Simply put, cannabinoids are natural occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant. 

Research has identified 144 different cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, all with differing molecular structures and healing properties.  The two main cannabinoids are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Other cannabinoids commonly found in full-spectrum CBD oil include THCa, CBDa, CBC, CBG, and CBN.

Endocannabinoids are human-made cannabinoids, being cannabinoids made by our bodies.  The two main Endocannabinoids are called Anandamide and 2-AG.

You may also hear the term phytocannabinoid.  ‘Phyto’ means plant made, so phytocannabinoids are simply plant made cannabinoids such as CBD.

Cannabinoids interact with our Endocannabinoid System.

You will likely receive detailed instructions regarding the use of CBD by your consulting doctor.  Here’s some general information to help.

CBD around the world is available in many forms, including oils, edibles, balms, inhalation and a range of other delivery methods.  This FAQ refers to the use of CBD oil.

The most common ways to use CBD oil are oral, sublingual and topical methods. 

CBD oil orally is simply swallowing the oil.  This method is not as effective as the sublingual method.

Sublingual use of CBD oil is the process of placing the oil under your tongue and allowing it sufficient time for the oil to diffuse through the surrounding tissue and into your bloodstream, which differs from regular oral consumption. The desired dose of CBD oil is placed under the tongue and held for at least 90-120 seconds, allowing sufficient time for the oil to diffuse across the epithelial cells.  It’s important to note that the oil must be held under the tongue; different areas of the mouth have different types of cells which may not allow diffusion into the bloodstream.

Sublingual application is the most effective way to take CBD oil due to its bioavailability. The term bioavailability refers to how much of a substance can be utilized by the body.  Sublingual application of CBD bypasses the metabolic process of digestion, meaning far less of the CBD is lost through digestion. Further, bypassing the slow digestion process means that the effects of CBD can be experienced much faster.

When used topically, a small amount of oil (a number of drops) should be dropped onto the affected area and lightly massaged into the skin. Topical use of CBD is helpful for things like pain, inflammation, sore muscles, headaches, tick bites, and skin conditions like acne.

Your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is an internal system critical for almost every aspect of our moment-to-moment functioning.  The human ECS is a vast internal biological system made up of chemical signals (endocannabinoids, being cannabinoids produced by our bodies) and cell receptors densely packed throughout our brains and bodies. Together these help regulate and maintain homeostasis (or balance) within your body.  

Every living human body naturally produces molecules called endocannabinoids, similar to CBD.  One is called Anandamide and is believed to be responsible for the ‘runner’s high’.   The scientific community named the molecule  “Anandamide” which is Sanskrit for bliss, a word suggestive of its mood-altering effects.

Endocannabinoids interact with cannabinoid cell receptors in your ECS, the two main types being:

• CB1 Receptors: located in the brain and central nervous system, in particular the midbrain and spinal cord regions that are responsible for pain perception; and
• CB2 Receptors: located in the peripheral nervous system (including immune cells).

Harvard Medical School reports that the “cannabinoid” receptors in the brain — the CB1 receptors — outnumber many of the other receptor types on the brain.

So how does this system work? Endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids such as CBD bind to the CB1 and CB2 cell receptors in the body and match up like a lock & key. When this happens, it is believed that they stimulate the cell receptor signalling that the ECS needs to take action, modulating things like pain, inflammation, mood, movement and sleep.  

CBD is a phyto-cannabinoid, meaning plant-made.  CBD, much like our human-made cannabinoids, activates the ECS and helps get your body back into balance, or homeostasis as it’s called.

There are three main types of CBD oil that you might hear about, including full-spectrum broad-spectrum, CBD Isolate.

The difference between full-spectrum broad-spectrum, CBD isolate is largely  the cannabinoid content found in each of the products. Modern science has isolated and identified 144 different cannabinoids  within the cannabis plant.

Full-spectrum CBD oil contains all of the cannabinoids (including THC) and other plant compounds that can be extracted from the plant, including terpenes, flavonoids, proteins, fibre and a host of essential vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals.  The extraction process used with full-spectrum CBD is designed so that none of the cannabinoids and other compounds of the plant have been removed. Full spectrum CBD does contain THC (the cannabinoid best known for getting people high), however there are only trace elements of THC in full-spectrum CBD oil, not enough THC to get you high. 

Broad-spectrum CBD also contains most of the cannabinoids and other plant compounds, however broad-spectrum CBD goes through an additional process to remove the THC. 

CBD isolate is precisely what the name implies: the purest form of CBD.

The process to obtain CBD isolate follows the same route as full-spectrum CBD, with the addition of some extra processing steps in order to isolate CBD from the rest of the plant extracts.

Simply put, The Entourage Effect is the theory that all compounds in cannabis (such as cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids) work synergistically together,  and the interaction between all of the compounds come together to produce a better effect than when taken alone.

The term ‘entourage effect’ came into existence in the 1990s by a group of Israeli researchers that were pivotal in research into the human Endocannabinoid System and how cannabinoids enhance and complement each other.

Each individual component of the cannabis plant has its own healing properties. When combined, the components of the plant have a greater effect when working together compared with each individual component alone.

Think about a sports team. Each player may have great skills as an individual and their talent can operate in isolation.  However an individual player can have an entirely different impact when combined with other players in the team.

Simply put, cannabinoids are natural occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant. 

Research has identified 144 different cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, all with differing molecular structures and healing properties.  The two main cannabinoids are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Other cannabinoids commonly found in full-spectrum CBD oil include THCa, CBDa, CBC, CBG, and CBN.

Endocannabinoids are human-made cannabinoids, being cannabinoids made by our bodies.  The two main Endocannabinoids are called Anandamide and 2-AG.

You may also hear the term phytocannabinoid.  ‘Phyto’ means plant made, so phytocannabinoids are simply plant made cannabinoids such as CBD.

Cannabinoids interact with our Endocannabinoid System.

You will likely receive detailed instructions regarding the use of CBD by your consulting doctor.  Here’s some general information to help.

CBD around the world is available in many forms, including oils, edibles, balms, inhalation and a range of other delivery methods.  This FAQ refers to the use of CBD oil.

The most common ways to use CBD oil are oral, sublingual and topical methods. 

CBD oil orally is simply swallowing the oil.  This method is not as effective as the sublingual method.

Sublingual use of CBD oil is the process of placing the oil under your tongue and allowing it sufficient time for the oil to diffuse through the surrounding tissue and into your bloodstream, which differs from regular oral consumption. The desired dose of CBD oil is placed under the tongue and held for at least 90-120 seconds, allowing sufficient time for the oil to diffuse across the epithelial cells.  It’s important to note that the oil must be held under the tongue; different areas of the mouth have different types of cells which may not allow diffusion into the bloodstream.

Sublingual application is the most effective way to take CBD oil due to its bioavailability. The term bioavailability refers to how much of a substance can be utilized by the body.  Sublingual application of CBD bypasses the metabolic process of digestion, meaning far less of the CBD is lost through digestion. Further, bypassing the slow digestion process means that the effects of CBD can be experienced much faster.

When used topically, a small amount of oil (a number of drops) should be dropped onto the affected area and lightly massaged into the skin. Topical use of CBD is helpful for things like pain, inflammation, sore muscles, headaches, tick bites, and skin conditions like acne.

Your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is an internal system critical for almost every aspect of our moment-to-moment functioning.  The human ECS is a vast internal biological system made up of chemical signals (endocannabinoids, being cannabinoids produced by our bodies) and cell receptors densely packed throughout our brains and bodies. Together these help regulate and maintain homeostasis (or balance) within your body.  

Every living human body naturally produces molecules called endocannabinoids, similar to CBD.  One is called Anandamide and is believed to be responsible for the ‘runner’s high’.   The scientific community named the molecule  “Anandamide” which is Sanskrit for bliss, a word suggestive of its mood-altering effects.

Endocannabinoids interact with cannabinoid cell receptors in your ECS, the two main types being:

• CB1 Receptors: located in the brain and central nervous system, in particular the midbrain and spinal cord regions that are responsible for pain perception; and
• CB2 Receptors: located in the peripheral nervous system (including immune cells).

Harvard Medical School reports that the “cannabinoid” receptors in the brain — the CB1 receptors — outnumber many of the other receptor types on the brain.

So how does this system work? Endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids such as CBD bind to the CB1 and CB2 cell receptors in the body and match up like a lock & key. When this happens, it is believed that they stimulate the cell receptor signalling that the ECS needs to take action, modulating things like pain, inflammation, mood, movement and sleep.  

CBD is a phyto-cannabinoid, meaning plant-made.  CBD, much like our human-made cannabinoids, activates the ECS and helps get your body back into balance, or homeostasis as it’s called.

There are three main types of CBD oil that you might hear about, including full-spectrum broad-spectrum, CBD Isolate.

The difference between full-spectrum broad-spectrum, CBD isolate is largely  the cannabinoid content found in each of the products. Modern science has isolated and identified 144 different cannabinoids  within the cannabis plant.

Full-spectrum CBD oil contains all of the cannabinoids (including THC) and other plant compounds that can be extracted from the plant, including terpenes, flavonoids, proteins, fibre and a host of essential vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals.  The extraction process used with full-spectrum CBD is designed so that none of the cannabinoids and other compounds of the plant have been removed. Full spectrum CBD does contain THC (the cannabinoid best known for getting people high), however there are only trace elements of THC in full-spectrum CBD oil, not enough THC to get you high. 

Broad-spectrum CBD also contains most of the cannabinoids and other plant compounds, however broad-spectrum CBD goes through an additional process to remove the THC. 

CBD isolate is precisely what the name implies: the purest form of CBD.

The process to obtain CBD isolate follows the same route as full-spectrum CBD, with the addition of some extra processing steps in order to isolate CBD from the rest of the plant extracts.

Simply put, The Entourage Effect is the theory that all compounds in cannabis (such as cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids) work synergistically together,  and the interaction between all of the compounds come together to produce a better effect than when taken alone.

The term ‘entourage effect’ came into existence in the 1990s by a group of Israeli researchers that were pivotal in research into the human Endocannabinoid System and how cannabinoids enhance and complement each other.

Each individual component of the cannabis plant has its own healing properties. When combined, the components of the plant have a greater effect when working together compared with each individual component alone.

Think about a sports team. Each player may have great skills as an individual and their talent can operate in isolation.  However an individual player can have an entirely different impact when combined with other players in the team.