WHAT IS CBD?
Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, has gained huge media attention and popularity in recent years. This attention and widespread coverage has been mostly due to the amazing health benefits of CBD.
CBD was legalised in in the UK (along with many other countries and states), as listed in the guidelines for Cannabis, CBD and other cannabinoids. Since its legalisation, CBD products are everywhere – you may have seen them available in vape shops, supermarkets, health stores and pharmacies. CBD comes in a huge variety of products; from vape liquids, oils and workout recovery supplements to edibles, beauty products and topical gels. These products are used as an aid to managing anxiety, stress, epilepsy, pain and sleep amongst other symptoms and conditions.
BUT WHAT IS CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a type of cannabinoid and is the second most powerful component found in the cannabis plant after THC. It is an essential ingredient of medical marijuana. In order for CBD to be legal in the UK, it must contain no more than 0.2% THC. Some research suggests that a small quantity of THC in CBD products enhances the effects of CBD.
While CBD is derived from the Cannabis plant (one of the 100+ cannabinoids found in the plant), unlike THC, CBD extracted on its own is a non-psychoactive compound. This means CBD does not have the ‘high’ effect that THC does.
According to the World Health Organisation, there have been no reports of CBD being addictive or causing any physical dependency.
HOW DOES CBD WORK?
We are all born with an endocannabinoid system (ECS), the purpose of which is to regulate and balance multiple processes in the body. This includes pain, stress, appetite, mood, memory, and metabolism and the list goes on (a more comprehensive list can be found here). The purpose and intention of the ECS is to maintain homeostasis, causing a stable equilibrium in the desired bodily systems and functions.
Two key components of the ECS are:
- Cannabinoid receptors which are found on the surface of cells.
- Endocannabinoids which are small molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors.
Cannabinoid receptors on the cell surface assess the conditions outside the cell. They transmit information to inside of the cell, kick-starting the appropriate cellular response for homeostasis.
There are 2 main Cannabinoid receptor types located throughout the body:
- CB1 receptors are primarily located in the Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) and are reactive with THC.
- CB2 receptors are mostly found outside the nervous system in such locations as the immune and gastrointestinal system. CB2 is reactive with CBD, hence CBD is considered ‘non-psychoactive’, because it does not directly react with the CB1 receptors in the brain.
Endocannabinoids are naturally produced by the body within the ECS and they bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors transmitted all over the body. Cannabinoids, such as CBD, CBG and THC etc, are substances that can be consumed to interact with, influence and enhance these receptors.
The ECS plays a big role in regulating our sleep, mood, appetite, memory, reproduction and fertility. The ECS is still active in our bodies with natural endocannabinoids even if you do not use interactive substances such as CBD. These Endocannabinoid receptors are found throughout the human body and help keep our internal functions running as smoothly and balanced as possible.
DOES CBD SHOW UP ON DRUG TESTS?
With CBD being so popular right now, a question that might be on a lot of our minds is will I fail a drugs test if I use CBD?
The answer, in short, is no. It’s unlikely that CBD will show up in a drug test. Most likely, an employer will screen you for cannabis or THC as opposed to CBD. CBD is detectable as it is metabolised by the body however most tests are only trying to determine whether there is THC and other illegal drugs present in the body and these tests are not designed to detect CBD. Notably, CBD products can contain THC (as previously mentioned in ‘What is CBD?’ as it can enhance the effects of CBD). Depending on the test, the detection threshold can vary.
The 0.2% THC in a CBD product is unlikely to show up on a hair test and with urine and oral fluid tests, this threshold is lower still. Of course, it does depend on individual body composition, what products you are using, how it is absorbed and how often you are using it. So, assuming you are not overusing or exceeding recommended usages, consuming CBD will not cause a drug test failure.
