Paula Niles

What is CBD? Exactly? For the most part, CBD (cannabidiol) is hugely misunderstood; a sorry state of affairs that degrades CBD to a topic of discussion, every time cannabidiol is mentioned. But with the increasing popularity of CBD and actual testimonies of its health benefits seeing the light of the day, you can tell that the CBD debate is, for the most part, settled in favor of its legality and usage. A round of cheers to the states that have already legalized CBD, a node of acceptance to the Federal government that is revisiting some of the harshest bottlenecks that gagged CBD research. However, for your peace of mind, especially if you do not want to be a guest of the state, where you would be a welcome spouse to a Tom or Jane with tattoos and what have you, it is safe to acquaint yourself with your state’s laws regarding CBD before you purchase or enjoy CBD. With that said, and, in constant motivation to debunk CBD myths, the decades-old question, for the umpteenth time, is what is CBD? If the same question is buzzing in your mind 24/7, or even for a minute, read on, this article is what you have been looking for. You don’t want to be one of those Monday morning Quarterbacks who will tell you that CBD will get you high, and emphatically dismiss you with that clichéd phrase, ‘ end of discussion!’. Okay, now, what is CBD? Cannabidiol, abbreviated as CBD, is one of the two main chemical compounds of the cannabis plant. For clarity purposes, it is essential to remember that the Cannabis plant exists in two species; marijuana and hemp. Here’s the catch, both hemp and marijuana contain Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but hemp has the highest ratio of CBD and the lowest percentage of THC (0.3%). As such, CBD is a derivative of the hemp plant. Given that hemp is a species of Cannabis sativa, same as marijuana, it is often massively confused to contain THC, while it has zero to little strains of THC. What’s more, it is possible to separate THC from CBD, such that there is zero THC in CBD that is derived from the marijuana plant. Hemp-derived CBD is the purest form of CBD, albeit more expensive. Is it CBD or THC? The two compounds, THC and CBD, are only two of the more than 100 Cannabinoids present in the Cannabis plant. However, they are the most dominant compounds of the cannabis plant, and that is usually the recipe for the confusion surrounding CBD and THC. This is because THC is the compound responsible for the psychoactive stimuli that get people high, while CBD is not psychoactive and does not get you high. Instead, CBD brings forth the feeling of calmness and relaxation, which doctors agree it’s a positive health effect. CBD medicine? For this reason, CBD has, for long, been associated with treating various maladies like epilepsy and insomnia. That notwithstanding, the FDA has traditionally been disapproving of this, until last year when it approved Epidiolex to treat some categories of Epilepsy. Up to date, Epidiolex remains the only CBD drug that the FDA has passed, all though the word in the streets has it that CBD medications are gaining traction, and the coming years will see more of them get approval from the FDA. According to researchers, most CBD medications have not received FDA approval because of a lack of convincing research, which is the case, thanks to the numerous red tapes from the FDA that limit the conduct of proper research. The fact that two chemical compounds from the same plant result in contrasting health effects is the main bone of contention when people digest the topic. However, due to more mass awareness and the increasing pressure on the government to loosen up on the restrictive laws obscuring CBD research, the attitude is shifting and curving a new path, a welcome gesture to the CBD industry. CBD legality The law, in itself, is a complex topic; it is not your cup of coffee, especially when you want to know if CBD is legal or illegal in your state. Well, this is one of the questions that the answers vary depending on the state from which you are asking the question. As aforementioned, CBD may be sourced from the marijuana plant or the hemp plant. According to the new 2018 Farm Act. (1), that was passed by both houses and signed by U.S President, Trump, the Hemp plant is legal and recognized as an agricultural crop. Resultantly, in all 50 states, it is legal to consume CBD derived from hemp products because it contains less than 0.3% of THC. Do not jump the gun yet, because, depending on your state laws; you will be holding a tiger by the tail if you consume CBD derived from the marijuana plant. For simplicity, not unless you are one of the lucky populace that resides in the ten states that have legalized growth and usage of marijuana, you need to do your homework to ascertain the source of your CBD. For folks in Michigan, California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Washington, Vermont, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, and Alaska, you can purchase CBD without looking over your shoulder, as marijuana is legal in these states. For the other states, you want to make sure that your CBD is hemp-derived, to be in good books with your state laws. Bottom-line, stay clear of CBD derived from the marijuana plant if you are not exactly sure of the position your state holds regarding the possession and use of marijuana and its derivatives. Well said, now, do I use or not use CBD? According to the World Health Organization, there are no negative medical concerns attributed to the usage of pure CBD. On the contrary, there has been recorded evidence of people that have successfully utilized CBD to cure insomnia, epilepsy, and manage severe pain. However, this is not a green light for abuse, because, just like any other consumables, excessive use is discouraged. Furthermore, if you are already under other prescribed medications, it is advisable that you first consult your physician before enjoying CBD. Otherwise, sober usage of CBD will give you more than you bargained for, and you will enjoy more benefits from the naturally -occurring, non-psychoactive CBD. Also, you have to be 18 years and above for you to buy and consume CBD. CBD is a gift from Mother Nature, which is a marvel to behold, and rightfully deserves a place in the sun. If your state laws are CBD friendly, carry on and enjoy CBD responsibly, thank me later. Why Cannabis Farmers Prefer Feminized Seeds If you engage in any substantial farming activity, you are most likely in harmony with the fact that choosing the right seed before planting will either set you up for a bountiful harvest or have your fingers burned season after season. The stakes are higher when it comes to cannabis farming, given the limiting rules that govern ganja farming in the 23 states that have legalized weed farming. Most states permit only but a few ganja plants per household, which makes the choice of marijuana seed eminently salient. This is because only the female marijuana plant contains cannabinoids, which is the compound that every marijuana farmer is chiefly after, because it contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and 111 more cannabinoids. Subsequently, most ganja farmers prefer feminized marijuana seeds over the regular seeds, as the feminized seeds guarantee the growth of female plants, 99% of the time. Feminized seeds are bred explicitly in a way that eliminates the male chromosomes, drastically decreasing the chances of producing a male marijuana plant. Male marijuana plants are not desirable to any degree, as they contain little to none traces of CBD and THC, and it is why most farmers prefer to plant feminized seeds as opposed to the regular cannabis seeds. Why feminized cannabis seeds? Other than increasing the quality and content of cannabinoids in your cannabis harvest, additional significant bonuses come with planting feminized seeds. For starters, feminized seeds help a farmer better manage the often finite space set aside for ganja farming. This is in sharp contrast to planting regular seeds as they leave the farmer with the ugly possibility of having to pluck out half the plants that grow to become male. Remember that the primary role of the male marijuana plant is for pollination purposes and not for cannabis harvest, hence the need for elimination. Regular marijuana seeds will either produce male or female ganja plants, while feminized seeds will only provide the female plant. Considering that the state has already imposed a limit on the number of cannabis plants that you can grow, it makes much more sense opting to plant the feminized cannabis seeds and not having to do away with 50% of your plants because you made a costly mistake of planting the regular seeds. It also saves you resources in terms of time, water, and nutrients that the unwanted male plants will have utilized before you notice them and uproot them. For most people, after realizing the scores of benefits of feminized ganja seeds, the main question on their mind is, how are marijuana seeds feminized? Well, there are two main ways by which marijuana seeds are feminized; by a natural process dubbed, rodelization, or through an artificial method that utilizes silver. Through rodelization, a female marijuana plant that is conventionally known to contain hermaphrodite traits is subjected to light cycle interruption that, in turn, stagnates the plant in the flowering stage, way longer than required. Resultantly, the female plant develops pollen sacs, which a farmer harvest pollen from, and applies it to another female marijuana plant that does not show hermaphrodite signs. The seeds of the resulting plant are then, by and large, deemed to be feminized seeds. However, bearing in mind that most cannabis plants are predominantly and naturally hermaphrodite, it is not uncommon that the pollen produced by the female plant would transfer the intersexual traits to the seeds. Therefore, rodelization is not 100% effective as it banks on the rare chance that a female cannabis plant will fully develop the pollen sacks once subjected to light interruptions. The other more effective method is spraying a female cannabis plant with colloidal silver, every day, after the plant has flowered. By applying the silver solution on the plant, the production of ethylene is slowed down. Ethylene is a hydrocarbon gas that helps the plant in the flowering cycle. As a result of the impediment brought about by the silver solution, the female cannabis plant grows male flowers with pollen sacks. Once the pollen is harvested and used to fertilize another female plant, the seeds from the plant will more likely be female, hence, feminized seeds. This is the most effective process of feminizing cannabis seeds, and it results, for the majority of times, in 100% feminized seeds. The majority of farmers find it easy to purchase ready-made colloidal silver, but that’s not to say that you cannot make it yourself. With a few alligator chips, a soldering iron, pure silver, distilled water, and a 9-volt battery, you can easily make your colloidal silver. Patience is, however, the principal requirement, as it takes about 14 days to record substantial progress on your cannabis plant. While most cannabis farmers prefer feminized cannabis seeds, there is another strain of cannabis seeds called auto-flowering marijuana seeds. The auto-flowering seeds are different from the regular and feminized seeds, in that the change does not influence the plant cycle in seasons. These plants will still flower even when exposed to a full day of light and will produce two or more harvests within four months or less. Cannabis farmers also have the option of growing feminized auto-flowering seeds. With these seeds, farmers have more liberty as they do not have to choose between female and male plants while they also enjoy quick flowering regardless of the season. Cannabis farmers are continually discovering new ways to make marijuana farming more scalable and productive, and, as such, more improvements are being made to advance ganja farming. If you are new to the world of cannabis growing, and you unfortunately started with the regular seeds, do not lose sleep over it. However, in the light of the new information, be sure to use feminized seeds in your next season so that you can enjoy maximum yield, hassle-free. If you are still waiting, patiently or impatiently, for your state to legalize cannabis, you will want to plant feminized seeds, if your state reads from your page and finally decides to make it free for you to grow hemp for your medicinal or recreational purposes.