Botanical Wellness FAQs

CBD is short for cannabidiol. It’s a non-psychoactive extract from the cannabis plant (it won’t make you high).

CBD is suggested to support a wide variety of health conditions and symptoms. This supplement is used to manage neurological disorders like epilepsy, anxiety, and depression. It’s also used to alleviate pain, inflammation, insomnia, and much more.

There are many different ways to use CBD products. You can find CBD in the form of oils, capsules, topical salves, vape pens, edibles, and more.

THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that produces the feeling of being high. But, THC also has other applications that include health benefits and some side effects. You may know of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) as the element in weed that, well, gets you high.

There are five ways to use CBD:

Internally — in the form of CBD oils, capsules, gummies, or edibles

Inhalation — in the form of raw hemp flower or vape pens & oils

Topically — in the form of CBD creams, lotions, and patches

Injection — intraperitoneal or intravenous injection (medical use only)

Intravaginally or Intrarectally — in the form of CBD suppositories

The most common way to use CBD is orally in the form of a CBD oil or CBD gummy. CBD creams and CBD vape pens are also popular.

The effects of CBD are subtle. It’s non-psychoactive, which means it won’t make you high — however, it can give you a mild “fuzzy” sensation.

The relaxing effects of CBD can make you feel as though you’re floating or hovering. Your body may feel lighter or heavier, and your mind feels loose and relaxed.

The higher the dose of CBD, the stronger these effects are — but even very high doses (over 100 mg) won’t produce strong enough effects to make you high.

Some people describe the effects of CBD as producing an autopilot sensation. It feels like your body is reacting automatically without much conscious thought. While this is happening, you remain perfectly in-control, and your mental state remains clear.

Some people may find high doses of CBD makes them feel sleepy or tired. This is especially prevalent in CBD products containing a high concentration of a related cannabinoid called cannabinol (CBN), which is a strong sedative.

CBD has many well-documented health benefits. Most of its effects come from its ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) — which is made up of a series of receptors spread throughout the body.

Other benefits stem from CBD’s impact on cell regeneration and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

The primary benefits of CBD include:

• Alleviates pain & inflammation
• Supports mental health & wellbeing
• Supports healthy skin
• Protects the brain
• Supports digestive function
• May protect the cardiovascular system
• Supports reproductive health
• Regulates hormones & metabolism

Despite the many benefits of CBD, there are seven applications that makeup about 80% of the use-cases of CBD:

• Pain relief — arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, nerve pain, PMS pain, sickle cell anemia
• Inflammatory conditions — DOMS muscle pain, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis
• Stress & anxiety relief — anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome
• Sleep support — insomnia, anxiety
• Depression & mood disorders — bipolar disorder, OCD
• Joint pain & anxiety in pets — arthritis, post-surgery recovery, hip pain, separation anxiety
• Skin inflammation — psoriasis, eczema

CBD blocks pain by inhibiting the inflammatory process, regulating pain receptors, and promoting faster recovery of damaged tissue.

The effects of CBD on pain are fast-acting, usually taking effect within 45 minutes of using it (faster for vaped or smoked CBD products), and last for around 4 to 6 hours.

The more you use CBD, the stronger its impact on pain. The immediate effects come from its ability to activate receptors that modulate pain in the spine. Over time, the effects are multiplied due to its restorative, anti-inflammatory benefits.

CBD alleviates anxiety by targeting several independent mechanisms involved with hyperactivity in the nerves.

CBD has been shown to boost GABA activity in the brain — which is responsible for calming down the brain. It acts like the brake pedal for the mind, slowing it down when it becomes anxious.

CBD also works to regulate serotonin and dopamine production, relax tense muscles in the neck and shoulders, promote more restorative sleep, and reduce cortisol levels in the blood.

The benefits of CBD for anxiety require about 30 to 45 minutes to take effect and lasts around 4 or 5 hours.

The best CBD oils for anxiety are made from a full-spectrum hemp extract, use organic hemp, and provide a relatively high concentration of CBD per bottle (at least 500 mg per ounce).

CBD can help you sleep by alleviating the common causes of insomnia — such as anxiety, chronic stress, or pain.

It’s important to combine sleep with adequate sleep hygiene. This involves other lifestyle changes that can be used to support a healthy sleep cycle. Some examples of proper sleep hygiene include:

• Avoiding computer or phone screens at least an hour before bed
• Avoiding stimulants in the late afternoon and evening
• Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day
• Dimming the lights in the evening
• Using blue-light filters on your screens in the evening
• Practicing yoga, meditation, or wind-down techniques before bed

The best CBD oils for sleep are made from a full-spectrum extract rich in sleep-supportive terpenes and cannabinoids. Ideally, a CBD oil for sleep should contain at least 50 mg of CBD per milliliter of oil.

The benefits of CBD for weight loss rely on its ability to reduce appetite, ease the inflammatory load, support hormone balance, regulate mitochondrial function, and alleviate underlying blood sugar dysregulation.

CBD is not considered effective for weight loss on its own but offers an impressive range of benefits when combined with other diet and lifestyle changes.

Overall, the best way to lose weight is through diet and exercise.

CBD is great for irritated, inflamed, dry, or acne-prone skin. It reduces the thickness of the sebum on the skin — which helps prevent clogged pores and acne. CBD also offers anti-inflammatory benefits that can help with irritated skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or allergic dermatitis.

CBD skincare products are becoming increasingly popular as more people learn about the benefits of CBD for the skin and how to use CBD products to maintain skin health.

The list of benefits associated with CBD is very long. Our database contains over 55 individual health benefits alone. We’re much more skeptical than other sources who often claim more than 100 separate benefits — many of which are loosely based on fact. We prioritize clinical reality and scientific evidence over industry hype.

The answer lies in the specific receptors CBD interacts with.

Most health supplements or medications target a specific receptor that triggers a specific effect. SSRI medications, for example, block the reuptake of serotonin — causing serotonin levels to rise. It has one trigger, with one effect.

CBD is very different. It targets a series of receptors that make up the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is involved with hundreds of different functions in the human body. By targeting this broad-acting system, CBD is able to interact with virtually every organ in the human body.

Through its effects on the ECS, hemp extracts are able to interfere with pain transmission, inflammation, anxiety, sleep, and more.

In summary, CBD has so many benefits because it targets a master regulatory system, rather than focusing its effects on one specific pathway with one specific effect.

Hemp and marijuana are the same species of plant — Cannabis sativa. Like other plants, cannabis has many different forms (called phenotypes) depending on its genetic lineage and growing environments. Even though two plants may be the same species, they can be exceptionally different from each other.

The main difference between hemp and marijuana is the amount of THC they produce. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that makes users feel high.

Officially, hemp is any plant that contains less than 0.3% THC by dried weight. Marijuana is any cannabis plant containing more than 0.3% THC. Hemp is completely legal in much of the world, while marijuana is generally highly regulated or considered illegal due to its psychoactive effects.

There are two other species of marijuana as well — Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. These species are always classified as marijuana rather than hemp.

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Is Hemp Seed Oil the Same as CBD Oil?
No, hemp seed oil is very different from CBD oil and is not a suitable therapeutic alternative.

Hemp seed oil is made from the seeds of the cannabis plant. The seeds are rich in phytonutrients and omega-6 fatty acids but contain no active cannabinoids or terpenes.

CBD oil is made from the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. It’s rich in phytonutrients, cannabinoids, terpenes, and other medicinal compounds. All CBD oil is made from hemp leaves and flowers. Some companies will mix the extract with hemp seed oil after, but the active ingredients are in the leaf and flower extract only.

Industrial hemp is another word for hemp plants that contain little to no active THC. This is a term used to differentiate hemp from the plants used to make marijuana products.

The term industrial refers to the historical use of hemp plants. They were used as a source of building materials and textiles in the early and mid-1900s. Industrial hemp plants grew much taller and faster than marijuana plants. They were a rich source of fiber used to make clothing and ropes.

During every major war in the United States and Europe, hemp plants served as a staple manufacturing material and were in high demand. Today, industrial hemp is still used for its fiber, but many companies are also using them to make high-quality therapeutic CBD extracts.

Throughout most of the world, the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis plants (THC) is considered illegal. Drug tests searching for marijuana look for traces of THC (technically they look for a THC metabolite, THC-COOH).

CBD is completely non-psychoactive and legal in most countries. Therefore, it’s unlikely that a drug test will search for CBD content — there’s no reason to look for this compound since it’s not illegal.

Many CBD oils are made from CBD isolates or broad-spectrum extracts — which have no traceable amount of THC. You’re extremely unlikely to fail a drug test as a direct result of taking these oils.

Other CBD oils are made from full-spectrum extracts, containing less than 0.3% THC (the legal limit). Even these products are extremely unlikely to cause a failure on a drug test — however, it’s still possible for a test to pick up these trace amounts of THC.

If you’re worried about failing a drug test while taking CBD, you should seek out products made from certified 100% CBD isolates or broad-spectrum extracts. This is the only way to guarantee CBD products to be entirely THC-free.

The dose of CBD can significantly vary from one person to the next. Recommended doses can range from 5 mg per day up to 150 mg per day or more.

Try using our interactive Dosage Wizard on the home page to help find the ideal dose for your weight and desired strength.

Whenever using CBD for the first time, we suggest you go low and slow. Start at the lowest dose based on your weight and increase gradually over a few days or weeks.

For some symptoms, you’ll know right away when you’ve reached the right dose when you notice an improvement in your symptoms. Other times the benefits of CBD can take several weeks — so we recommend building up to the suggested dose of CBD according to your weight and desired level of effects and keeping it consistent for a few weeks. During this time, monitor your symptoms and adjust the dose accordingly.

Most people use CBD two or three times in a single day.

They may take a dose in the morning, another at lunch, and a third after dinner. Some will skip the dose at lunch and just do morning and evening.

The number of doses you need depends on the condition you’re using CBD to support. For example, arthritis sufferers will likely want to use CBD several times a day to provide all-day relief. Others who are using CBD to promote sleep may only want to use CBD once before bed.

The onset of effects from CBD products depends on the form of CBD you’re using.

The fastest onset of effects comes from inhaled forms of CBD (such as vapes or CBD flowers). Inhalation of CBD will result in benefits within 5 minutes, with the maximum effects reached in under 20 minutes.

For oral forms of CBD, the onset times can range from 30 to 60 minutes. This is because the active ingredients need to pass through the stomach and into the small intestine, where they can be absorbed. CBD is fat-soluble, which means there’s even an extra step: CBD is first absorbed into lymph fluid, which travels up near the heart where it finally enters the bloodstream.

If you’re using CBD oil or CBD gum, you can also allow the CBD to absorb sublingually (under the tongue). This can shorten the time needed for CBD to take effect to around 5 or 10 minutes. To do this, hold the CBD oil or CBD gum under the tongue for several minutes. The active ingredients will enter the bloodstream directly through the small capillaries on the underside of the tongue.

The effects of CBD usually last around 4 – 6 hours from a single dose.

If you take CBD on a regular basis, the level of CBD in the bloodstream will remain higher for longer periods of time. After 2 weeks of consistent use, the effects of CBD will usually last around 12 hours per dose.

CBD can remain detectable in the body for up to 7 days from a single dose. If you’re a regular user, CBD may remain detectable in the body for up to 2 weeks.

CBD is very safe. There have been dozens of large-scale clinical trials exploring CBD’s effects for specific health conditions. All have reported a low incidence of side effects associated with the supplement.

Many of these studies have even used CBD in exceptionally high doses — much higher than the average CBD user would even come close to taking. Some studies involve doses up to 600 mg of CBD. To put this into perspective, 10% of this dose (60 mg of CBD) is considered a high daily dose in standard user routines.

The short answer is no. Even in exceptionally high doses, CBD is non-lethal and physiologically non-toxic.

However, taking too much CBD may significantly increase the risk of minor side-effects. You may feel dizzy, sleepy, or lightheaded, which could increase your risk of accidental slips or injury.

The most common result of taking too much CBD is drowsiness. It often makes people fall asleep much earlier than usual and stay asleep for several hours. Some people may find that taking too much CBD can even leave them feeling groggy the following morning.

In rare cases, taking too much CBD can make your blood pressure drop, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness, especially while standing up quickly. Others may find that too much CBD can make them feel slightly nauseous.

If you experience any of these symptoms, the best thing to do is remain patient, drink water, and wait out the effects. The next time you use CBD, reduce the dose to avoid these negative side effects from happening again.

CBD is safe to use with kids, as long as the products contain strictly non-psychoactive doses of THC (such as certified THC-free isolates or broad-spectrum configurations). Products that contain psychoactive doses of THC or use other non-hemp-derived ingredients may not be safe to use with kids.

Additionally, the dosage used is very important. Giving children too much CBD may result in unwanted side effects like heavy sleepiness. It is NOT safe to give CBD products to kids if they’re taking other prescription medications or have underlying health conditions without first speaking with their doctor. CBD should never be used to replace any clinically prescribed medications without direct approval from your child’s doctor.

Yes! Animals also have endocannabinoid systems (ECS), just like humans. CBD is just as safe and effective for pets as it is for humans. Many pet owners are using CBD to manage pain, inflammation, stiff muscles and joints, separation anxiety, storm panic, and poor appetite.

Most wellness companies offer customized pet-friendly products, including CBD oils for dogs, CBD oils for cats, and organic CBD dog treats.

Our pets are much smaller than us. As a result, they require significantly less CBD than what you might need. Very small dogs or cats may only need 1 or 2 mg of CBD, while large dogs may need up to 50 mg per dose. Animals do not react well to THC, so it is absolutely critical to search for products with 0% or certified low (under 0.3%) THC content.

If you have any underlying health conditions, it’s wise to speak with your doctor before trying CBD. This is especially important if you’re using prescription medications to treat your condition.

CBD has a high level of safety and rarely interferes with other medications for medical conditions — but there are a few exceptions. A few specific examples of times where CBD may not be safe to use (or requires extreme caution and professional monitoring) include:

• Low blood pressure
• Heart disease
• While taking immunosuppressive drugs
• After an organ transplant or major surgery
• Severe clinical depression
• Schizophrenia or active psychosis
• Alcoholism

While CBD rarely causes any problems, there are some side-effects to be aware of. Side effects are more common with higher doses or in sensitive individuals. The side-effects of CBD include:

• Changes in appetite
• Changes in mood
• Mild diarrhea
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Drowsiness or daytime sleepiness
• Dry mouth (cottonmouth)
• Fatigue
• Nausea or stomach upset
• Vomiting (very rare, usually due to high intake of carrier oils)

The short answer is no. CBD itself is not addictive and has an extremely low likelihood of producing tolerance or physical dependence. This is especially notable compared to prescription analgesics or anti-anxiety medications like opioids or benzodiazepine drugs.

However, CBD can become habit-forming as people begin to rely on the supplement as a safe source of relief from their symptoms. This is very different from physical addiction.

During a physical addiction, the body loses its ability to maintain homeostasis without the drug — causing severe, dangerous withdrawal symptoms whenever it’s no longer in the system. This doesn’t happen with CBD — the worst that will happen if you stop taking it, even after many years of use, is that your original symptoms may begin to reappear. Interestingly, there is even emerging clinical evidence to suggest CBD can be utilized to help treat addiction to other substances.

CBD is not psychoactive — meaning that it won’t make you high, even in very large doses. Most clinical CBD products contain less than 0.3% THC (or 0% in isolate configurations) — which is well below the psychoactive threshold.

In places where marijuana is legal, you need to be careful not to mistakenly buy psychoactive cannabis products. Always check the THC content listed on the bottle. Anything claiming to be THC-free or less than about 0.5% THC can be taken without worrying about getting high.

CBD acts as an anxiolytic and relaxant in lower doses — and a mild to moderate sedative in higher doses.

If you take a high dose of CBD (more than 30 mg) or are extra sensitive to the cannabinoid, you may feel tired after taking it. CBD products that contain sedative terpenes, such as myrcene, humulene, bisabolol, or linalool, are especially likely to make users feel tired.

For many people, this effect is highly positive: the relaxant and sedative effects make CBD products especially useful for supporting sleep routines. For others, the sedative effects are a negative. If you want to use CBD during the day without feeling tired, look for products that contain lower doses of the sedative cannabinoid CBN, avoid the terpenes mentioned above, or microdose throughout the day.

Allergies to CBD are rare, but not impossible. It’s also highly possible to experience allergic reactions from other ingredients in CBD products — such as the carrier oil (e.g., coconut, hemp seed, or olive oil), synthetic flavorings, preservatives, or other herbal additives.

If you’re using CBD for the first time, it’s wise to apply a tiny drop to the skin first to check for contact allergies. If, after 30 minutes, there are no signs of redness or irritation, your chances of having an allergic reaction are very low. Even with this test, it’s a good idea to ingest a very small amount of CBD first to see how your body reacts before moving on to the full dose.

Allergic reactions to CBD or carrier ingredients can involve the following symptoms:

• Swelling of the skin or around the mouth
• Severe dizziness or sudden fatigue
• Itchy sensation in the mouth or on the skin
• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing or wheezing
• Headache

CBD can be combined with some substances, but should be strictly avoided with others.

In general, you can safely take CBD oil with other health supplements, but you should avoid taking CBD with alcohol or prescription medications used to lower blood pressure, induce sleep, or inhibit immune activity.

It’s not a good idea to mix CBD and alcohol. Both substances cause a reduction in blood pressure. When combined together, this may cause blood pressure to drop too far, causing dizziness and fainting.

Both CBD and alcohol are considered sedatives and hypotensives (blood pressure-lowering agents). When used together, it can result in a much stronger impact that could lead to side effects like sedation, heavy dizziness, and fainting. While mixing alcohol and CBD is not likely to produce more than mild side effects in healthy individuals, it’s a good idea to keep their consumption separate as much as possible.

We highly recommend taking other targeted health supplements alongside CBD. Because CBD has very broad-acting benefits covering several different organ systems in the body, adding in other compounds can help direct and multiply the effects of CBD on what you’re specifically aiming to support.

For example, if you’re using CBD products to manage joint discomfort, combining other joint-supportive supplements like glucosamine, magnesium, or MSM alongside CBD offers a much greater synergistic benefit than CBD on its own.

Here are a few common examples of health supplements that combine exceptionally well with CBD:

• Ashwagandha — for stress & anxiety relief
• Boswellia — for pain from arthritis & chronic inflammation
• Chondroitin & Glucosamine — for joint cartilage recovery & arthritis
• Kava Kava & Passionflower — for deep stress, anxiety, & sleep support
• L-Theanine — for calm focus and cognitive concentration
• Magnesium — for muscle relaxation, headaches, & sleep
• Melatonin — for deep sleep cycle resetting
• MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) — for joint mobility & cellular health
• Turmeric or Curcumin — for powerful systemic inflammation & joint pain relief
• Vitamin D & Vitamin K — for mood regulation & immune support

Are There Any Health Supplements That Can’t Be Used With CBD?
Most nutritional supplements are perfectly safe to use with CBD. It’s highly unlikely for CBD to interact negatively with most nutritional or herbal vitamins. However, supplements that strongly reduce blood pressure, reduce blood sugar, or produce a heavy sedative effect may increase the chances of side effects from CBD due to similarities in their biological effects (e.g., combining CBD with high doses of gymnema for blood sugar lowering might cause slight lightheadedness). Always consult a professional if combining multiple active routines.

CBD is generally regarded as safe and has a low potential for interacting with other drugs or supplements. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.

The main issue CBD may pose with other medications involves the liver. The liver is responsible for metabolizing all kinds of compounds from the body, including naturally made ones like hormones or blood cells. When we take large amounts of CBD that overwhelm the liver's processing capacity (specifically the Cytochrome P450 enzyme family), it can cause other prescription drugs that follow the same path of metabolism to become backed up. This can cause the active levels of these drugs to remain in the bloodstream much longer than expected — increasing the chances of producing unwanted side-effects.

Each drug is metabolized by different enzymes in the liver. If you’re planning to use CBD in combination with other prescription medications, we highly recommend asking your doctor if there are any known liver-enzyme interactions with CBD.

The best form of CBD will vary from one person to the next, depending on the symptoms and personal preference:

• For general purpose use — CBD oils, tinctures, sublingual drops, and oral capsules are the best, most bioavailable options.
• For localized muscle, joint, & skin health — CBD creams, salves, balms, and high-potency massage oils are excellent choices to provide targeted, direct relief.
• For therapeutic use (moderate to severe symptoms) — High-potency standard CBD oils or capsules formulated with supportive active ingredients are the absolute best choice.

Other options like bath bombs, CBD shots, low potency gummies, teas, and coffee are fun and relaxing, but are less reliable for managing more serious clinical symptoms because it is difficult to reach standard therapeutic dosages with these products, and added ingredients like sugar may negatively affect the body in larger doses.

CBD gummies consist of a CBD-rich extract — usually, CBD isolates or broad-spectrum extract — which is then mixed with a chewy gummy candy base.

The benefit of a CBD gummy is that it contains precise, pre-measured doses of CBD in every piece, which is completely masked by a sweet, fruit-flavored gummy base. CBD gummies are easy to carry around, deliver highly consistent results, and are the best option for people who don’t like the earthy taste of pure hemp extract.

The best, highest-quality CBD gummies use organic hemp, broad-spectrum extract, and provide at least 10 mg to 25 mg of CBD per piece.

CBD capsules can be made from either a liquid CBD carrier oil or dry CBD isolate powder enclosed in a standard softgel or hard capsule shell.

Most premium CBD capsules are made from a CBD-rich organic hemp oil filled into a clean gel capsule base. Many people prefer using capsules because of how simple and convenient they are: you don’t need to count drops or measure oil to find the right dose. Every single capsule contains a perfectly set, standardized dose of CBD, so you get exact dose consistency every single time by simply swallowing the capsule with water.

This form of CBD is highly preferred by people who already use standard capsules or vitamins in their daily health regimen. Premium capsules usually contain a high-potency extract, along with around 20 to 30 mg of CBD per capsule.