and organisations to start at a lower dose and work your way up – however, this can lead you to believe that CBD does not work should you require a higher dose. We therefore recommend it is best to start from a high dose and lower it until you feel that the dosage is right for you.

Visit our 'How much to use' page for in-depth information

We recommend British Hemp Co. products as they are formulated to target specific issues. They are broad-spectrum products containing no THC and are 3rd party lab-tested for your assurance.

Whether the CBD oil comes from hemp or marijuana, the best CBD oil is a full plant extract which contains terpenes and flavonoids naturally occurring in cannabis. The best CBD oil is one which has been lab tested to ensure its potency and safety as a clean oil fit for consumption. 

We recommend StrongLife Capsules as they are a premium product designed for oral use. They are full-spectrum capsules containing a legal trace amount of THC and are 3rd party lab-tested for your assurance.

We recommend Juicy Dutch E-Liquids. They have been expertly formulated to increase the concentration of CBD and are available in 6 delicious flavours. They are isolate based products and are 3rd party lab-tested for your assurance.

Terpenes are essential oils found in plants. There are around 200 terpenes in cannabis. They are what give cannabis its distinct aroma and flavour. Terpenes have beneficial effects and work synergistically with cannabinoids like CBD and THC – this relationship is called the entourage effect.

In the UK, CBD companies are not allowed to sell CBD products designed specifically for Pets. However, under the regulations of the VMD (Vetinary Medicines Directorate), vets are allowed to prescribe our “human” CBD products to animals. These are normally from our range of CBD oils which would be added to a pet’s food.

If you would like to use CBD with your pet, please contact a licensed vet beforehand.

Try to keep the CBD oil / tincture under your tongue for 30 – 60 seconds. The longer you hold it, the more CBD will be absorbed before it enters your stomach. This will result in a faster effect. 

No. CBD is considered to be a non-psychoactive cannabinoid so it will not get you high in the way that ‘marijuana’ or ‘weed’ (containing THC) gets you high. But CBD is known to be relaxing so many users feel a sense of subtle relaxation and relief. For some CBD will be too sedating, although others will find that the sedating effects of CBD are a great remedy for insomnia.

CBD is not psychoactive in the way that THC is psychoactive and it will not get you high. However CBD can have an effect on your mental state. Many users of CBD report feeling a very subtle feeling of relaxation, serenity, alertness, or mental clarity from taking CBD.

CBD hemp oil is made from hemp, CBD Cannabis Oil is made from marijuana plants.

CBD Hemp Oil will contain little to no THC. CBD Cannabis Oil can contain significantly more THC than CBD Hemp Oil, though still remaining under the 0.2% THC limit regulated in the UK.

CBD has shown to have the following effects: non psychoactive (does not cause a high), alerting in low to moderate doses, sedating in high doses, reduces pain, reduces muscle spasms, anti-inflammatory, stops nausea/vomiting, reduces anxiety/depression, counters psychotic thoughts, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, neuroprotectant, and anti-tumor.

Please visit our education page for detailed information on the effects of CBD.

Anxiety is a complex condition. For some users, CBD may cause them to experience anxiety or increase their existing anxiety. 

For most users however, CBD will act as a powerful anti-anxiety drug. CBD has been well studied as an anxiolytic and anti-psychotic drug. Anti-anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek out and use CBD. Click here to read more about CBD for anxiety.

CBD has been shown to be safe to use in high doses. CBD will not cause a fatal overdose. However it is possible to take too much CBD. The main consequence being an increased chance of negative side effects like lethargy, drowsiness or extreme sleepiness.

Yes. CBD is metabolized by a group of enzymes called the CYP450. These enzymes are responsible for metabolizing many commonly used drugs. CBD can inhibit the activity of the CYP450 enzymes. While CBD-drug interactions are more likely with high doses of CBD and CBD isolates, precaution must be taken when using CBD alongside life preserving medications for serious conditions (i.e. epilepsy medications). 

Please contact your GP or consultant before consuming CBD products if you are on any life preserving medications.

Our customers mainly use CBD as a natural but effective remedy for anxiety, stress, and pain relief.

People are finding that CBD is useful for many conditions which have not responded well to conventional treatments. New ailments which CBD can help treat are being discovered every day. However the most common uses of CBD are treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and epilepsy.

Please check out our blog for the latest news and research about CBD uses and medical discoveries.

CBD edibles are food products infused with CBD. Common CBD edibles products are chocolates, gummy bears, or CBD gum. CBD edibles are an oral route of administration of CBD. 

Hemp extract refers to the raw extract which is taken from a hemp plant for later processing into CBD oil or CBD products. The most common methods of extraction are CO2 and ethanol extraction.

CBD gummies are a form of a CBD edible: a food product (in this case gummies) infused with CBD.

 

CBD isolate or otherwise called “pure CBD” is the CBD molecule separated from the the rest of the compounds it normally occurs with. CBD isolate usually appears as a crystalline white powder. CBD isolate can either be synthesized in a lab (synthetic CBD) or made from a CBD containing plant like marijuana or hemp.

“CBD powder” likely refers to CBD isolate. Please see the question above “What is CBD isolate?”

A CBD vape oil or CBD e-liquid is a liquid made for vaping which is infused with CBD. Our CBD vape liquid can be used in most devices.

Vaping CBD is the fastest way to get CBD into your bloodstream and has near instant effects.

A CBD tincture is another term for a CBD oil. In the cannabis industry the word “tincture” and “oil” are used interchangeably. A CBD tincture or CBD oil is a liquid concentrate which contains CBD.

CBD tinctures are taken by placing the dose under the tongue where it can be absorbed sublingually – through the mucous membrane in the mouth. 

CBD tinctures should be held under the tongue fo 30-60 seconds. The longer you hold it in your mouth the faster the CBD will enter your bloodstream. 

The length of time it takes for CBD to take effect will depend on the route of administration. The fastest effect will be felt from smoking or vaporisation (onset of effects in minutes). Topical administration of CBD will be felt quickly as well. The next fastest effect will be felt from a sublingual dosage of an oil (onset of effects in 15 – 60 minutes). The slowest effect (but the longest lasting) will be felt from oral ingestion of capsules or edibles (onset felt in 90 minutes).

No. CBD is not an approved pharmaceutical or dietary supplement. You may purchase CBD without a prescription.

Yes. Anyone living in a country where it is legal to use CBD (such as the UK) can buy CBD products. CBD oil may be purchased from our website without any form of licence or prescription.

Yes, CBD is legal to use as a food supplement in the UK and British CBD adhere to all government legislations regarding the sale and manufacture fo CBD products.

As of 13th February 2020, new CBD food products on the market require a Novel Food application. Products on the UK market before 13th February 2020 require a validated submission or approved novel food application by 31st March 2020.

Any food, drink, or supplements containing CBD are now considered ‘novel foods’. The important regulation of novel foods is that they require ‘premarket authorisation’ – any manufacturer intending to put CBD in food is required to apply to do so.

So what can be concluded from this rather large and detailed amount of information? Well, CBD is indeed legal, but the restrictions surrounding this legal status are many. And, indeed, these regulations are currently evolving and changing as CBD’s popularity and potential benefits are explored in even more detail.

While nearly anything in the world can be addictive, CBD is not known to be an addictive drug. In fact, CBD has shown strong potential to be a useful tool to help people break addictions to harmful substances.

CBD is produced inside cannabis plants. CBD is produced by both marijuana and hemp plants. CBD is mostly produced in the resinous trichomes of cannabis flowers. Smaller concentrations of CBD can be found on the stalk and leaves of cannabis plants.

 

The endocannabinoid system is the collection of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymes involved in the production and break down of endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring cannabinoids found within our body. The two most studied endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-AG. The two most studies cannabinoid receptors are CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are located mostly in the brain and CB2 receptors are located mostly throughout the immune system. 

 

The endocannabinoid system acts a homeostasis regulator in the body. Its purpose is to maintain balance. 

No. Drug tests test for THC, not CBD.

All of our CBD products adhere to government legislation, meaning that all our products contain a trace amount of less than 0.2% THC, which will not be detected in a drug test. 

Hemp seed oil is a highly nutritious oil made from pressed hemp seeds. Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil do not contain significant amounts of CBD. Hemp seed oil is often confused with CBD hemp oil but they are not the same thing. CBD hemp oil is a CBD tincture – a liquid concentrate of CBD. CBD hemp oil however can be suspended in hemp seed oil as a carrier of the CBD. Other common carriers of CBD hemp oil include coconut oil or MCT oil.

 

The entourage effect is a the synergistic relationship of the naturally occurring compounds found in cannabis plants. The cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids found in cannabis have shown to work better when they are taken together as opposed to in isolation from each other.

No. Drug tests look for THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana. Drug tests do not test for specifically CBD. But some CBD cannabis oils and CBD hemp oils will contain either a small amount (in the case of CBD hemp oil) or significant amount of THC (in the case of CBD cannabis oil). These amounts of THC, even if they are tiny, can cause a failure of a drug test when a person is using CBD oil. Even if the amount of THC is very small as in the case of CBD hemp oil (which does not allow for a presence of THC higher than 0.3%), a drug test failure can occur if the person using the CBD hemp oil in large quantities. Caution must be taken with drug tests and CBD oil.

Cannabinoids generally work by binding to our body’s cannabinoid receptors (CB1 or CB2). Cannabinoids like CBD can work in other ways by targeting non-cannabinoid receptors in the body. 

No, CBD is not water soluble in its natural state, but CBD and other cannabinoids can be formulated to act as if they are water soluble.

There are many different ways to use CBD. The four main ways are sublingual oils, topical lotions/balms, oral edibles/capsules, and inhalation by vaporization.

At BritishCBD we think sublingual tinctures and sprays are one of the best ways to use CBD as you can get the dosing very precise – and you can easily check for the quality of the product by requesting a lab report from the manufacturer, and they provide a reasonably fast onset of effects.

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