CBD has quickly taken the public by storm and with headlines buzzing with its  benefits, many people have started taking CBD for these potential possibilities  it makes sense that CBD has taken the wellness world by storm! But if you’re like me, you still have questions-Is CBD really marijuana? Is it safe? How do you use it? Well, keep reading for a quick CBD 101. 

What Exactly Is CBD? 

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound found in the cannabis plants. “The cannabis plant has about 100 different chemical compounds in it called cannabinoids,” says Peter Grinspoon, M.D. in his book, Free Refills. He is an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Boston-based primary care physician. “The most well-known of these is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol—the one that gets you high. The second most well-known is CBD which, by itself, will not get you high.”

There are two main plant sources from which CBD can be extracted: marijuana and hemp. Both plants are part of the cannabis sativa family. However, there are far greater amounts of CBD found in hemp and negligible amounts of THC (less than 0.3 %) versus as much as 30% THC in marijuana.

How Does CBD Work? 

To understand how CBD works, you need a little background on the body's endocannabinoid system, or ECS. This system is essentially a network of receptors that helps power your immune system and regulate hormones along with a variety of brain functions, like recognizing and responding to pain.

When CBD cannabinoids enter the body, they can bind to various ECS receptors and activate them to produce therapeutic effects, like lower anxiety or decreased inflammation. CBD can also affect the release of certain chemicals in the body's ion channels and enhance or block the binding of certain receptors.a certain way, Dr. Grinspoon uses this analogy to sum it up: “It works sort of like a lock and key. When you put the key (CBD) in the lock (receptors in body), it can unlock various chemical effects.”

Benefits of Using CBD

For many, using CBD is various forms can help with numerous complaints. " Martin Lee, author of "Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana—Medical, Recreational, and Scientific", and co-founder and director of Project CBD tells us. Of course, people’s reactions to CBD will vary depending on what you are treating and what the product is being used for. CBD is an adaptive molecule that will respond to every person’s body differently. 

Like anything you’d put in or on your body, be a conscious consumer the same way you would be when buying food. Read labels. If you see something you don't understand, research it before you buy it. Urth CBD offers testing results for every batch of its full spectrum CBD oil. If you want a guarantee that what you are purchasing is truly CBD then I suggest purchasing from a trusted site.