As you're probably well aware, for the past few weeks on the Polish market - and therefore on the domestic Internet - dried CBD has been making a dizzying career. There's nothing surprising about it, everyone probably realizes how much our environment likes news... especially if something even slightly resembles the "real stuff." Everyone is probably familiar with tales of gimbos kissing their hands buying samaras filled with marjoram, so one can't be surprised that a certain group of customers will throw themselves at the fat tops of the truest cannabis being sold fully legally, complete with names like "CBD haze" or "Amnesia." In the case of dried CBD, the resemblance to "the real thing" can even be so striking that even old hemp connoisseurs happen to be a bit confused (and for different reasons than usual).
All right, all right - we know that you know exactly what CBD is all about, what it does, and that you can reach for hemp not only for its recreational properties, in a word - that you reach for dried CBD simply because you are curious about a new form of cannabidiol intake. But just in case, we've decided to clear up some of the most common misunderstandings and doubts about the "legal herb"
What's the deal with all this CBD?
Well, let's start with the basics. As you probably know - there's a lot more than just THC sitting in hemp. Actually, much, much more - the cannabinoids alone (the unique components of hemp) have been isolated by more than a hundred, and there are also terpenoids, flavonoids, essential oils....
CBD (cannabidiol) is simply one of the cannabinoids, as it happens, with the highest concentration (at least in hemp seed - Cannabis Sativa L. - but we'll get to that later), and by the way, with the best known health-promoting and medicinal properties besides THC.
What properties does CBD have?
We are learning more and more about the pro-health and even medicinal properties of CBD. It turns out that cannabidiol (or cannabidiol in optimal combination with other cannabinoids) may be responsible for many of the benefits of hemp itself. Among the best known and documented are neurodegenerative diseases such as severe childhood epilepsy and Parkinson's disease (these are actually the main fields of application for CBD as a drug). In addition, CBD's analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipsychotic properties are increasingly well documented, as well as its sedative and sleep function-regulating effects.
Just keep in mind that most of the above properties are still waiting for their "fully official and recognized" confirmation, so the vast majority of CBD products available in Europe are not medicines, but dietary supplements, so you can't, for example, advertise them by writing about "treating" anything.
Where can I find CBD?
As has been said - CBD is found in certain (small, up to 1-2%) concentrations in hemp - both seeded and Indian. In the former, it is usually accompanied by a relatively low concentration of THC (less than 0.2% in plants legally grown in Poland), so it is such bushes - and only them! - can be a source of CBD for domestic dietary supplement manufacturers. For a number of reasons (about which perhaps another time), the most sensible form of making and consuming CBD products is hemp whole plant oils. But the ingenuity of manufacturers (and our love of novelty) knows no bounds, so we can also meet with CBD-containing: vaporizing oils, capsules, chewing gums, ointments, teas or most recently - just dried. Which brings us to the next question -.
What is dried CBD?
From a botanical point of view, dried CBD is actually the same thing as "recreational" tops, which are well known to some - so they are the dried inflorescences of mature cannabis plants. The difference is that dried CBD is made from the plants Cannabis Sativa L. - i.e. from hemp plants, in addition, with a THC content of no more than 0.2%. Dried CBD is intended to be smoked or vaporized - not the most efficient form of cannabidiol consumption, but it does have some advantages, about which more later. As we mentioned, the typical CBD content in hemp rarely exceeds 1%, so where do products containing up to five times as much cannabidiol come from? Leaving aside the problem of inaccurate labeling, the answer is to simple - selective cultivation, i.e. the deliberate creation of varieties with the highest possible CBD content and the use of cultivation techniques that further increase the concentration of this cannabinoid. Of course, we can deal with indoor and outdoor cultivation, in the case of dried CBD, it's probably worth investing in good-quality indoor dries, as such growing conditions allow for better control over the cannabidiol content and overall quality of the targeted tops.
CBD driers available on the market are branded in all sorts of ways, some of which have something to do with the specific strain from which the tops were created, but many are just a marketing ploy designed to influence the imagination of consumers dreaming of Amsterdam on the Vistula. Hence all those 'Amnesies' and 'Widows', hence the recurring 'herb' in advertising slogans, hence, of course, the distinctive method of packaging in ziplock bags.
Is dried CBD psychoactive?
So let's move on to perhaps the most common question: "does CBD dried tick?". The answer is simple and unequivocal. Contrary to what the less professional sellers of dried CBD try to suggest between the lines (hiding behind correct formulas, of course), CBD dried sold in Poland is absolutely not psychoactive. This is for a very simple reason - in order to be legally cultivated in Poland, hemp plants cannot contain more than 0.2% THC (it is possible that this value will soon be raised to a "dizzying" 0.3%). Even a layperson knows that this is far too little to feel any psychoactive effect - except for the placebo effect, of course. And this is precisely the effect that some domestic sellers of dried CBD seem to be counting on - or at least this is the conclusion one can come to by observing some of the methods of promoting the "legal herb."
In addition to the "for the legal herb" method, one can also encounter the "for the drug" gimmick in stores offering legal CBD dry. - probably even more perfidious.
Is CBD dried medical marijuana?
While we're at it, let's clear up the second most popular myth about CBD products available in Poland (not just dried, by the way). Well, dried CBD is not medical marijuana! Let's remind you - medical marijuana is available in Poland only by prescription (good luck with getting one), bringing it to pharmacies is a source of endless hassle, and the doctors who prescribe it usually don't yet distinguish between THC-rich and CBD-rich varieties. Be that as it may - any hemp products with CBD available in Poland on the free market have the status of dietary supplements (some don't even have that!) and as such must be free of any "health claims," i.e., claims or even suggestions that they are a "medicine, or "cure." Selling dried CBD through sites with names like "medical / medicinal hemp" is a rather perfidious marketing ploy and treads a thin line between breaking the law... and cynically preying on sick people.
What are the benefits of dried CBD?
OK, now that we've laughed about pulling customers over for "legal weed" and "medical marijuana," it's time to consider what advantages CBD dry actually has. And we don't mean the properties of CBD per se (which we wrote about above) but the advantages of smoking and vaporizing dried over other forms of taking cannabidiol.
To be honest - there aren't many such advantages, mainly because the most efficient way to metabolize cannabinoids is to consume them, preferably in oily form (as anyone who has ever overindulged in space cakes probably knows). By smoking the material, you simply lose a lot - and this also applies to CBD. That doesn't mean, however, that dried CBD has no benefits. Aside from the burgeoning fad, these can include, for example, the taste and smell sensations (mainly when vaping), the relative convenience, or the alternative that smoking and vaporization provide for smokers trying to break the habit who find it hard to give up the ritual of puffing a cloud.
Can they stop me for dried CBD?
Finally, it is necessary to address another common doubt. Many of you ask - can they stop me for dried CBD, or can I get in trouble for it? The answer is again trivial -. of course they can detain you for CBD dried! And you won't wriggle on the spot with a package confirming that you are carrying "legal weed." Let's leave aside even the ignorance of officers about the novelties on the hemp market and take the matter at face value: if something looks and smells like "ordinary" weed, and in addition you carry it in a ziplock bag and probably still smoke it in a pipe or a joint, how can they not arrest you for it, man! Of course, any doubts should be dispelled by the analysis done (unless something has "stuck" to you), but even so, possession of "legal weed" may involve some unpleasantness - if only a waste of time.
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In conclusion - CBD dries are undoubtedly an interesting product, combining the beneficial benefits of CBD with a form of administration closer to the heart of more traditionally-minded players. Of course, the pushy marketing of the "legal herb" and even more so the abrupt medical claims may be glaring, but that's the way it is in our world, unfortunately. CBD dry is certainly a good option for vaping enthusiasts and for those who reach for cannabis mainly for health-promoting or taste-related reasons. For everyone else, it will probably remain just a curiosity to try once - it seems that for those seeking CBD, oils will remain the more sensible form in the long run.
