CBD

What is CBD?

CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol – one of over 100 phytocannabinoids that are found in cannabis plants, including marijuana. It is thought to provide therapeutic benefits without the psychotropic effects that illegal marijuana can cause.

In many cases, CBD is isolated from the plant in order to create oil, which can then be sold to people without the risk of causing a high.

CBD in the UK is extracted from industrial hemp, as it has a high CBD:THC ratio, and any resulting products will contain little to no THC because of it.

CBD works within the body’s endocannabinoid system and is thought to help with things like pain, insomnia and anxiety, though there isn’t currently enough scientific evidence to support these claims.

Is CBD legal in the UK?

CBD is legal in the UK as it doesn’t contain any restricted substances. However, many people become confused between CBD and it’s better known brother, THC, which is a restricted substance.

Both THC and CBD are found in marijuana and other plants in the cannabis family, but CBD doesn’t produce a “high” feeling like THC does, so the government have agreed that CBD is legal in certain doses. Because it can be difficult to separate the two compounds, the UK does allow some room for traces of THC but have set a legal limit of 0.2% in any CBD product. As long as any CBD product for sale contains less than 0.2% THC, it’s legal in the UK.

The products that we offer at Doctor4U contain no THC at all, so you can rest assured that anything you buy from us is guaranteed to be legal.

Will CBD make me feel high?

CBD shouldn’t make you feel high, as it doesn’t produce the same effects as THC.

THC is the illegal substance that’s found in marijuana, and this is what produces the “high” feeling, but CBD has actually been found to block the action of THC on receptors in the brain, meaning that it can’t make you feel high, even if you take a lot of it. This is because it doesn’t contain anywhere near enough THC to have any psychoactive effects.

CBD is used very safely by many people every day, and it wouldn’t be available for general sale if it caused the same type of symptoms that THC can. If you’re still concerned about whether you might feel high or not, you should speak to your local pharmacist or GP before you buy CBD oil.

What are the health benefits of CBD?

At the moment, it’s unclear as to what the exact health benefits of using CBD are, as more research is needed for various conditions before it can be considered as a treatment for any health condition. However, social media sites and online forums are full of anecdotal evidence from people that have tried CBD, claiming that it has helped them with sleep, anxiety, and sometimes even pain, so whilst there aren’t any official health benefits, people are reporting an improvement in their conditions when using CBD.

Some of the benefits that CBD is believed to have include:

• Anxiety relief
• Anti-seizure properties
• Neuroprotective properties
• Pain relief
• Anti-acne
• Anti-inflammatory
• May help with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
• May help with heart health
• Depression relief

It’s important to know that anecdotal evidence online isn’t enough to support scientific claims, and that you shouldn’t stop taking any prescription medication unless your doctor tells to you. For now, CBD is used as a supplement for those that want to try it having heard about the benefits elsewhere.

Do I need a prescription to buy CBD?

No, you don’t need a prescription to buy any CBD products. As it isn’t a restricted medical product, it’s available to buy in shops and online.

CBD comes in many forms, but you don’t need a prescription to buy any of them, including CBD capsules or oils. However, you do need a prescription for medical marijuana, which is currently only prescribed to a handful of people in the UK, but to buy the 1CBD range of products, you don’t need a prescription as they don’t contain any THC and therefore aren’t restricted.

How do I take CBD?

How you take CBD will depend on what kind of CBD product you’re buying, as each of them have different methods of administration.

For CBD edibles such as drinks, gummies and chocolate, you should eat or drink them them as you would with regular drinks, sweets or chocolate. They’re infused with CBD oil, so you should start to feel the effects when the edibles pass through your digestive system.

CBD oil is usually recommended to be taken under the tongue (sublingually) for fastest absorption, but you can also add it to food in order to make your own edibles. You can also swallow CBD oil but it will take longer for you to feel the effects of it, as sublingual administration is one of the fastest ways of getting CBD into your bloodstream.

CBD capsules are usually swallowed whole unless it states otherwise on the box, meaning that they usually take the same amount of time to start working in your body as edibles do, as they’re broken down in the same way, but can often come in higher concentrations than some cannabidiol edibles.

Finally, you can buy topical CBD products which are applied straight to the skin, such as the 1CBD balm that’s available on Doctor4U.

Whichever way you decide to take CBD is up to you. There’s no right or wrong way, and you may find that you prefer some products to others.

How much CBD should I take?

The amount of CBD you take is up to you, as there aren’t any standardised guidelines on how much somebody should take. However, if it’s your first time trying CBD, you might want to start off on a low dose and increase it gradually until you feel a benefit. Where some people might be satisfied with 10mg CBD, others may need 50mg or more, so when it comes to dosing, it’s largely down to you.

If you’re new to CBD, it might help to find a product with a medium dosage, such as the 1CBD silver CBD oil, as you can choose to modify how much you ingest either way. However, you should remember that some forms of CBD can take a while to start working, so you should wait a few hours to see how you feel before deciding to increase your dose.

CBD for Anxiety and Stress

Some people decide to take CBD supplements to see if it relieves some of their anxiety and stress. Many people have taken herbal remedies for mental health problems for years, and CBD seems to be the latest choice.

Whilst more research is needed into using CBD for anxiety and stress, online forums show people that use it for situational anxiety as well as generalised anxiety disorder, sometimes alongside prescription medications.

If you’re thinking of taking CBD for anxiety or stress, it’s important to know that it shouldn’t replace any medicines you’re already taking, and if you find that it doesn’t help, you should speak to your GP, or call a helpline if you’re in crisis.

CBD for Pain Relief

Like those that use CBD for inflammation, there are others that use it for pain relief. Some prefer topical CBD treatments that are rubbed into joints, whilst other prefer to take capsules or oil. Some find that CBD vape liquid also helps with pain relief, but again, all of these findings are anecdotal.

Whilst it looks promising from online forums, studies are needed to look into whether CBD has any benefits when it comes to pain management.

If you’d like to try CBD for pain relief, you can choose from the range of products on Doctor4U. If you’re concerned about trying CBD for the first time, speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice on whether it would be safe for you to take.

CBD for Inflammation

It’s thought that CBD may help to reduce inflammation, but at the moment, there isn’t enough scientific or medical evidence to support this in humans.

However, some people find that using a topical balm on an inflamed area, or using CBD oil or vape liquid for chronic pain helps to relieve some of their symptoms. Unfortunately, this is based mostly on anecdotal evidence, but CBD can be used safely alongside traditional painkillers for inflammation such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

CBD to Sleep Better

It’s believed that CBD can work on serotonin receptors in the brain, which can help when it comes to regulating sleep.

Whilst it doesn’t tell your body that it’s time to go to sleep like Circadin does, it’s thought that is CBD does help to aid a restful sleep, it may be because of the relaxation properties that it’s believed to have.

CBD side effects

CBD is an extremely well-tolerated substance that doesn’t usually produce any adverse effects when taken at your optimal dose, but it still has the potential to cause some side effects.

Some of the most commonly reported symptoms associated with CBD include:

• Dry mouth
• Low blood pressure
• Light headedness
• Drowsiness
• Diarrhoea

Luckily, side effects are rare, and usually easy to deal with if you do experience them, but it’s important to know that if you experience any of these adverse effects, they may be purely coincidental, but you should always seek advice from a medical professional if you become unwell after starting CBD, even if your doctor said that it’s safe for you to try.

How long does CBD take to work?

The amount of time that it takes for CBD to start working in your body depends on several things, such as your weight, height, tolerance, underlying conditions and any medications that you might be taking, as well as your method of ingestion.

Generally speaking, CBD that’s taken as an edible or capsule may take up to 3 hours to start working, as it needs to be broken down in the digestive system before reaching your bloodstream. However, if you vape with CBD liquid, or use oil sublingually, it should start working much faster as these methods of administration are much quicker.

Sometimes, it might take a few days of taking CBD products for you to notice any difference, and not everyone does experience a benefit, but if you don’t feel any effects after your first try, it might just take a while to build up in your system.