No. Hemp is completely different from marijuana in its function, cultivation and application. Marijuana, as it is widely known, is used for medicinal or recreational purposes. Hemp is used in a variety of other applications. These include healthy dietary supplements, skin products, clothing and accessories.
Yes, completely. For more information, see is CBD Legal?
Cannabinoids, particularly CBD, demonstrate a bell-shaped dose-response curve; therefore, it is imperative that patients slowly titrate up to their optimal dose without going over.
To find an optimal dose, patients should eliminate the use of any cannabis product for two days. Going over the optimal dose could cause the patient to lose the maximum benefits.
Most patients prefer to start using CBD about two hours before bedtime. Patients should start with 10-15mg of active cannabinoids once daily, increasing the dose slowly every 2-3 days to determine if a better therapeutic effect results.
For example, use 10mg once daily for two days, then increase to 10mg twice daily (morning and night) for two days. Continue to slowly titrate the dose up every few days. Once a point is reached where the therapeutic benefits do not increase OR where they decrease, stop and go back to the previous dose. This is the top of that individual’s bell-shaped dose-response curve.
Cannabinoids are the chemicals that give the cannabis plant its medical and recreational properties. Among the 113 cannabinoids produced, THC and CBD are the most prevalent and the most well-understood. Most strains of marijuana sold today are cultivated with higher levels of THC.
THC is known for its psychoactive properties and is the reason you feel “high” after ingesting marijuana.
CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid and actually works to counteract the high. CBD also has numerous benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
Whether produced by the body or in a plant, these naturally-occurring compounds all interact with the endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system refers to a collection of cell receptors and corresponding molecules. You can think of cell receptors like little locks on the surface of your cells. The keys to these locks are called endocannabinoids. Each time an endocannabinoid binds to a cell it relays a message, giving your cell-specific direction.
There are two different types of cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are found primarily in the brain and responsible for the psychoactive effects of marijuana. Each time an endocannabinoid binds to a cell, it relays a message, giving your cell specific direction.
Cannabinoids, terpenes and other chemical compounds found in cannabis achieve limited success when working in isolation or as individual components. Research suggests that when these individual components of the cannabis plant support one another, therapeutic benefits are magnified. Together, they produce an effect that is greater than the sum of their parts. This phenomenon is known as the “entourage effect.” The entourage effect supports the idea that whole plant medicine is superior to pure extracts.
No. While there are at least 113 known cannabinoids produced by the hemp plant, cannabis is identified by its two active ingredients: THC and CBD. THC is the only molecule in the cannabis family with a psychoactive component. It’s the only one that will get you “high.” CBD, even at extremely high doses, will not make you feel “high.”
There are hundreds of other cannabinoids, terpenes and phytonutrients present in the cannabis plant that are beneficial to overall health and wellness; unfortunately, they are improperly associated with the properties of one molecule, THC.
Section 7606 of the Farm Bill defines industrial hemp as cannabis plants with < 0.3% THC. Our products contain a full spectrum of cannabinoids, including THC and CBD. To maintain compliance with all laws, our products are rigorously tested to ensure a level of < 0.3% THC.
Following the passage of section 7606 of the 2014 farm bill, Kentucky became the first state to create state sponsored industrial hemp pilot programs. These pilot programs were designed to test the agronomics of the crop, and what it could mean to farmers and processors who want to enter the industry. Citing 5 successful years of growth and an increase of farming salaries in his home state, Senator Mitch McConnell, along with other influential policy makers such as Sen Ron Wyden (OR) determined that it made sense for hemp to be available for farmers to grow legally in all 50 states. The return of this crop to our nations farmers should be heralded as a decree of job creation, economic growth, and innovation. See Is CBD Legal? for more information.
Possibly. Here’s the complicated part. There are a lot of variables at work here, from the drug test itself (different manufacturers, different detection levels, sensitivities, etc.), and the individual that consumes the CBD product. Here are some additional factors to consider:
- Is your product a full spectrum product? Meaning, are there cannabinoids other than CBD?
- How much is consumed and how often?
- Medical factors, such as medications taken, liver and/or kidney disease.
- The metabolism of the individual.
Full-Spectrum: All of our products are derived from hemp, which means they have a naturally low level of THC: less than 0.3%. This also means they are perfectly permissible under federal law and, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, the cannabinoids in these products are permanently removed from the Controlled Substances Act. Due to the low level of THC, these products are not considered intoxicating. They won’t get anyone high.
Although unlikely, it is possible that someone could fail a drug screen when using these products. Drug tests look for elevated levels of the intoxicating molecule, THC. The drug test identifies if a THC level is above a particular threshold. If so, it’s considered positive. Theoretically, you could use enough hemp extract and therefore consume enough THC to truly surpass that threshold and trigger a true positive…but it would be pretty difficult…and expensive.
What’s more likely is that hemp extract would trigger a false-positive. This is because the most commonly used drug tests, urine and saliva immunoassay tests, are quick, cheap, and easy, but not very specific. That means they can confuse one molecule for another, especially when they look alike. This can happen with CBD and THC, which would trigger a FALSE positive.
Broad-Spectrum: We can guarantee that our THC-free products are 100% THC-free. These THC-free products are considered “broad spectrum,” as we still include other cannabinoids and terpenes to maximize benefits. We don’t sell CBD isolate products because science supports the benefit of the entourage effect.
Isolated CBD (also known as CBD isolate or Cannabidiol) generally will not show up in a drug test. That’s mainly because drug tests are not looking for all cannabinoids, they’re looking for one specific cannabinoid, THC. However, a full spectrum product will contain array of other cannabinoids (such as CBG, CBN, CBC, THCV, etc) which may show positive on a drug test. Currently we don’t know what other cannabinoids may trigger a drug test.
If you get a positive result on a urine or saliva drug screen, ask for a more specific confirmation test, such as a blood test or a hair test. These are more expensive tests, but they are much more accurate. If using a THC-free product, these will show a true negative 100% of the time. If you are using a full-spectrum product with small amounts of THC, these tests will either show a 100% true negative or a small level of THC. This quantification of THC will help differentiate between use of a hemp product vs use of a marijuana product.
There is no “magic dose” of CBD oil / hemp extract that you can use and ensure you stay below the THC threshold in a drug screen. Metabolism of THC is highly individualized and depends on many variables, including body composition, activity level, dose, duration of use, etc.
Again, everyone’s metabolism is different and medicines, liver, and kidney function all play roles in a positive or negative result. What kind of drug test is being administered is another factor. And dosage is yet another component in this risk assessment.
Know the risks and be prepared. Communication is key, and we are here to help you! We can provide a letter speaking to the science behind this. And you can print the certificate of analysis for your Ananda product to support your cause here.
Our official position with regards to our full-spectrum hemp products and drug tests:
- Our products do contain less than .3% THC and an array of other rare cannabinoids. Because of this, we CANNOT guarantee a negative drug test. If you are worried about passing a drug test for your employee or other reason, we do not recommend taking our products as there is a chance you will test positive.