CBD oil is currently on everyone's lips - in the truest sense of the word.

CBD oil is currently on everyone's lips - in the truest sense of the word.

Published: 18.04.2023 (Updated: 14.07.2023)
Reading time: Min.
Dr. Harald Stephan
Dr. rer. medic. Harald Stephan
Health expert

Taken as drops, it can be easily dosed and absorbed through the oral mucosa. In a good full-spectrum CBD oil, all cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant are retained. They have proven themselves many times over in the treatment of pain, stress and depression. There will be no intoxication from THC: Psychoactive cannabinoids are only contained in minimal and therefore harmless quantities.

CBD oil effect - the most important facts at a glance!

  1. Among other things, it is used for stress, anxiety, pain and sleep disorders.
  2. According to studies, CBD oil is well tolerated and only rarely shows slight side effects.
  3. In Germany, you can legally buy CBD oil, which only contains a maximum of 0.2 percent THC.
  4. A high-quality CBD oil ensures medical efficacy.

What is CBD?

CBDstands for cannabidiol, a secondary plant substance that belongs to the group of cannabinoids, of which more than 100 are now known. Chemically, they belong to the terpene phenols that are formed by the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica). Small chemical modifications ensure that a whole arsenal of these secondary metabolites is available.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is a solution of cannabidiol (CBD) in oil. Cannabinoids, being terpenes, are not soluble in water, so the extract obtained from CBD hemp is dissolved in a "non-polar" solvent. A carrier oil such as cold-pressed hemp seed oil simplifies the application: With it, an exact CBD concentration can be set. This way, every layman can dose exactly and reproducibly with the number of drops.

The best CBD oil is obtained from the flowers of the hemp plant. The CBD concentration is extremely high in those of the female specimens - in dioecious hemp there are males and females just like in animals. The hemp flowers of the latter are enormously precious and worth protecting because they form the seeds that are important for reproduction.

There are significantly fewer cannabinoids in the leaves, not to mention the stems, which are often extracted along with a cheap CBD oil.

For the extraction of CBD oil, CBD cannabis varieties are used that have only a low THC content. The THC concentration in a CBD product must not exceed 0.2 percent. At Lucky Hemp, the commercial hemp even comes from organic cultivation within Europe - no pollutants, short distances, minimal CO2 footprint.

How does CBD work in the body?

Since time immemorial, hemp has been used for stress and chronic pain. The psychotropic effect is only one side of the coin and for decades the medical effects of cannabis were forgotten. Today we know that THC is responsible for the intoxication, CBD for the positive effects. But how does CBD provide the desired results?

Because of their plant origin, the secondary plantsubstances are called phytocannabinoids; the cannabinoids produced by the human body itself are called endocannabinoids. The latter are important messenger substances in the endocannabinoid system. They dock onto molecules on the surface of cells: The CB1 recept or and the CB2 receptor, which are found in varying amounts in the tissues of the organs.

Depending on which neurotransmitter docks with which receptor in which organ, a cascade of events occurs inside the cells. Every cannabinoid, whether endocannabinoid or phytocannabinoid, has an activating or inhibiting effect on the CB1 and CB2 receptors. And thus on all the complicated processes behind them. Cannabidiol mainly pushes the buttons that have a calming effect.

Areas of application and use: What does CBD oil help with?

Studies suggest thatCBD might help with a whole range of ailments. This way you don't get in the way of the morning rush hour. During this time, the visual purple in the retina regenerates, pollutants are removed and germs are rendered harmless. Sleep also plays an important role in learning and memory, because it is during this time that nerve cells form new connections with each other.

  • Stress.A little eustress keeps the circulation going, chronic stress or distress leads to physical and psychological complaints in the long run. CBD oil helps many patients to break the stress spiral.
  • Stress is a good keyword - it is the most common cause of disturbed sleep. CBD oil indirectly improves falling asleep and staying asleep through better stress management - and in a more natural way than sleeping pills.
  • Anxiety, depression and psychosis arefurther consequences of stress. Here too, CBD oil can have a calming effect and prevent the situation from getting worse or ending in burnout. Cannabidiol has been shown in studies to have anxiolytic, antidepressant and antipsychotic effects.
  • seizure disorders, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.This effect of CBD oil is best studied clinically: Two drugs with standardised CBD content are approved for the treatment of epilepsy and MS, Epidiolex and Nabiximols (Sativex oral spray). The cannabinoids contained in them have a relaxing and spasmolytic effect, meaning they improve muscle spasms and pain.
  • Pain. For many chronic diseases, their relief is one of the most important desired effects. But the same is true for many acute pains, such as those typical of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), migraines and headaches. CBD influences the receptors in such a way that chronic pain disappears or at least improves. In the case of menstrual cramps, the spasms responsible for the pain decrease, similar to epilepsy and MS.
  • Inflammation occursin a variety of diseases. Many are caused by free oxygen radicals, which trigger diseases ranging from Alzheimer's to Crohn's disease. CBD has a mild immunosuppressive effect by affecting the T-cells. The white blood cells are responsible for inflammatory reactions in the immune defence. Cannabidiol shifts them down a gear and thus has an anti-inflammatory effect.
  • Rheumatic diseases and arthritisare characterised by inflammation, chronic pain and stiff joints. CBD also seems to help here - not only in humans, but also in pets such as dogs, which suffer relatively frequently from arthrosis/osteoarthritis. In both bipeds and quadrupeds, cannabidiol is said to have a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect and ensure better mobility of the affected joints.
  • Cancer therapy.Almost all patients have to undergo radiation or chemotherapy as part of cancer treatment - with nausea and vomiting as frequent side effects. Cannabinoids can improve the quality of life in many cases. At least in preclinical studies, CBD inhibits tumour growth - but there is still no research evidence that this is the case in the human body.

CBD is said to have positive effects on many other diseases, from migraine and allergies to autism and diabetes. The same applies here as to the press reports about cannabidiol for cancer: there is no panacea. Suspicion is always warranted when a miracle drug makes tumours disappear, improves potency and cures Alzheimer's disease. Everything at once and much more. In reality, the most that can be done is to clean the silverware.

The indications from experiments on cell cultures and animal models cannot necessarily be transferred one-to-one to humans. With all due caution, some of it sounds promising.

The medical effect of CBD oil has not yet been conclusively proven scientifically - this would require many more clinical studies with significantly more test subjects, preferably placebo-controlled double-blind studies, which are considered the gold standard of medical research. With natural substances like cannabidiol, which cannot be patented, such trials are rare: pharmaceutical companies usually only conduct them if they can sell a product exclusively. With a natural product, there is no such advantage, and unfortunately the research situation looks accordingly. Not only would the competition benefit from the results, but the time and money involved is immense.

Side effects

Old pharmacist's wisdom: What has a medicinal effect also has side effects. Clinical studies on CBD in epilepsy and psychiatric diseases have well documented the side effects of CBD. Most commonly, it causes dry mouth, makes you dizzy or tired (which is absolutely desirable in some cases). Rarely, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea may occur, especially at high doses. In some patients, the appetite changes and with it the weight - up or down.

As Paracelsus already said: The quantity makes a thing a poison. Animal experiments show that one should never take high doses of CBD over a long period of time. Rats and mice that were given extremely large amounts of cannabidiol suffered from low blood pressure, damage to the liver and nerves and reduced fertility. Extrapolating, however, a human would have to virtually live on CBD oil to achieve a similarly harmful effect.

Interactions of CBD with medicines are the most likely to be observed. Some of them influence each other in effect and duration of action. These include painkillers, neuroleptics and anticoagulants. If you take medicines on a daily basis, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist if there are any concerns about taking CBD oil at the same time. As is appropriate with any natural remedy for self-treatment.

By the way: Cannabidiol does not impair attention or the ability to react - therefore participation in road traffic with driving and driving vehicles as well as the operation of machines are no problem! The THC content that could lead to such impairments is far below the critical limit in a high-quality CBD oil.

CBD as a medicine and food supplement

Despite the medicinal effect of CBD, food supplements currently dominate the market. Only Epidiolex and Nabiximols (Sativex spray) are currently approved as CBD-containing medicines for the treatment of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Medical cannabis, which doctors are allowed to prescribe in special cases, contains THC as well as CBD.

Thanks to the current CBD hype, food supplements containing CBD are flourishing. Thus, dosage forms are coming onto the market that should rather be seen as episodic and not as medically effective. CBD sweets, CBD lollipops and CBD chocolate are a nice gag, but not suitable for a serious treatment with CBD against pain, stress and depression. In general, it is better to consider CBD oil or CBD flowers.

Advantages of CBD oil

The big advantage of CBD oil: unlike most antidepressants, sleeping pills and painkillers, it is not addictive and has only rare and relatively minor side effects.

CBD oil is easier to dose than CBD isolate or CBD flowers. Putting a few drops on the tongue is not witchcraft and much more convenient than weighing, diluting or whatever.

Whichever full-spectrum CBD oil from our shop you choose: Ultimately, they only differ in their concentration, from a moderate 5% CBD to a concentrated 30% CBD. All oils are of the best quality and also contain all terpenes, which are said to have further effects.

Application and effect: How CBD oil is taken

A high-quality CBD oil can be administered orally. This means that it is dripped onto or under the tongue; in medical terms, this is called lingual and sublingual. In this way, the oral mucosa can absorb the cannabinoids and terpenes directly and distribute them throughout the human body via the blood.

A dropper with a glass pipette in the vial simplifies the matter. Diluting with liquid is therefore not necessary, especially since the CBD oil is not water-soluble anyway and the absorption from the oil via mucous membranes is much faster. As a rule, it does not even reach the gastric mucosa.

CBD Öl auf die Haut

Dosage: How many CBD drops should one take?

People are not machines and everyone reacts differently to an active substance. This means that there is no general binding answer, but always depends on the consumer. So you can't avoid trying it out yourself.

With CBD oil, the dosage is particularly easy: put a few drops under the tongue and let it soak in for as long as possible. During this time, the oral mucosa absorbs the cannabidiol and the terpenes.

Depending on whether you notice something of the desired effect, you can leave it at this dose or add a little more. If you are always stressed or still can't sleep: take a few more drops until it works. You will quickly get a feeling whether you need to take more CBD oil after a horrible day or a few drops less after a relaxing weekend with friends.

PS: Lucky Hemp offers full spectrum CBD oil in different concentrations. So one drop of the 30% CBD oil has three times as much CBD in it as one of the 10% CBD oil. Depending on how persistent your symptoms are, you can choose a weaker or a stronger concentrated oil.

When does CBD oil start to work?

How quickly CBD oil takes effect depends mainly on how much you take it and is influenced by many factors. If CBD oil is dripped under the tongue, the active ingredients must first be absorbed through the mucous membrane of the mouth. Then the blood takes them to their sites of action, where the cells absorb the cannabinoids and terpenes. Only then can they unfold their effect. This naturally takes a while and does not happen within seconds.

What you have eaten and drunk beforehand, whether you are physically active, sitting in front of the TV and so on also play a role. Some illnesses cannot be eliminated from one moment to the next: Chronic stress will not disappear into thin air with one dose of CBD, but only after repeated use. You probably don't want to take a medicine that can simply switch off chronic complaints, because it's not really healthy. The same applies to sleeping pills.

When the effect of CBD oil begins depends on influencing factors such as

  • Body weight
  • Age
  • physical constitution
  • predisposition
  • underlying diseases
  • Medication taken
  • type and severity of symptoms
  • Dosage and regularity of intake
  • and many others.

In studies with CBD oil, cannabidiol is given over a longer period of time. After a whole month, it can be assumed that one can actually say something about the effect of CBD oil. And not just observe short-term effects or overlook something that only occurs after a longer use of cannabidiol.

When does the effect of CBD oil end?

Over time, CBD is metabolised - that is, it is broken down and excreted. Chemically altered, it is no longer effective; the liver and kidneys ensure that it is broken down and inactivated and disappears from the human body with the urine.

Thetime it takes for CBD to be broken down depends on numerous factors: Starting with how much you take, what you have eaten and drunk, whether you work at the computer, go jogging or lie in bed. All of this influences absorption, breakdown and excretion. And it also plays a role whether you take CBD sporadically or regularly. In other words, the same influencing factors come into play here as with the question of how quickly CBD oil works.

Vollspektrum CBD Öl von Lucky Hemp

Tips for buying CBD oil: The best CBD oil there is!

There is currently a hype around CBD oil that many want to profit from - unfortunately often at the expense of quality. What you get occasionally at seemingly sensational prices actually always has a catch. And most of the time, it's your health that hangs in the balance.

Good quality CBD oil means the best raw material, optimal processing and regular quality control.

Organic hemp, know-how and labour are expensive. Offers at dumping prices should always make you suspicious. The high-quality and natural full-spectrum CBD oils from Lucky Hemp are in a league of their own in terms of quality:

  • Hemp plants from organic farming are the basis for our full-spectrum CBD oil. Pesticides and pollutants from conventional cultivation are thus eliminated. In other words: 100% organic quality.
  • Cultivation in Europe ensures that CBD products are subject to strict laws that are not seen quite as strictly elsewhere. In addition, the CO2 footprint remains low thanks to the short transport routes.
  • Hemp varieties with a declared low THC content of less than 0.2 percent are legally compliant. They deliver an absolutely legal product, where you don't have to worry about unwanted intoxication or the police.
  • CBD-containing female flowers of the cannabis plant are particularly precious, because the phytocannabinoid is extremely concentrated here. Only these are used for the isolation of CBD at Lucky Hemp. In other words, the best that the herb has to offer.
  • Lucky Hemp's patented extraction process is unique. It ensures that all ingredients from the hemp are preserved. Besides CBD, this also includes the terpenes that characterise a good CBD product.
  • Nothing is artificially added or extracted afterwards. Neither synthetic cannabinoids nor artificial terpenes, no additives, flavourings or preservatives. The CBD isolate is dissolved in a carrier oil - that's it. Pure nature with lots of aroma and flavour.
  • Lucky Hemp has every batch tested in an independent laboratory. Better safe than sorry. Because the full-spectrum CBD oil for your complaints should be of high quality and absolutely safe. You can rely on our laboratory-tested quality!

Conclusion

  • CBD oil contains only minimal amounts of THC within the legal limits, is legal and does not make you high.
  • It can be taken drop by drop through the oral mucosa, which makes the dosage much easier.
  • Cannabidiol is said to have a whole range of positive effects, which scientists are constantly researching in clinical studies.
  • Even if we cannot yet speak of definitive proof, there is a lot of evidence from scientific studies that CBD can help many patients, especially with pain, cramps, anxiety and depression or sleep disorders.
  • CBD oil is well tolerated and rarely shows minor side effects.
  • The full-spectrum CBD oils from Lucky Hemp are in a league of their own: The patented process extracts the CBD directly from the female flowers from organic cultivation without chemical additives.

FAQ: The most important questions about the effect of CBD oil

How does CBD help?

The calming effect of CBD is mainly used in cases of stress, while at the same time CBD helps against the natural consequences of stress: depression, anxiety and insomnia. Cannabidiol can break the vicious circle and prevent the symptoms from getting worse.

Similar to the closely related but psychoactive THC, CBD is helpful against pain and inflammation. The big advantage: it does not make you high and certainly not addicted. Especially patients with chronic diseases and chronic pain can often benefit from the positive effect of CBD oil.

Does CBD oil make you high?

You do not gethigh from cannabidiol. The CBD effect is limited to pain, sleep and inflammation because it targets the receptors differently than THC. In an approved CBD oil, the THC concentration is so negligible that one would have to ingest utopian amounts to get high.

What effect do CBD drops have?

CBD is far from the psychoactive effect of THC. The former makes you high and causes euphoria and feelings of happiness, while CBD has a calming, analgesic and antispasmodic effect. This is used in medicines like Epidiolex and Nabiximols for epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Clinical studies on CBD deal with the effect of CBD against pain, cramps, stress and anxiety or inflammation. The terpenes from the hemp plant are said to be involved in this, as they are contained in a good full-spectrum CBD oil. They are said to have the entourage effect, which goes beyond the effect of pure CBD isolate.

Does CBD oil have side effects?

Theside effects of CBD oil are manageable - no comparison to the consumption of cannabis or marijuana, which can trigger psychoses and all kinds of things with their high THC content. The most common symptoms are dry mouth and fatigue. Less frequently, patients suffer from nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. Some have less or more appetite, so they lose or gain weight with prolonged use.

Can CBD harm?

CBD has a demonstrable positive effect on mental and physical illnesses,but it does not make you high; this effect is only caused by the TCH, which is only allowed to be contained in CBD products in a proportion of maximum 0.2 %. This is also not the task of CBD oil, because it is supposed to work against stress and anxiety or improve sleep and is not a drug.

Interactions with medications are important - those who take pills daily should ask their doctor, alternative practitioner or pharmacist if this could be a problem. After all, phytocannabinoids interfere with the metabolism in the same way as the body's own endocannabinoids. Therefore, CBD oil can also influence the effect of medicines.

How should one take CBD oil?

The best way to take it is via the oral mucosa - put a few drops on or under the tongue and let it take effect. CBD oil should never be dissolved in a glass of water like medicines.

CBD oil simplifies the application. The CBD isolate extracted from the hemp plant is dissolved in a carrier oil such as oil from hemp seeds, so that an exact concentration can be set. This way, you always have an overview of how much cannabidiol you have taken with so and so many drops of CBD oil.

How fast does CBD work?

CBD oil takes effect quite quickly when it is absorbed through the oral mucosa. The cannabidiol and terpenes are distributed throughout the body by the blood. How quickly CBD takes effect depends on personal circumstances - such as how physically active you are, what you have eaten and much more.

It also depends on whether the CBD oil is intended to calm or relieve pain. Getting rid of stress or chronic pain that has lasted for weeks is not as easy as calming down after a nuisance or doing something about your back. The human body is not a machine that can be switched on or off at the push of a button.

How long does the effect of CBD last?

How quickly CBD oil takes effect and how long it lasts are directly related. The effect wears off slowly because the liver and kidneys break it down and excrete it. How quickly this happens depends on physical activity, regularity of intake, the dose taken and much more.

Which CBD works best?

High-quality CBD in the form of full-spectrum CBD oil works best. The cannabinoid is always isolated from hemp - at Lucky Hemp solely from the female flowers. And this is done with a particularly gentle process that is unique and patented.

Full-spectrum CBD oil contains everything that ensures the full range of biological effects. This also includes the terpenes, which are said to have an entourage effect. This means that the substances work better together than pure CBD alone.

Sources, links and further literature

  1. Argueta DA, Ventura CM, Kiven S, Sagi V, Gupta K. A Balanced Approach for Cannabidiol Use in Chronic Pain. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Apr 30;11:561. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00561. PMID: 32425793; PMCID: PMC7204604.
  2. Atalay S, Jarocka-Karpowicz I, Skrzydlewska E. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019 Dec 25;9(1):21. doi: 10.3390/antiox9010021. PMID: 31881765; PMCID: PMC7023045.
  3. Brown JD, Winterstein AG.Potential Adverse Drug Events and Drug-Drug Interactions with Medical and Consumer Cannabidiol (CBD) Use. J Clin Med. 2019 Jul 8;8(7):989. doi: 10.3390/jcm8070989. PMID: 31288397; PMCID: PMC6678684.
  4. García-Gutiérrez MS, Navarrete F, Gasparyan A, Austrich-Olivares A, Sala F, Manzanares J. Cannabidiol: A Potential New Alternative for the Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Psychotic Disorders. Biomolecules. 2020 Nov 19;10(11):1575. doi: 10.3390/biom10111575. PMID: 33228239; PMCID: PMC7699613.
  5. Huestis MA, Solimini R, Pichini S, Pacifici R, Carlier J, Busardò FP. Cannabidiol Adverse Effects and Toxicity. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2019;17(10):974-989. doi: 10.2174/1570159X17666190603171901. PMID: 31161980; PMCID: PMC7052834.
  6. Kicman A, Toczek M. The Effects of Cannabidiol, a Non-Intoxicating Compound of Cannabis, on the Cardiovascular System in Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep 14;21(18):6740. doi: 10.3390/ijms21186740. PMID: 32937917; PMCID: PMC7554803.
  7. Larsen C, Shahinas J. Dosage, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol Administration in Adults: A Systematic Review of Human Trials. J Clin Med Res. 2020 Mar;12(3):129-141. doi: 10.14740/jocmr4090. Epub 2020 Mar 2. PMID: 32231748; PMCID: PMC7092763.
  8. Millar SA, Stone NL, Yates AS, O'Sullivan SE. A Systematic Review on the Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol in Humans. Front Pharmacol. 2018 Nov 26;9:1365. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01365. PMID: 30534073; PMCID: PMC6275223.
  9. Oberbarnscheidt T, Miller NS. The Impact of Cannabidiol on Psychiatric and Medical Conditions. J Clin Med Res. 2020 Jul;12(7):393-403. doi: 10.14740/jocmr4159. Epub 2020 Jun 25. PMID: 32655732; PMCID: PMC7331870.
  10. VanDolah HJ, Bauer BA, Mauck KF. Clinicians' Guide to Cannabidiol and Hemp Oils. Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 Sep;94(9):1840-1851. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.003. Epub 2019 Aug 22. PMID: 31447137.
Dr. Harald Stephan
Dr. rer. medic. Harald Stephan
Graduate Biologist, Medical Information Processing Officer and Doctor of Health Sciences
About the author

After studying in Saarbrücken, Dr Harald Stephan worked in research and teaching at the Universities of Marburg and Bochum as well as at the University Hospital in Essen before becoming a self-employed publicist in 2016. He sees acquiring and passing on knowledge as his life's work.

In addition to his publications on cell biology and tumour research in renowned specialist journals, hundreds of his articles on health topics can be found on the internet. In them, he explains the causes of diseases, laboratory values, diagnoses as well as traditional and novel therapy options.