In the years since it first appeared online, CBD has taken on nearly legendary status. Stigma against CBD may have all but disappeared, but some of the silly misconceptions from that time are still at large.
What’s true about the cannabinoid, and which things you’ve heard about CBD might be all made up? In this guide, we’ll get to the bottom of 10 myths still causing confusion within the CBD industry today.
1. CBD Causes Intoxication
In the early days of the CBD industry, the lack of widespread information made it hard for the average person to separate this new cannabinoid from THC. All that was apparent was that both cannabinoids came from the same plant: Marijuana, which everyone knew causes intoxication.
The simple truth, though, is that CBD will not get you high no matter how much you use. THC and CBD affect entirely different systems of neuroreceptors in the brain, resulting in effects so different it’s incredible the two substances came from the same plant.
Instead of causing the intoxication associated with THC, CBD makes you feel lightly relaxed and may even make you a little sleepy. Notably absent are the intense changes of mood and perception that commonly occur when THC is used.
2. CBD Has No Psychoactive Properties
Like the heads of the Hydra, in the effort to slay one CBD myth, another was born. Early adopters of CBD were so intent on disproving its intoxicating properties that they often referred to the cannabinoid as “non-psychoactive.”
This statement is false, however. CBD clearly fits the classical definition of “psychoactive,” meaning a substance that affects the human nervous system and psyche.
The difference between CBD’s and THC’s psychoactivity is considerable, but both cannabinoids are undeniably psychoactive. CBD will not make you feel high, but it may subtly change your mood, a key sign of psychoactivity.
3. CBD Has Addictive Properties
Even if CBD doesn’t get you high, it shares the addictive qualities of THC, correct? Wrong.
The scientific literature is unanimous that CBD has no potential to be habit-forming and that it may actually help with addictions to other substances. Again, the stark dissimilarity of the cannabinoid versus THC could not be more apparent.
CBD has been investigated for its ability to help with addictions to nicotine, opioids, and other habit-forming substances. For those still avoiding CBD due to the fear that it is addictive, it’s important to recognize that this CBD myth is among the most absurd.
4. CBD Is Federally Banned
Since the days it first became popular on the internet, claims that CBD has been or is about to be banned have been as common as they have been baseless. To be perfectly clear, there is no “federal ban against CBD” or anything of the kind.
On the contrary, the US federal government has only made CBD more legal over time. First, there was the 2014 Agricultural Act, which created the “loophole” through which CBD initially became popular online. Then, there was the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, which removed CBD from the federal definition of “marijuana.”
Since then, the DEA has issued a series of Final Rules and other communications indicating its intention to generally only view delta-9 THC as the illegal drug “marijuana.” So, not only is CBD not federally banned, but it has also been scrubbed of connections with THC.
5. CBD Is Only Legal in Cannabis-Friendly States
When the federal government makes a decision, that decision affects the entire country. Nonetheless, there’s still a misconception that CBD products are only legal (or fully legal) in states that have adopted either medical-use or adult-use cannabis laws.
However, many state cannabis laws do not mention CBD at all. It is generally understood that CBD has been sorted out well enough as a federal issue that it doesn’t need to play a considerable role in state politics.
Plus, CBD is non-intoxicating and appears to be essentially harmless. The inherent properties of the cannabinoid, therefore, remove many of the incentives for cracking down on THC use.
6. CBD Can Only Be Sold By Doctors
If they don’t believe CBD can only be sold in cannabis-friendly states, people who don’t know a lot about CBD may think it can only be sold with a doctor’s prescription. This myth is just as erroneous as the others, but it has a core of truth.
There is, in fact, a prescription form of CBD: Epidiolex. The fact that Epidiolex is sold as a prescription pharmaceutical does not have any bearing on CBD being removed from the Controlled Substances Act by the 2018 Farm Bill, though, so other forms of CBD are still sold. No states in the nation require that you buy CBD from a doctor.
7. You Have to Be a Certain Age to Buy CBD
Contrary to popular belief, there is no federal age requirement for selling CBD. Companies like ours that ask your age before you shop generally do so as a courtesy and also as a nod to potential legislation that may one day impose CBD age requirements. Unlike nicotine, tobacco, and other federally controlled substances, CBD is not controlled behind an age limit.
8. CBD and Hemp Are the Same Thing
CBD comes from hemp, but logic tells us that’s not the same thing as saying hemp is always CBD. Many parts of the hemp plant don’t contain any cannabinoids at all, actually, such as the seeds, which are nonetheless very nutrient-rich. So, don’t assume a product contains CBD just because it is labeled as “hemp.”
9. CBD Won’t Make You Fail a Drug Test
CBD products certainly have the potential to make you fail a drug test, but not all of them. Federally, CBD is required to contain less than 0.3% THC, which seems like a tiny amount but is still small enough to cause a positive result in urinalysis or other forms of drug testing.
If you use enough CBD products containing trace amounts of THC over a short enough time frame, sufficiently detectable quantities of THC could accumulate in your body’s tissues. That’s why it’s always a good idea to choose THC-free CBD if drug testing is an issue.
10. All CBD Products Are the Same
CBD is CBD, but this simple cannabinoid can be formulated into products in nearly an infinite number of ways. Perhaps most importantly, CBD can be formulated with or without THC. Full-spectrum CBD contains trace amounts of THC, for instance, while broad-spectrum and isolate CBD do not.
From there, you have your pick between topicals, gummies, tinctures, capsules, and more. All in all, there are as many variations between CBD products as there are among people, making it just as important to pick good CBD as it is to pick good friends.
Summary: CBD Is Scientific
Quantum mechanics might make the situation a bit spooky, but there’s nothing particularly superstitious about the way compounds behave in the human body. For the most part, we can observe the behavior of chemicals as they pass through our systems and draw rational conclusions.
In regards to CBD, some of these conclusions are:
- CBD is non-intoxicating and non-addictive;
- It’s sold online and pretty much everywhere else;
- CBD and hemp seeds are not, though, the same thing;
- And, there are vast differences among CBD products.
Anything to the contrary is merely a myth. True knowledge exists in the world of fact, not the world of legend — so, shouldn’t we do our best to find the facts on CBD instead of believing in myths?
