13 Truths About CBD

If you’re seeing these three letters on products ranging from capsules to cappuccinos, along with enticing claims that CBD relieves stress, chronic pain, and more, you may wonder whether this new health craze is for real.

- Jody L. Rohlena

You might also wonder why some CBD products are labeled with what looks like a marijuana leaf. Here’s what you need to know before you try it.

1It’s not the same thing as medical marijuana. CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is found in cannabis plants. Most of the CBD products for sale nationwide are made from hemp, a type of cannabis that is a botanical cousin to marijuana. CBD won’t make you high—tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the substance that does that, and there is very little if any of it in hemp. (The maximum amount of THC legally allowed in CBD products is 0.3 percent.)

2 Legal restrictions are fading but not gone. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the list of banned substances, where it had lived alongside marijuana since the 1970s. (Hemp can also be turned into paper, clothes, and more.) But in Idaho, Nebraska, and South Dakota, CBD is still outlawed. And in states where marijuana is legal for medicinal or recreational use, CBD products can be made from marijuana and might therefore contain more than the legal limit of THC. Those products can’t be carried or shipped across state lines, says the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

3 It’s taking surprising forms. CBD is commonly sold as a liquid, or tincture, that you place under your tongue. You can also smoke it via a vape pen with cartridges containing CBD oil, or buy pills and topical creams. Other CBD-infused products include bath bombs, ice cream, cocktails, and coffee. Total sales are estimated to top $1 billion by 2020.