CBD oil is made of CBD and other natural ingredients. CBD is short for cannabidiol. It’s one of 60 + unique cannabinoid compounds that occur naturally within the hemp plant. Hemp produces mostly CBD, but produces many other cannabinoids. The words in the CBD industry can be quite confusing (many are very similar). Paisley Ox CBD created this guide to help you understand exactly what you are purchasing and using.
CBD is legal in all 50 states in the US and is safe to use. It is a non-addictive and non-psychoactive substance, meaning that it does not act on our neural pathways the way THC can. But there is one important caveat… some CBD contains the legal amount of the natural cannabinoid THC. Paisley Ox CBD will tell you what other sellers will not. We want you to make an informed purchasing decision. You will find that Paisley Ox is the most transparent seller on the market. More on this below.
2. The main differences between Hemp oil and CBD oil
3. Full Spectrum vs. Broad Spectrum vs. Pure Isolate
Pure Isolate
Broad Spectrum
This form contains all cannabinoids produced by hemp except THC.
Full Spectrum
4. Terpenes
Hemp naturally produces terpenes along with many other plants (and some insects!). Research shows that they have a synergistic quality when added to CBD and other cannabinoids called the Entourage Effect. This means they boost the benefit of cannabis products. This can be especially helpful when using a product that does not contain THC. There are different types of Terpenes, and they vary in their effect. Some terpenes such as Limonene can improve mood and decrease stress. Other terpenes such as Myrcene can help with sleep.
Terpenes give products their distinctive smell and flavor. In nature, terpenes help protect cannabis plants such as hemp by deterring insects that could destroy crops.
5. Health Benefits (antioxidant properties, etc.)
CBD has many, many health benefits. Often, these benefits reduce (or drop) the need for prescription medications. CBD is well known for reducing pain. Topical CBD products like Paisley Ox Pain Freeze make CBD easy to apply to muscles and ligaments. Roll on products make it is especially nice for massaging out tight knots in muscles. Tinctures of CBD oil can help with anxiety and insomnia as well as improve mood and decrease pain.
6. CBD hemp oil for pain
As stated above, CBD from hemp oil is probably most known for its ability to reduce pain. This is actually what piqued my interest in CBD as a neurologist. Patients were coming to me asking about CBD and telling me their success stories. Given the limited number of options at my disposal for pain reduction, studying CBD seemed the logical (and responsible) thing to do for my patients and myself. There are many, many research studies that demonstrate the benefits of CBD for pain. A quick Google search will show this. An article published in 2008 by Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management states that “Cannabinoid analgesics have generally been well tolerated in clinical trials with acceptable adverse event profiles. Their adjunctive addition to the pharmacological armamentarium for treatment of pain shows great promise.” So, the pain relieving (and anti-inflammatory) properties of CBD have been well known for quite some time.
7. Seizures and CBD Oil
While the use of CBC oil (and THC) for seizures has been verified, it is important to understand that CBD oil purchased online and in shops has not been shown useful for this particular diagnosis. This is due to the absolute grams of CBD in the product. The CBD formulations produced and modified for epilepsy by pharmaceutical companies contain much, much higher levels of CBD. So it would not be wise to ditch your prescribed seizure medications in an attempt to treat your seizures naturally with over-the-counter CBD oil.
8. ADHD
I have found CBD oil to be a nice adjunct to regular medications for mild to moderate ADD in adults. In some cases, it seems to reduce symptoms of ADD without the combined use of stimulants whatsoever. If you are looking for a safer way to manage ADHD as your first line of treatment, I would definitely suggest you consider CBD; in particular, CBD with terpenes known for helping ADHD. Of course, this would depend on your particular set of circumstances. (For example, if you are about to be fired because you can’t focus; you may need a prescription medication- and fast). In this case, CBD with terpenes such as the ones that improve focus would be my suggestion. Limonene is an example of a terpene that has been associated with increased focus and energy.
9. CBD oil for migraines
Migraine prevention
As a neurologist (and a migraine sufferer), the potential for CBD to help migraines is of special interest to me. The anti-inflammatory properties seem to be the main property of CBD that can reduce the severity of migraines. If taken regularly, these anti-inflammatory properties along with the anti-oxidant properties can come into play. As with most supplements used to treat chronic conditions (such as magnesium or riboflavin for migraines), it would be best to take CBD regularly for a full three months to allow time for the full benefit of the supplement. Read the Paisley Ox CBD dosage guide to decide which dose is right for you. Then I would suggest a Full Spectrum CBD as my first choice for migraine preventative treatment. If Full Spectrum is not the right choice for you, my second choice for migraine prevention would be a Broad Spectrum CBD with Terpenes.
Research trials for CBD and migraines
On study completed in Amsterdam and reported at the 3rd congress of the European Academy of Neurology in 2017 showed that a combo research product of THC+ CBD out performed common migraine preventative medications amitriptyline and verapamil when taken regularly. However, to see the drop in migraine frequency of 55%, the amount of THC in this clinical trial was far higher than one would find in a full spectrum CBD product. Not that everyone requires a high ratio of THC to CBD for benefit, as some of us are sensitive to medications and supplements. I point this out because some CBD sites out there reference this trial to sell products, but they do not provide all the relevant information.
CBD oil and stopping a migraine (rescue/abortive treatment)
For abortive treatment, I have found topical CBD to be helpful. I see a lot of patients in my office with “cervicogenic headaches” that trigger their migraines. This means that their tension starts at the back of the neck, shoulders or at the base of the skull and radiate to the temples or forehead. Often, application of the topical during the tight muscle phase can reduce the risk of neck tension triggering a migraine. I use the Paisley Ox CBD Pain Freeze on my neck, shoulders, and my temples. The cooling effect alone is very nice. The roller allows a massage type motion when applying the product.