Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, is by far one of the most studied compounds of the 116-plus known cannabinoids found in industrial hemp.

But what is CBD exactly? Being a natural compound of the plant, it can comprise up to 40 percent of hemp. Unlike THC, CBD is non-intoxicating, which means it will not get you high. CBD is often regarded as the single most crucial cannabinoid ever discovered. With on-going research, the list of uses continues to grow, giving more and more hope to those looking to enhance their overall quality of life.

Your body’s absorption of CBD from the application area into the bloodstream is known as its bioavailability – maximizing bioavailability means allowing more CBD to be readily available for bodily use. Taking CBD through various means changes its bioavailability; however, choosing the best method of use for your needs will help ensure that you will receive the most support from properly sourced CBD.

Many consumers are curious exactly what CBD oil is made of and how they can benefit from usage. Whether it is to maintain general well-being or becoming more proactive with a daily wellness routine, there are various ways in which CBD oil is useful.

Based on your needs and preferences, you can apply CBD oil and other cannabinoids through different methods. Your choice of administration can affect how CBD works with your body; common ways of administering CBD is through ingestion, sublingual, inhalation, and topical.

Ancient civilizations have used various strains of cannabis throughout centuries for their wealth of wellness properties. But due to dramatic shifts in legislation and other influences such as determining what is CBD versus THC, cannabinoids became widely unaccepted as an alternative application.

However, as the health and science communities continue to further recognize and accept the properties of different cannabinoids, the prohibitions that once restricted and limited the use of CBD have evolved into protections and freedoms of what is CBD for anyone looking for safe and effective alternatives.

The 2014 federal Farm Bill granted state governments the legal right to grow and research industrial hemp through state-regulated agriculture and pilot programs. It also classified hemp and hemp-derived products with less than 0.3 percent THC separate from marijuana cannabis. With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, the growth, production, and manufacturing of hemp became federally legalized – allowing hemp-derived products, such as CBD oil, to become more readily available.

Both marijuana and hemp come from the same Cannabis sativa plant; the main distinguishing trait between the two is their levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp is grown to have low THC (industrial hemp has 0.3 percent and is therefore federally legal). Conversely, marijuana is bred to have higher THC concentrations and is still federally illegal.

Congress' decision in 2014 legally allowed the cultivation of industrial hemp through state-regulated agriculture departments for hemp management and research; their most recent ruling in 2018 removes industrial hemp from the federal Controlled Substance List as a Schedule I drug, and it allows for a hemp market and sales through state borders.

The approved legality of industrial hemp implemented by Congress also guarantees that products created from hemp plants – including CBD oil – are more readily available because of their nonintoxicating levels of THC. That being said, individual states can still decide if they want to allow hemp-based products to be sold within state borders.

Regarding federal law, CBD oil products from hemp containing less than 0.3 percent are legal to purchase, sell, and consume throughout the United States. After determining what is CBD, states can still decide if they want to support this measure based on their own laws.