The Real Deal on CBD Oil

The demand for CBD oil is on the rise. Here's what all the buzz is about.

Illustration by Veronica Grech.

Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, is suddenly everywhere. It can be found on shelves in health stores and as an ingredient in smoothies, lattes, lotions and shampoos. The marketed benefits of the cannabis-based elixir strike all the right wellness buzzwords: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-anxiety, antipsychotic, anti-aging, natural analgesic and more. Yet CBD remains widely misunderstood.

While it is derived from either marijuana or hemp, CBD does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological and physiological effects. In other words, CBD does not get you high or intoxicated—and, thanks to the absence of THC, is generally construed as legal, although that’s a gray area.

“Don’t be afraid. Get rid of the stigma. It’s not marijuana,” says Mollie Twining, founding partner of CBD for Life, a Jersey-based CBD oil company that makes beauty and health products from hemp. “Cannabis offers many benefits, and not just by smoking it.”

According to Twining, CBD can help relieve symptoms caused by arthritis or anxiety and is being researched as a possible treatment for epilepsy. “CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory,” she says. “It helps to take care of the pain, not mask it.” For this reason, CBD oil is believed to be growing in popularity as a natural replacement for pain relievers and opioids.

CBD oil is available in many forms. CBD for Life makes face and body lotions, eye serums, lip balm, shampoo and conditioner, roll-on oils and more, as well as non-flavored and flavored CBD oil tinctures that can be ingested.

Twining believes in the restorative and healing properties of CBD and recommends adding it to your overall wellness routine. “I take it every day,” she says, “like a vitamin C.”

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