CBD (short for cannabidiol) is a compound found in the flower of a female cannabis plant. CBD is one of over a hundred phytocannabinoids (or cannabinoids for short) found in the trichome resin of the female cannabis flower. CBD oil is the product of an extraction and concentration process whereby the trichome resin material is separated from the flower material. When extracted CBD oil can vary in concentrations depending on the extraction and concentration methods used.
CBD and Carrier Oils
Typically, CBD oil is mixed with a carrier oil such as MCT (medium-chain triglyceride), hemp seed, olive, sunflower, or avocado oils. The carrier oil allows the concentrations of CBD per dose (typically 1 milliliter) to provide somewhere between 15-80mgs per serving.
Types of CBD Oil
CBD oil comes in three types (generally speaking) full-spectrum, broad spectrum, and isolate. Isolate oil is CBD isolate (that is 99-100% CBD powder) mixed with a carrier oil. Full-spectrum oil is CBD + other cannabinoids, including THC mixed with a carrier oil. Broad spectrum is CBD + other cannabinoids, not including THC, mixed with a carrier oil.
CBD and Hemp Farming
As the breeding and seed production of the cannabis plant have become more sophisticated over time, a strain of the cannabis plant has emerged with extremely low levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol – the intoxicating element of the cannabinoids) and high levels of CBD. Today, farmers across the globe grow high CBD content hemp (legally defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% total THC) for the sole purpose of extracting the hemp oil and creating hemp extract that is high in CBD content. CBD oil is almost always derived from hemp oil, but not all hemp oil winds up being CBD oil.
CBD, Bioavailability, Forms and Use Cases
While hemp was grown historically to produce rope, recently hemp is being produced to fuel the CBD consumption for its wellness and therapeutic benefits. Today, you can find CBD in your community and there is quite the culture around it. You can find it in clothes, tinctures, lotions, gummies, drink powders, and many others. RYTE CBD believes that taking oil sublingually (under the tongue) will yield higher bioavailability versus a typical CBD lotion or cream. People are using CBD to help improve sleep cycles, manage inflammation and feelings of unease, and to support a sense of calm and help with focus.