Table of contents :
- What is CBD?
- CBD in Ireland
- How do you use CBD?
- How does CBD work?
- How safe is CBD ?
- How much CBD should you take?
- Where can you get the best CBD in Ireland?
The world of wellness products is constantly evolving, with experts discovering something new on a nearly constant basis. At the moment, the latest wellness trend around the world and in Ireland is CBD oil. There’s a lot of information out there about CBD in Ireland with some people claiming that they use it to alleviate pain, anxiety, and improve sleep. A survey involving 5,000 CBD users found out that over 60% of them used it for anxiety.
But how much of this is true and how much of this is just hype? Sometimes when a wellness product becomes popular it’s advantages get blown out of proportion. And this ends up doing more harm than good to its reputation. So if you want to know all the facts about CBD in Ireland, you have come to the right place. Let’s look at the uses, side effects and benefits of CBD.
But before we get into that, here’s a fact that you might not have known: history has it that Queen Victoria used pure cannabis to relieve menstrual cramps. At this point you are probably wondering what cannabis has to do with CBD. As it turns out, everything.
What is CBD?
Before we dive into oil, we need to know what CBD is. CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of several compounds present in the cannabis plant. CBD is one of the major compounds in cannabis. According to a group of researchers, 40% of cannabis resin extract is made up of CBD.
CBD belongs to a group of compounds known as cannabinoids which are naturally occurring compounds present in the cannabis plant. These compounds are responsible for some of the most well-known effects of cannabis.
The initial phase of CBD began because of the work of a Harvard University graduate called Roger Adams. In 1940 he became the first person to extract CBD from the hemp plant. At the time, even he did not understand the magnitude of his discovery.
After 1940, the next major breakthrough in CBD research happened in 1946. Dr Walter S. Loewe was conducting tests on mice using THC and CBD. The test indicated that CBD, unlike THC, did not produce an observable effect in the mice. (Remember this little titbit of information it will become really useful in a little bit.)
The next breakthrough in CBD research happened in 1963. Professor Raphael Mechoulam, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, became the first person to describe the chemical structure of CBD. This discovery propelled Professor Mechoulam to the forefront of CBD research. It also earned him the title of the father of CBD.
Professor Mechoulam’s work acted as a catalyst for interest in CBD. His findings created a buzz around the potential health cbd oil ireland benefits and in the mid-1970s a cannabis tincture was released in England for medical use.
In 1980, Professor Mechoulam led a team that investigated the effects of CBD on epilepsy. Everyone in the study who was given CBD showed remarkable improvement in their condition. This study proved that there was medicinal value in cannabis. However, it didn’t receive mainstream attention because of public attitude towards cannabis.
Public attitude towards cannabis would start shifting in the 1990s and in 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana.
In the late 1990s GW Pharmaceutical begun adding CBD and THC into some of their products. The company also began conducting trials on the effectiveness of CBD to treat conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia.
The later phase
In the later phase of CBD, governments around the world began taking an increased interest in CBD. As more CBD research became available for public consumption, interest in CBD skyrocketed.
Governments interacted with CBD in two ways:
• Relaxing existing cannabis laws
• Establishing a regulatory framework for CBD.
The first major event in this period happened in 2003. The US government issued patents for CBD as a neuroprotectant. This patent showed that here was a growing acceptance of CBD.
Policies in Europe developed differently than in the US because of differences in EU position and the position of individual governments. We will go into details on the laws governing CBD in Ireland in a later article.
CBD in Ireland
Now that we’ve looked at CBD and its history, we can switch to CBD oil. And the first question we need to answer is “What is CBD oil?”
What is CBD oil
CBD oil is an oil that is made by mixing CBD extracted from a hemp plant with a carrier oil. The two most common carrier oils in the production of CBD oil are hemp seed oil and coconut oil. They are commonly used because they complement CBD oil.
How is CBD oil made in Ireland?
You can make CBD in Ireland using several methods which can be broadly classified into two:
• Homemade methods
• Commercial methods
How to make CBD oil at home
One of the questions frequently asked by CBD oil enthusiasts is whether they can make their own CBD oil at home. And the answer is yes. There are two methods that you can use to make CBD oil at home in Ireland, the oil method and the alcohol method.
Let’s start with the oil method
Sidenote: Before you make your first batch of CBD oil, there are some terms you need to know:
• Decarboxylation- This is the process by which CBDA is converted to CBD through heating.
• CBDA- In the cannabis plant, you will rarely find CBD. What you will get is cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), the precursor of CBD. When the plant is heated at high temperatures, CBDA is converted to CBD.
Oil method
1. The first thing you need is to gather everything you need. You’ll need a weed grinder, bud trimmer, and a high quality hemp plant. You should try and get a plant with a high CBD content. You’ll also need a carrier oil and for this recipe we are going to use coconut oil.
2. Using the bud trimmer, select the leaves and buds that you would like to use. Once you are satisfied with what you have, bake them at roughly 220°F for 90 to 100 minutes. This will ensure that the plant has undergone decarboxylation.
3. Grind the buds and the leaves.
4. In the mason jar mix the carrier oil with the ground hemp. Make sure that you saturate the hemp with oil. You can adjust the potency of the CBD oil by increasing or reducing the quantity of carrier oil that you add.
5. Once you are satisfied with the saturation levels, make sure that the mason jar lid is closed tightly. bring the mixture to a boil. This will prevent the entry of steam and water into the mixture when you boil it.
6. Place the mason jar in an empty cooking pot and fill it with water. Using a thermometer, heat the water to 200°F.
7. Constantly heck on the pot to ensure that the water has not evaporated. Let the mixture simmer for three hours and then turn off the fire. Let the CBD oil mixture settle for another 3 hours.
8. After letting it settle for 3 hours, heat it for another 3 hours at 200°F and let it settle for 3 hours. The second round of heating and cooling is not a must but it is highly recommended by the experts to increase the quality of your CBD oil.
9. Let it settle for the night, and in the morning it will be ready to use. Strain the mixture through a cloth and store it in a cool dry place.
Alcohol method
The alcohol method is not as labour intensive as the oil method. It does not require any advanced knowledge and is perfect for beginners.
1. Place your hemp in a glass or ceramic bowl and cover it in ethanol.
2. Stir the mixture for 6 to 8 minutes and then use a spoon to extract the resin produced.
3. Place a sieve or straining bag in the bowl to filter out the solvent. Squeeze out as much as you can get. In case you feel that you can extract more oil from the hemp you can repeat step 3.
4. Pour the extracted oil into a double boiler and heat it until you see bubbles. Let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. This will ensure that all the alcohol evaporates leaving the CBD oil.
5. Once the ethanol has evaporated completely, mix the remainder and turn off the flame.
6. Let it cool and transfer it to a container with a tight lid. Store it in a cool dry place.
Commercial CBD oil production
Different CBD oil companies in Ireland use different methods to produce their CBD oil. However, the most common methods of production are:
• Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction
• Liquid solvent extraction
• Oil infusion
Liquid solvent extraction is similar to the alcohol method of making CBD oil at home. The only difference is the scale of production, the expertise required and the equipment needed. In the same vein oil infusion is similar to the oil method. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is the most distinct method.
Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction
The most popular method of producing CBD oil on a large scale is supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. So what is supercritical carbon dioxide extraction?
In this case the term super critical refers to the temperature and pressure of carbon dioxide. At room pressure and temperature, carbon (IV) oxide is a gas. At 60.4 pounds per square inch (psi) carbon dioxide transforms to a liquid. Carbon dioxide becomes dry ice, a solid, at -78°C.
When carbon dioxide attains critical temperature 31.10°C and critical pressure1,071 psi it becomes a supercritical liquid. A supercritical liquid is one that has the properties of a liquid and a gas. These liquids can pass through porous solids and they can also dissolve some substances.
So how does it happen?
Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is an extremely complicated process and we are going to try and break it down into something simple.
1. The first step in the process is to fill an extractor chamber with ground hemp which is referred to as trim.
2. Supercritical carbon dioxide is pumped into the extractor chamber and interacts with the trim. It dissolves the compounds in the hemp.
3. The supercritical carbon (IV) oxide carries the particles to a cyclonic separator where the pressure is reduced.
4. Because of the reduced pressure, the CO2 and oil separate. In most systems, the CO2 is recycled to save on costs.
5. The oil and other substances descend in the separator until they are collected in a separate vessel.
6. This substance is later processed to produce more substances such as CBD oil.
What next?
Before the CBD oil can make it to your table, it has to be tested by an independent third party. Such tests ensure that the product is safe for human consumption.
When you are buying cannabidiol oil, make sure that it has been tested by an independent third party. Most companies usually list the result of their tests on their website.
How do you use CBD oil?
You’ve bought the oil and now you are wondering how to use it. There are several ways you can use it and these include:
• Using CBD oil capsules
• Using it sublingually
• Massaging it into your skin
• Consuming edibles with the product
• Vaping it
Capsules
Using capsules is one of the easiest ways of using CBD oil. What makes capsules so popular is the fact that it is easy to control the amount of CBD you take. The biggest drawback to capsules is that the CBD takes a longer time to e
Using it sublingually
The most common way of using CBD oil is by putting it under the tongue which is referred to as the sublingual method. For this method, you need to use a dropper to measure out the exact amount of CBD oil you need. You then place the drops under your tongue and let them stay there for 30 to 60 seconds.
When you place the oil under the tongue, the mucus membrane absorbs it and it goes straight into your bloodstream. Because the oil bypasses the digestive tract, you can feel the effects faster.
The biggest drawback to this method is that most people do not like the taste of CBD oil.
CBD edibles
For people who do not like the taste of CBD oil, CBD gummies or edibles are a popular alternative. Edibles are products that have been infused with CBD oil such as coffee or beer.
The biggest benefit of these products is that they make it easier to wash away the taste of the cannabinoid oil. Their biggest drawback is that it takes a lot of time for the effects to be felt. This is because the edibles have to be digested and then the compounds absorbed into the bloodstream for them to be effective.
Using it topically
Another popular method of using cannabinoid oil is to apply it topically onto the skin. This method is popular because it takes advantage of CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties.
Vaping
Among the youth, vaping is the most popular way of using CBD oil. Vaping is popular because it has a higher bioavailability than most other methods. You also get to feel the effects much faster than with other methods.
How does CBD oil work?
You’ve bought CBD oil, decided how you’ll use it but before you use it you stop to wonder how it will interact with your body. The answer is simple, CBD and other cannabinoids interact with the body through the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS has 3 main components:
• Endocannabinoids
• Endocannabinoid receptors
• EnzymesThe word endocannabinoid is a portmanteau, a term made by combining two other words. In this case, the terms are endogenous and cannabinoid. In biology the term endogenous refers to something that comes from inside an organism’s body. So in this case endocannabinoids are molecules produced by the body that are similar to naturally occurring cannabinoids.
Scientists have discovered several cannabinoids but the only two have been studied extensively:
• 2-arachidonoylglyerol
• Anandamide
Scientists have discovered that these endocannabinoids are vital for the normal functioning of the body. However, there is a lot that they still don’t know and are working tirelessly to understand.
Endocannabinoid receptors
These are regions of tissue that respond to endocannabinoids. Scientists have discovered two endocannabinoid receptors:
• CB1 receptors- these are primarily found in the central nervous system
• CB2 receptors- these are primarily found in the peripheral nervous system
Sidenote: Some scientists believe that there is a third endocannabinoid receptor but this is still unproven.
Enzymes
Enzymes are biological molecules that break down endocannabinoids once they have performed their roles in the body. Scientists have identified two major enzymes in the ECS and they correspond to the 2 major endocannabinoids.
• fatty acid amide hydrolase- this enzyme is responsible for breaking down anandamide
• monoacylglycerol acid lipase- this enzyme is responsible for breaking down 2-arachidonoylglyerol
How does it all tie in together?
At the moment, scientists are trying to figure out the exact way in which CBD interacts with the ECS. What they have found out so far is that it does not interact with the ECS in the same way that THC does.
Currently there are two schools of thought on how the interaction happens. The first school of thought suggests that CBD could be binding to the undiscovered endocannabinoid receptor. The other suggests that CBD stops enzymes from breaking down endocannabinoids. This allows the endocannabinoids to stay in the body longer and to have a longer lasting effect.
How safe is CBD oil?
The general consensus among CBD experts is that it is safe to use. However, some people need to take extra precautions and consult with their doctors before taking CBD oil. These include:
• pregnant women
• breastfeeding mothers
• children
• people on medication
How much CBD oil should you take?
For most beginners on the CBD journey, this is the hardest question to answer. There’s a lot of information out there and you might be overwhelmed by the volume of information available. A general rule of thumb is to start with a small dose and gradually increase it up to the level that you are comfortable with.
You can also consult with an expert who can help you come up with a dosage that meets your exact needs.
Where can you get the best CBD in Ireland?
If you are looking for high quality CBD oil, sourced from the highest quality hemp then you should drop by our store. Not only will you get the best lab tested CBD oil for you, you can also get some for your pet.
We hope you enjoyed this article and if you did pass it along to your friends and family so that they can also enjoy the benefits of CBD.