CBD oil is brought to market by many manufacturers and suppliers and associated with some promises of action. However, CBD oil is not approved as a dietary supplement in Germany.
In this article, we provide you with the answers to the most important questions about the effect of CBD. To get started, we have a little video for you.
Application and effect of CBD
The effect of CBD
CBD or THC?
The effect of cannabidiol
Experiences with CBD effects
From CBDA to CBD
What effect can CBD have?
Application of CBD
CBD for complaints
Are there any side effects?
Conclusion
FAQ
CBD EFFECT EXPLAINED IN THE VIDEO
You wonder what effect CBD has or how it actually affects your system and your body? We have put together the essential questions in video format. You can find much more information, which we regularly expand with new findings, below in the article.
CBD OR THC?
What is the effect of CBD? This is not easy to answer, but we tried it in this post.
CBD, like THC, is a cannabinoid that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant. At the latest since the use of cannabis as a medicine was regulated with a corresponding law at the beginning of 2017, there has been a lot of steam in the debate about a possible cannabis legalization. Rightly so, as we think, because hemp (or cannabis) has a lot of potential, not only in the purely medical field.
By the way: If you are confused now, whether it must be cannabis or hemp or both, this is quite normal. A detailed article can be found here: Cannabis vs hemp – what is the difference.
Cbd effect vaay
In a nutshell:
So are cannabis and hemp different things or the same thing? Both! It depends on the background against which the question is asked: Purely botanically, all hemp plants are Cannabis sativa L., so a single species. Nevertheless, the term « hemp » is usually used when THC-poor plants are meant, while « cannabis » usually means THC-rich cannabis.
Cannabis naturally comes with a variety of valuable ingredients, and not only sick people expect to benefit from them. Healthy people also want to benefit from the medicinal plant and in particular from the legendary effect of CBD. THC is still taboo at the moment! As studies show, this substance is responsible for a large number of the therapeutically interesting effects of the hemp plant on the one hand, but on the other hand for most of its psychoactivity.
Infographic: Effect duration of CBD at a glance
CBD effect and duration of action at a glance. CBD effect of CBD capsules starts about 30 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion and works over 6-8 hours in the system (high bioavailability).
With CBD oils, the onset of action is about 15-60 minutes after ingestion and lasts about 4-6 hours, so it works faster, but not as long. Over the skin, the onset of action is already 15 minutes after application, with the duration lasting about 2-4 hours. CBD Diffuser Pens work directly and also about 2-4 hours.
Product
Duration of effect
Capsules
6 – 8 hours
Oil
4 – 6 hours
Cosmetics
2 – 4 hours
Diffuser
2 – 4 hours
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF CBD?
CBD (cannabidiol) can act directly on the body by influencing the so-called endocannabinoid system. Components of this system can be found everywhere in the human body. Its main task is to fine-tune various processes and other systems. These include, for example, our sense of stress and pain, immune system, appetite and our sleep-wake rhythm.
Simply put, your body produces substances that have a strong similarity in structure to the cannabinoids contained in the cannabis plant, the so-called phytocannabinoids. All of these cannabinoids, whether plant-based or endogenous, can bind to specific receptors that are part of this system and are therefore also called cannabinoid receptors. There are at least two of them: CB1 and CB2 receptors.
The receptors are like a lock: If a suitable key is inserted, the receptor is activated and it performs its special function.
On the special locks in the endocannabinoid system, the CB1 and CB2 receptors, fit both our body’s own and plant cannabinoids as keys.
This means that phytocannabinoids (the « classics » of CBD and THC, but also other substances of this class) can act on the same systems and processes and modulate them, as your body’s own cannabinoids, the so-called. Endocannabinoids.
In one sentence: The substances contained in cannabis are certain bodily …
THERE WAS ANOTHER THING: FROM CBDA TO CBD
But before it can even come to the point that any effect of CBD can theoretically happen, CBD must first be really present. The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) produces cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and not cannabidiol (CBD).
In order to obtain CBD, the acid form, the CBDA, must first go through a process called decarboxylation. In short, the acid group is split off and the CBD remains. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to heat it to around 100°C.
WHAT EFFECT CAN CBD HAVE?
In addition to the use for medical purposes, many users procure CBD in other forms such as cosmetics or lifestyle products.
CBD (cannabidiol) can be contained in these products in various ways: as a classic CBD oil (cosmetics), in liposomal formulation (for more bioavailability), in hemp capsules, for vaporizing, as a CBD bath bomb or as a CBD body cream.
It must be said at this point that the amount of CBD that you are likely to give your body can be significantly lower than the dosages most commonly used in studies on the efficacy of cannabidiol.
In addition, not (yet) for all proclaimed effects of CBD are really reliable evidence from studies on humans. Often such statements, such as cannabis can be effective against cancer, come from studies on animals or individual cell cultures. That sounds great (« Cannabis cures cancer! ») – unfortunately, as a general statement simply wrong.
However, it doesn’t seem too bold to at least derive potential effects from it. There is good evidence that CBD could have the following effects depending on the concentration:
Anti-inflammatory
Analgesic or acting on pain perception
Calming
Anxiolytic
If you are interested in the current study situation on CBD, you can find further information in our article on the topic.
HOW CAN CBD BE USED?
CBD is now available in almost every dosage form, and new products are constantly being added, including CBD coffee.
CBD dosage
Application of CBD via the mucous membranes (oral)
When using CBD orally, it must first pass through the stomach and liver before it enters the bloodstream. This prolongs the time until the onset of the effect, but also lasts the longest (up to 6 hours) if this type of application is selected. Specific absorption via the oral mucosa is a good compromise: not as slow as oral absorption and a much longer effect than after inhalation. The effect lasts between 4 and 6 hours.
This is because CBD can avoid passing through the stomach and liver because it partially passes through the very thin oral mucosa. And there the paths are much shorter until the first cannabidiol can latch on to the first receptors.
CBD oil and spray
You usually get the oil with a pipette and can put it directly under the tongue. However, dosing with pipettes is often cumbersome and inaccurate, which is why some brands also offer CBD sprays. CBD oil in spray form is a good thing – it makes application under the tongue a little easier and more elegant. If you also keep the CBD oil under the tongue for as long as possible, so in contact with the thin mucous membrane there, you give it more time to run off calmly and completely. Fortunately, we use high-quality MCT oil as a carrier substance, which has a pleasant coconut taste.
Inhalation: The application of CBD as a diffuser pen
The fastest way to get CBD into the body is through the lungs, that is, with a vaporizer, a diffuser pen or by smoking like our CBD vape pen. Since the bioavailability of CBD is highest by inhalation (about 31%), one can often take smaller doses than with other forms of administration. For example, if you take 10 ml of drop-shaped CBD, first halve the dose by vaping until you know how it affects you. The effect occurs after a few minutes via the lungs, but subsides even faster than with oral application. For a long-lasting effect, it is best to combine this method with an oral form of CBD. Most manufacturers also give recommendations for taking it – if in doubt, you should follow them.
Application via the gastrointestinal tract
Here, most of the time passes before a possible effect is to be expected. This is because cannabidiol must travel a relatively long distance before it can attach itself to the first receptors.
Because the cannabidiol must first pass through the stomach into the liver before it reaches your system and its actual work …
Depending on the product and formulation, the time needed to unfold the effect is very different, but usually much faster than with oral application, as CBD interacts directly with the ECS receptors in the skin. CBD also does not need to pass through the stomach and liver as it is absorbed through the oral mucosa.
Many people use CBD to improve the health of their skin and therefore apply CBD ointments, CBD lotions, CBD creams and CBD gels where they are needed. This can be interesting if you want to relieve local discomfort, such as the relaxation gel for the joints after exercise.
WHAT COMPLAINTS COULD CBD REMEDY?
Why is CBD so popular? Well, there are several possible uses for CBD oil. In a VAAY survey, 47.6% of CBD users stated that they use CBD for pain. 42.1% for relaxation and 39.7% for general well-being, but not enough of the good things! CBD is also valued as a sleep aid. For 31.3% of the surveyed CBD users, CBD makes it easier to fall asleep, here you can find out more about CBD as a sleep aid!
By the way: In this survey, more than half of the surveyed CBD users stated that CBD is not a one-time thing for them. You will definitely use it again, if that doesn’t convince! If you want to join us, you can read more about taking CBD in this article.
CBD for pain
The fact that CBD oil for the treatment of pain is mentioned again and again probably has to do with the fact that the most common application for medical cannabis is the treatment against chronic pain. On the other hand, the relatively easy access to cannabidiol-containing products plays a role – which you can simply buy as CBD oil, for example online as CBD oil 10% & CBD oil 5% variant and then try it out. This is in contrast to medicinal cannabis, which must first be prescribed by a narcotic prescription.
CBD for stress
In order to scientifically investigate a possible effect of CBD (cannabidiol) on stress perception, researchers have come up with a rather nasty experimental setup, which nevertheless generates stress very reliably (more on this in our article on the study situation). And lo and behold: A cannabidiol dose of 300 mg CBD led to a statistically significant effect against stress in the subjects. The interesting thing: at very high doses, the stress-reducing effect of CBD decreased again.
CBD for sleep problems
Those who have a lot of stress often sleep badly, or vice versa.
In any case, both topics are closely linked.
Studies have also been conducted on CBD and sleep. For example, a 2019 study found a positive effect on sleep quality in 2 out of 3 patients – but only for the first of three months. Whether this was due to the low dosage (25-175 mg), the habituation effect or the fact that part of the effect of the first month was due to a possible placebo effect is difficult to say in retrospect. It is clear that the design of the study was not necessarily ideal for deriving general statements from it.
A look at the study situation
Looking at the study situation is therefore not a great help in this case. Here and there you also come across the argument that cannabis (from which the CBD is extracted) has traditionally been used for centuries to treat sleep problems. Not a very robust argument, but it does not seem completely implausible.
CBD effect and application to the skin
Whether as a special CBD gel or simply the application of CBD oil on the skin: When it comes to skin health, cannabidiol is right on trend. And « trend » is hardly the right word here, strictly speaking, because the use of cannabis has also been practiced as a skin care product for thousands of years.
What else is there?
Otherwise, it is not possible to say what is reliable with regard to the study situation. However, reports and first, partly promising results are accumulating about the use and effect of CBD oil in moods such as anxiety or depression, special persistent pain such as back pain or CBD for migraine. Also on the subject of rheumatism and osteoarthritis you will find quickly.
AND WHAT IS WITH CBD SIDE EFFECTS?
First of all, it must be said that most of the side effects and after-effects associated with significantly higher amounts of CBD have been observed than those you are likely to take with our products.
And even then: the vast majority of side effects that you can expect from CBD are fairly mild and transient.
Known side effects include diarrhea, mild dizziness, dry mouth and reduced appetite. There is also reason to assume that interactions can occur with certain drugs. But as I said: Something like this was observed, but with CBD dosages that are very (!) much higher than those you will ever achieve with our products and with proper use.
Nevertheless, if you regularly take medication and also want to benefit from the effects of cannabidiol, you should definitely clarify this with your doctor.
Otherwise, CBD is described as having few side effects.
Side effects of CBD
Finally, a small general note:
Yes, CBD products are not cheap, but that has its reasons. And of course we are very happy if you find the right one for you in our shop. But the most important thing is that you don’t let any « junk » go to you, no matter where you go on a CBD shopping tour: Look closely!
There are manufacturers who have no problem selling you regular hemp seed oil as if it was stuffed to the top with cannabidiol. Others actually have CBD-containing products, but use CBD isolates (so-called CBD crystals) from often questionable sources.
To be really safe, you don’t necessarily have to be trained as a scientist or CBD expert – but make sure that providers of CBD products provide appropriate analysis certificates for their products.
You can see what this looks like here for our products.
Note: You are wondering what effect and application possibilities CBD oil or CBD have? First of all, we have to clarify whether you have really explicitly searched for CBD oil or CBD in general. In Germany, CBD oil is only approved as a cosmetic and available from us (VAAY) as an oral hygiene product on on and offline shelves.
In other countries or regions such as the UK or US, CBD oil is approved as a dietary supplement. In Germany, however, it must not be swallowed (although this would very likely have no health consequences). Many other CBD shops like to confuse the terms, so confusion and irritation often occur. We are talking about CBD in general.