In the last decade, cannabidiol (CBD), has made a meteoric ascent from little known cannabis compound to popular health supplement. Now consumers can go online and order just about any CBD product to suit their taste, even in states without liberal cannabis laws. Let’s take a look this cannabinoid’s rise and why cannabinoid profiling is so important when it comes to CBD.
The Rising Popularity of CBD
Like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD is a cannabinoid compound found in the cannabis plant. When ingested, it interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system which controls a broad range of physiological processes including mood, sleep, and appetite.
Although we still have much to learn, scientific and medical researchers have studied the effects of CBD on a variety of diseases and disorders. CBD has shown promise for treating seizures, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder.
So far research evidence consistently shows that CBD possesses useful therapeutic benefits with minimal negative side effects. In June 2018, the FDA even approved the first cannabis-based drug, Epidiolex, which contains CBD as the active ingredient, to treat rare and severe forms of epilepsy.
One advantage of CBD is that, unlike THC, it does not cause intoxication. This is also one of the reasons why CBD has become so popular—many people are interested in the therapeutic benefits of cannabis but don’t want to feel high.
CBD Products in Every Flavor
With the demand for CBD skyrocketing, cannabis growers have bred strains that are either CBD dominant with low levels of THC or contain a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC. CBD-rich extracts are also available in the forms of oil tinctures, topicals, capsules, and edibles like gummies. And with hemp now legal under the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, even consumers in states without liberal cannabis laws can buy CBD products online.
Some companies manufacture CBD isolates which contain pure CBD. However, pure CBD may have a different effect when compared to CBD-rich, whole plant extracts. That’s because whole plant extracts also contain additional cannabinoids and terpenes compounds. Many believe that these cannabis compounds act synergistically with each other—a phenomenon referred to as the entourage effect.
CBD Profiling
For patients and consumers who seek the therapeutic effect of cannabis but wish to avoid intoxication, CBD profiling or potency testing is a must. Accurate potency testing lets your customers feel confident that they will get the experience they’re looking for when they buy a CBD-rich product.
In California, every cannabis product must undergo potency testing to determine it’s cannabinoid profile before it can be sold. Cannabis testing labs use techniques like high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate and identify the different cannabinoid compounds with precision and accuracy. Addtionally, all products are labeled with their percentage by weight of both THC and CBD.
Conclusion
With a long list of potential therapeutic benefits and few negative side effects, CBD has emerged as a popular supplement. And CBD profiling helps consumers buy with confidence when they’re purchasing CBD products.
Looking for accurate and reliable CBD potency testing? At Encore Labs, we offer cannabinoid testing and terpene analysis with over 25 years of laboratory experience.