CBD has made a bold entrance into the world of food + beverage as it has gained legalization across the United States and globe. I spent a recent June weekend in NYC and was delightfully surprised with the option to add CBD into my drink at Cha Cha Matcha (side note: I highly recommended this place to any and all matcha lovers). Depending on your location, you may begin to find CBD as an optional add-in for drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, or infused into your favorite cooking ingredients like olive oil.

CBD is an acronym for “Cannabidiol.” You may question the source of CBD present in products with regard to THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component from cannabis that is responsible for instigating the “high” feeling in the human body. The three common varieties of Cannabis are: C. indica, C. sativa, and C. ruderalis. The different names, classification and slang words used through history can cause confusion relating to CBD’s origin.

Hemp plants, which is a specific variety of C. sativa, usually contain more CBD and cannabis plants contain more THC. The United States has a complex cannabis history that is intertwined with issues such as race and economics, which caused a delay in legalization and research. We are a part of this generations new interest in cannabis and CBD, which is something that everyone can potentially benefit from.

CBD is unique because it does not cause the same psychoactive results as THC and research has highlighted its potential of providing therapeutic benefits both internally and externally for the human body. The Farm Bill of 2018 was one of the major turning points for CBD because it was the first piece of federal legislation that that legalized hemp and removed it from its DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Schedule 1 controlled substances classification. This bill expanded on the Farm Bill from 2014 that allowed for hemp research and redefined hemp as derived from any part of the plant C. sativa with a THC concentration of no more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.

CBD is being further researched in order to understand its potential for helping people with everyday life issues such as physical pain, anxiety, stress, sleep problems and more. CBD can be consumed in a variety of ways including tinctures, salves, creams, gummies and vapes. One of our favorite local brands to buy CBD is Cypress Hemp! The #girlboss founder, Kristy Hébert, is also one of our previous Woman of the Week check out the blog here, “W(o)W: Kristy Hebert x Cypress Hemp.”

xoxo