Over the past couple years, cannabidiol (CBD) brands have grown exponentially. The market has been flooded with a lot of mass produced, white labeled products. Meaning, many of the products are the same, but just have different labels. Marketing and product claims (truthful ones or not) are the main points of differentiation as many brands entered the CBD space chasing the money, not for the wellness.
To me, this is not ok. We founded Vitalibis to provide the highest quality CBD products we could formulate. No brokers, no wholesale agents – we built our supply chain by working directly with the farmers, extractors, testing labs and contract manufacturers. Full trace-ability and transparency.
What we learned along the way was, the CBD industry was full of misinformation and shady people. The result was a confused customer who lacked trust. At Vitalibis, we quickly pivoted our strategies and placed a priority on education. One of the main topics we discuss is that CBD is not a product – it is a category of products. Let me explain.
Let’s use wine as a parallel. When you go to a restaurant, you don’t ask for a glass of wine. There are options, white, red, rose – Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot, Merlot, Riesling, etc. Sophisticated wine connoisseurs understand the best years, regions and varietals.
CBD products have their own variations: CBD Isolate, Broad Spectrum, Full Spectrum. What hemp strains were used? What extraction method was used? What’s the potency per dose? What carrier oil was used? What form is the product (e.g., sublingual oil, gummy, soft gel, topical cream, etc.) because that impacts how much is most likely absorbed by the body and how long it might take for you to feel the effects?
But even before a consumer dives into the different options available to them, we first must answer three main questions.
- Will CBD get me high?
- Will I fail a drug test?
- How does CBD help with wellness?
The first question: CBD does not get you high. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of many naturally occurring cannabinoids within hemp and it does not possess any psychoactive properties. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is another well-known cannabinoid. THC is the only element in the hemp plant which causes the high and only exists after decarboxylation. In full spectrum, phytocannabinoid rich hemp extract oils, the THC level is below .3%.
That leads to the second question: full spectrum oils do contain trace amounts of THC so depending on the potency of the product you’re taking, you could fail a drug test. Even Broad Spectrum branded oils may contain trace amounts of THC, so to be safe when worried about a drug test, you should look to CBD isolate products. Now, CBD isolate does not have the same wellness benefits as a full spectrum oil, so there is a trade off.
Then comes the third question: how does CBD help with wellness? Inside your body is an essential system called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which includes cell receptors throughout your body. The overarching purpose of this system is to create homeostasis or balance. If your ECS is deficient you can manifest into a variety of ailments – anxiety, sleep issues, nausea, pain, etc. You can support your ECS with healthy living choices such as minimizing stress, exercising frequently, eating a healthy diet and supplementing it with a full spectrum phytocannabinoid rich hemp extract oil. Full spectrum hemp extract oils contain all the beneficial elements of the plant, including many cannabinoids and terpenes. When properly managed, your ECS can help support healthy sleep cycles, help manage stress, bring about a sense of calmness and help address discomfort.
There are many differences in CBD products, along with their quality and safety. We believe premium CBD products have tremendous wellness benefits, however CBD products are not all the same. Understanding what you put into your body is important for maximizing your personal wellness goals.
About The Author
Steve Raack is the CEO / Co-Founder of Vitalibis, a socially conscious CBD health and wellness brand. Steve started Vitalibis because his daughter Julia benefited greatly from CBD, but he knew he could provide a high quality, safer full spectrum oil than what we on the market. Steve has strong strategy and operations experience and has worked with industry leading companies such as Beautycounter, Arbonne, Herbalife, Sony Pictures Entertainment, EDS and Anderson Consultin.