Medically reviewed by
Dr. John Rackham
Written by Michael Wright
Updated on August 15th, 2023
Over the past decade, CBD (cannabidiol) has grown from a fringe supplement, only used by those in the know, to one of the most popular health products on the market today. From major grocery and drug store chains to local specialty shops and, of course, online stores, it seems like CBD products for minor pain, sleep, calming, and other applications are popping up everywhere. An April 2020 poll[1] showed that one-third of all Americans have tried CBD, and that number has grown substantially over the past year. The reason CBD has become so popular is that it has proven, time and again, to have shown several health benefits for millions of users.**
Let’s take a look at why people take CBD.
What Does the FDA Say About CBD?
Though the cultivation, production, and sale of cannabis hemp-related products (such as CBD oil tinctures) was approved on a national level in 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been slow in approving its medicinal use, even for sleep or pain management. This is, in part, a result of the federal government restricting the use of all cannabis products beginning in the 1930s, inexplicably lumping hemp in with marijuana. This was done despite the fact that hemp-derived CBD oil has none of the intoxicating effects associated with THC-heavy marijuana.
With hemp production placed on the sideline for decades, the study of its medicinal properties and effects fell by the wayside. The discovery of the body’s endocannabinoid system kick-started scientific study of the effects of CBD in earnest during the 1990s. CBD is currently under review with the FDA, but has not been approved for medical use to this point.
Here are some of the most commonly noted benefits of CBD.
CBD for Minor Pain Relief
Some of the most popular applications of CBD for mild pain relief include CBD topicals, such as CBD Creams and CBD Balms, which may provide localized relief to aches and pains in the muscles and joints.** Simply rub your cream or balm into the area where you’re experiencing pain or achiness, and feel the therapeutic effects of soothing CBD oil as it works its way through the layers of your skin, down to the affected tissues.
These CBD pain products have become a gym-bag must for many runners, hikers, and workout warriors, as well as folks with everyday physical discomfort.
CBD for Stress
Life in the 21st century is a buzzsaw of pressure from work, family, and the post-pandemic world around us. Stress is at an all-time high. So, it’s no surprise that many people are turning to CBD for its relaxing effects on their nerves, helping them to negotiate the stressors in their lives with a better ease of mind.**
CBD calming products come in a variety of forms. For quick relief, when a stressful situation pops up out of nowhere, we recommend a CBD oil tincture. When CBD is taken sublingually, it enters the bloodstream quicker and you can feel its effects within a few minutes. For more general stress relief, we recommend edibles, such as CBD gummies or CBD capsules. These take a bit longer to work their way into your bloodstream (ranging from 20 minutes to two hours), because they must first pass through your digestive system, but their effects are longer lasting.
CBD for General Wellness
As mentioned, CBD supports the body’s endocannabinoid system.** Through its interaction with the ECS, CBD use may promote homeostasis or balance in our body’s processes, as well. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of over 100 chemical compounds found in the cannabis hemp plant, called cannabinoids. When consumed, these plant-based cannabinoids (or phytocannabinoids) interact with the endocannabinoid system, bolstering its support of other systems in the body, including the central and peripheral nervous systems. In doing so, it assists the body with such crucial functions as mood, memory, pain management, and many others.** So, as general wellness support goes, it’s hard to find a supplement as effective in such a wide range of areas as CBD.
CBD for Sleep
One of the most popular uses of CBD is as a calming ingredient in sleep aids. CBD sleep aids are incredibly popular because they may help the body to relax and get to sleep quickly, and then remain restful throughout the night, with little or no interruptions.** Pharmaceutical sleep aids and over-the-counter sleeping pills can often have harmful side effects, including dizziness, constipation and daytime drowsiness. Many people turn to CBD as a natural way to get those crucial eight hours of shuteye, with no sleeping pill “hangover” the next day.
To make these CBD sleep products more effective, CBD is often paired with other restful ingredients, including CBN, “the ultimate relaxation cannabinoid,” or melatonin. If you’re looking for the best CBD gummies for sleep, our CBD Gummies with Melatonin combine 50mg of calming CBD with a full 5mg dose of melatonin. If you’d like to pair CBD and CBN to experience the famous Entourage Effect, our CBD + CBN Night Capsules are just the ticket. And for the full force of CBD, CBN and melatonin, all in one blissful blast, try our CBD Oil Sleep Tincture.
CBD for Pets
Humans aren’t the only ones who can benefit from CBD. All mammals have an endocannabinoid system, including cats and dogs. And so, the potential for wellness benefits in pets from CBD is as great as it is for us.** CBD products for pets are popular among cat and dog parents for their effects on a number of concerns, including stress, everyday joint and mobility issues, and skin care.**
CBD oil tinctures for pets are an effective way to give your furry friend calming wellness. These hemp-derived tinctures are available in a CBD cat tincture and a CBD dog tincture, which comes in a variety of strengths based on the size of your dog: including small breeds, medium breeds, large breeds, and our extra-strength formula for large dogs. CBD pet treats come in formulations for calming your dog’s stress, as well as joint and mobility. And our CBD Dog Treats: Skin Health Chews are great for helping your dog keep a healthy coat. Whatever your pet’s need, we’ve got the perfect CBD pet product for you and your BFF.
A Note on Quality and the Best CBD Brands
The effectiveness of your CBD in any of these areas of need relies largely on the quality of your CBD product. If you don’t have quality, organic, cleanly extracted CBD in your product, you just won’t see the results you’re looking for.
A recent study[15] showed that a quarter of CBD products purchased contain less CBD than promised by the manufacturer. And a separate study[16] showed that nearly 70% of cannabidiol products sold online are mislabeled. Clearly, there are some shady CBD brands out there, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Once hemp cultivation, production, and sales were made legal at the national level, there was a stampede of pop-up brands, all looking to grab a piece of the market pie. While a few did things the right way, with safe organic cultivation and clean extraction, many took shortcuts and, as a result, there are a lot of underdosed or unsafe products out on the market.
We understand that, when you’re shopping for CBD — be it for minor pain, sleep, or just a good, old-fashioned “chill session” — you expect to get what you’re paying for: a quality CBD product. That’s why, at CBDfx, we grow only organic, non-GMO hemp, farmed right here in the U.S.A., in the great state of Kentucky. As a consumer, you should insist on American-made CBD products, because the U.S. has much stricter quality guidelines than most
countries. If your CBD is imported (as is the case with many cheaper brands), there’s a good chance it will be less potent and potentially contain pesticides and other harmful substances. Because hemp is a bioaccumulator, meaning it sucks up all of the substances in the soil surrounding it, it is certain to pick up harmful chemicals in the soil if they are there.
Another place where the quality of your CBD can be compromised is in the extraction process. Cheaper methods, such as solvent extraction, can be less effective in pulling all of the cannabinoids out of the hemp buds, leaves, and stalks, while leaving behind potentially harmful chemicals, like butane. Reputable companies use clean, efficient CO2 extraction. This process ensures that you get the most from your hemp oil with no possibility of contamination.
Every reputable CBD company will supply you with a third-party lab report. This report will show you the exact amount of CBD and other cannabinoids in your product, so you know that you are getting the serving amount that you have been promised. A lab report should also show you all of the things that should not be in your product, such as pesticides, heavy metals, and other harmful substances. CBDfx believes in complete transparency and provides access to third-party lab reports on all of our products — with a link right on the front page of our website.
- Uncredited. “The 2020 CBD Survey.” SingleCare, https://www.singlecare.com/blog/cbd-survey/. 20 April 2020.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Farm Bill.” https://www.usda.gov/farmbill. 20 December 2018.
- Uncredited. “The Discovery of the Endocannabinoid System: Centuries in the Making.” International League Against Epilepsy, https://www.newswise.com/articles/the-discovery-of-the-endocannabinoid-system-centuries-in-the-making. 27 January 2019.
- Manzanares, J.; Julian, M.D.; and Carrascosa, A. “Role of the Cannabinoid System in Pain Control and Therapeutic Implications for the Management of Acute and Chronic Pain Episodes.” Current Neuropharmacology, https://www.eurekaselect.com/56504/article. July 2006.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD).” https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd. Content current as of 22 January 2021.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Warning Letters and Test Results for Cannabidiol-Related Products.” https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/warning-letters-and-test-results-cannabidiol-related-products. Content current as of 22 March 2021.
- Raypole, Crystal. “A Simple Guide to the Endocannabinoid System.” Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/health/endocannabinoid-system. 17 May 2019.
- Vuckovic, Sonja; Srebro, Dragana; Vujovic, Katarina Savic; Vucetic, Cedomir; Prostran, Milica. “Cannabinoids and Pain: New Insights From Old Molecules.” Frontiers in Pharmacology, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.01259/full. 13 November 2018.
- Uncredited. “One Year On: Unhealthy Weight Gains, Increased Drinking Reported by Americans Coping With Pandemic Stress.” American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/03/one-year-pandemic-stress. 11 March 2021.
- Mastroianni, Brian. “More Stressed Than Ever Since COVID-19 Started? You’re Not Alone.” Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/health-news/people-feeling-more-stress-now-than-any-point-since-the-pandemic-began. 5 February 2021.
- Moltke, Julie and Hindocha, Chandni. “Reasons for Cannabidiol Use: A Cross-sectional Study of CBD Users, Focusing on Self-perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Problems.” Journal of Cannabis Research, https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00061-5. 18 February 2021.
- Watson, Stephanie and Cherney, Kristeen. “The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body.” Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body. 15 May 2020.
- Uncredited. “Understanding the Side Effects of Sleeping Pills.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/understanding-the-side-effects-of-sleeping-pills. 26 October 2020.
- Breus, Michael J. “How CBD Can Improve Your Sleep, Mood, and Health.” Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201903/how-cbn-can-improve-your-sleep-mood-and-health. 21 March 2019.
- Bauer, Brent A. “What Are the Benefits of CBD — And Is It Safe to Use?” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/is-cbd-safe-and-effective/faq-20446700. 18 December 2020.
- Uncredited. “Penn Study Shows Nearly 70 Percent of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online Are Mislabeled.” Penn Medicine News, https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2017/november/penn-study-shows-nearly-70-percent-of-cannabidiol-extracts-sold-online-are-mislabeled. 7 November 2017.
- Leonard, Andrew. “Can Hemp Clean Up the Earth?” Rolling Stone, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/can-hemp-clean-up-the-earth-629589/. 11 June 2018.
