In 2018, CBD trended across the world. But with an ever-growing landscape of CBD products in 2019, more and more people than ever before are finding CBD a place to call home in their wellness routines, makeup kits, and medicine cabinets. So what does this year have in store of CBD in the US and UK?
Before we going further into the topic let’s first understand the basics:
CBD is a naturally occurring compound derived from hemp and cannabis plants, which has gained popularity owing to its many health benefits. Unlike THC (also a cannabis multipart), CBD does not alter your state of mind.
CBD works through the endocannabinoid system, which is present in all human beings. Researchers discovered our endo cannabinoid system over time — we weren’t always aware of its existence.
The endo cannabinoid system is a network of synapses and neurons in your body and mind. CBD cannabinoids combine with the endo cannabinoid system (CB2 and CBD1 receptors) to form a fully operational network of neurons in your body.
CBD works synergistically with other cannabinoids like THC to support the "Entourage Effect".
Sort of, but not entirely. In December 2018, legislation known as the "2018 Farm Bill" was passed making it easier to grow and process hemp under Federal Law.
From MarketWatch: The farm bill is a sprawling piece of legislation that sets U.S. government agricultural and food policy for the country and is renewed roughly every five years. This version of the bill places industrial hemp — which is defined as a cannabis plant with under 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — under the supervision of the Agriculture Department and removes CBD from the purview of the Controlled Substances Act, which covers marijuana. The law also “explicitly” preserved the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate products containing cannabis, or cannabis-derived compounds.
Yes, but conditionally.There is a lot of confusion since marijuana is classified as a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The legislation states that most cannabinoids including THC are illicit, but CBD is an exception to this.
So, under the following conditions CBD is completely legal in the UK:
Yes. It is non-addictive and has low to zero potential for abuse. However, when buying CBD oil, it's important to ensure that the company extracts CBD from plants that are free of herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticides. Make sure all CBD products are tested in third-party labs and that the company you’re purchasing from aren’t hesitant about sharing their lab results.
Just like any artificial product, the best way to ensure quality is to use high-grade materials. This is especially important in CBD oil as a result of the hemp plant’s trait as a “hyperaccumulator.”
Unfortunately, there is no conclusive scientific answer to this. The best advice we can give is that it calls for some trial and error to get the right dosage for your condition. But, with a lot of patience and practice, you’ll get to that “happy point.”
If you live in a recreational or medical market in the United States, you are in luck. You can visit your local dispensary or cannabis retail store to learn about what products might be right for you, and at what doses.
Is Hemp Oil the Same as CBD Oil?
Understanding the difference between hemp oil and CBD oil is very important since their uses vary drastically. So, what is hemp oil, anyway? Well, hempseed oil or Hemp oil is obtained by pressing hemp seeds. On the flip side, CBD is a natural compound found in both hemp and marijuana plants.
That being said, is hem oil and CBD oil the same thing? No, CBD Oil and Hemp Oil are both obtained from the same plant though. Hemp oil is very useful containing a lot of omega 6 & 3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Hemp oil doesn’t contain the same quantity of cannabinoids found in CBD oil, which is obtained from the whole plant.
Now that that's out of the way, let's look at the 5 CBD trends set to dominate 2019:
As new ways to use CBD are hitting the market, some beverage brands are leading the way for CBD sparkling drinks, coffees, sodas and waters to become a major trend.
The Alkaline Water Co. perfectly reveals the huge opportunities available to innovative companies in the cannabis derivative market. They’re entering an untapped industry where big companies want to invest in, but they need somebody else to do the hard work first.
Other novel products include hemp enema kits, hemp cigarettes, and even hemp infused beer.
Prices of hemp and its by-products continue to drop. The average 1,000mgs CBD oil tincture now goes for a whopping £ 100. While that's still costly - 1,000mg should last the average person 1-2 months - it's a huge improvement over the market prices of previous years.
2018 was a big year for massive waves of information circulated to the general public from all media outlets about CBD. The reason we’re confident that won’t stop is that at long last the stigma is being released about the potent hemp plant; we’ll carry on our commitment into 2019 of enlightening both consumers and the country as a whole about CBD.
As sales increase, the demand for CBD products has also increased - large enough to stretch the industry's present supply chain. Hemp growers are in high demand, as are product formulators, lab workers, and extraction specialists.
CBD companies are also in dire need for marketing experts and sales specialists. Customers are demanding larger amounts of cost-effective products, and everybody else is trying to figure out how to make it possible.
As the CBD stigma falls away, we’ll continue to see CBD products made accessible in mass retail outlets such as beauty stores, department stores, and pharmacy chains. We’re already seeing this happen with major brands such as Sephora that are starting to sell CBD beauty products.
Though it’s been around for ages, 2018 was the year that CBD burst onto the health and wellness scene—and while health and wellness trends come and go, we believe CBD is here to stay for the long haul. While it is not a panacea, the growth and acceptance of CBD may help usher in plant and cannabis medicine that offers real promise for patients and therapeutic users.