A middle-aged man walks into a small shop on a downtown street. One glass case of shelves is filled with glass pipes and other smoking paraphernalia. Another contains vaping gear and amber bottles topped with eye droppers. Another displays glass jars and packets filled with green buds. The man asks the young woman behind the counter for a quarter ounce of Bubba Kush and two pre-rolled joints of Sour Space Candy. The shop could be any legal cannabis dispensary in Colorado or Illinois, but it isn’t. It’s in Madison, Wisconsin, where marijuana—even for medical use—is illegal. And the products he purchased aren’t marijuana; they’re hemp flowers that are grown locally for an increasingly popular compound called CBD.
What is CBD?
CBD is shorthand for cannabidiol, one of dozens of compounds (called cannabinoids) present in plants of the cannabis genus.
There are two species of cannabis:
- Cannabis sativa, aka hemp, has until now been primarily grown for its fiber and seeds. During World War I the U.S. government even encouraged the scattering of hemp seeds along railroad tracks so it could be easily harvested and transported for making rope.
- Cannabis indica, what most people know as marijuana, contains another cannabinoid, THC, which has an intoxicating effect and has been used medicinally for centuries. I’ve seen old medicine bottles listing Cannabis indica as one of the active ingredients, and it was even sold at pharmacies around the world.
The indica species has two subspecies: Cannabis indica ssp. indica is a taller variety with narrow leaves and an energizing or uplifting effect, while Cannabis indica ssp. afghanica is a thicker, more broad-leafed plant considered to induce a relaxing or calming effect. Today there are so many hybrids of the two cannabis species that the definitions have morphed radically.
Speaking of Cannabis: The Terminology
“Sativa” is used today to describe the skinnier, more stimulating indica subspecies, while “indica” refers to the stouter, more sedate afghanica plant. (How weird is that?) And many, many strains of cannabis are labeled “hybrid”, indicating that a particular strain has both characteristics.
While we’re into names, I should point out that many people today prefer not to use the term “marijuana” because of its borderline racist history. I tend to refer to both hemp and marijuana as cannabis, as do most in the industry. The plants are virtually indistinguishable from one another, which is why hemp farming was illegal for many years in the U.S. Despite the fact that hemp is one of the most useful plants in the world, the government was worried that a farmer could get away with growing some evil weed among all his rope plants, and they shut the whole thing down in 1937. Because of the illicit connotations of “cannabis”, a lot of hemp growers prefer to use the word “hemp”, while “cannabis” has become the go-to term for “marijuana”. Intoxicating or not, it’s all cannabis, and it’s all hemp. The difference is the cannabinoid content.
Now that we have discovered the benefits of the various cannabinoids, we know that one can achieve energy or relaxation without experiencing the “high” that can get in the way of important things…like employment, or driving. In fact, most cannabinoids will not get you high, and serve as the supporting cast to the two major cannabinoids: Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the one that is illegal in all but 18 states (as of the writing of this article) and frowned upon federally. CBD, by contrast, has become so popular that it is sold in gas stations and grocery stores, and is found in products ranging from skin creams to dog treats. It is the yin to THC’s yang.
Reaping the Benefits
The first time I had ever heard of CBD was on a network news story several years ago. The parents of a young girl named Charlotte Figi who suffered from frequent seizures had, as a last resort, turned to medical cannabis. The compound CBD had been isolated and studied since the 1940s, and scientists discovered its anti-epileptic properties in the 1980s. In 2012 the Figis met the seven Stanley brothers from Colorado who were growing a special strain of cannabis bred for its high CBD and low THC content. Charlotte was having seizures about every 30 minutes; after treating her with the oil extracted from the hemp, she didn’t have one for seven days. The Stanley brothers founded their company, Charlotte’s Web, in her honor.
Charlotte passed away in 2020 at the age of 13, but her legacy lives on in the overwhelming acceptance and renewal of the hemp industry in the U.S. and the availability of CBD to millions of people who benefit from its remarkable properties.
Besides its effects on seizures, CBD has been shown through clinical studies to offset anxiety and depression, ease PTSD symptoms, treat opioid addiction, alleviate symptoms of ALS and arthritis, and relieve pain.
“It’s like plant-based ibuprofen,” says hemp grower James Cassidy. An Army veteran and social studies teacher in Monroe, Wisconsin, Cassidy is a partner in Good Earth CBD Hemp, an organic hemp operation about 45 minutes south of Madison.
Homegrown Is Where the Heart Is
Cassidy and his family live on a small hobby farm outside of Monroe. Their second garage is totally dedicated to processing hemp, which they grow in conjunction with their other partner, Eric Jubeck, a Monroe special education teacher.
Good Earth CBD Hemp is one of six member farms of South Central Hemp Cooperative, a group of teachers, artists, community activists and advocates, chefs, engineers, veterans, retirees, public officials, and both new and lifelong farmers committed to organic farming and spreading the good news about hemp and its many benefits.
The farmers making up the South Central Co-op are all independent family farms, but pool their resources to produce and market high-quality organic CBD oil. The oil is made by a third-party, organic-certified facility in southeast Wisconsin, but the bulk of the work takes place on each farm.
Once the hemp plants are harvested, they go through a curing process; the plants are hung upside-down until mostly dry, then the flowers (buds) and leaves are stripped off the stalks. The stalks, by the way, yield fantastic fiber that is used for so much more than rope; it can serve as a substitute for cotton, paper, and many other materials that require more resources to grow. The material stripped off the stalks makes up the biomass, which goes into oil production. One plant will yield around two-thirds of a pound of biomass; thirty pounds of biomass with a CBD percentage around 9% will yield a kilogram of crude CBD oil. This crude oil is then blended with certified organic MCT coconut oil and packed in one-ounce bottles with eye droppers to be taken orally. South Central Hemp sells only the organic, full-spectrum oil produced by its member farms, but this oil is not the only way to get your CBD on.
Express Delivery
Taking a dropper full of oil is the preferred method for most people; it’s clean, natural, and effective. Many people prefer gummies or other edibles; they may not like the taste of the oil, which is grassy and herbaceous (though some companies add flavors). But directly ingesting CBD will result in a substantial loss of cannabinoids through the digestive process. Taking drops sublingually (under the tongue) produces a better and more rapid effect, though not at all instant. It takes probably 30 minutes for the CBD molecules to find their way through the sublingual receptors and into the central nervous system where it belongs. There is, however, another method.
Many people enjoy smoking CBD flower. The effects are instantaneous, much like smoking THC-dominant cannabis…and since this method employs the same basic paraphernalia (pipes, joints, etc.), it certainly looks like that’s what you’re doing. Plus, CBD flower looks and smells pretty much exactly like THC flower. So even though CBD flower is perfectly legal, you’d probably want to avoid firing up a joint in public if you live in a state where THC (or the public consumption of it) is illegal.
The downside to smoking CBD, of course, is the smoke itself. Any smoke is a lung irritant and contains toxins, and regular users will develop a smoker’s cough. It’s far healthier than smoking tobacco, which is nearly always treated with a number of chemicals, and a cigarette smoker addicted to nicotine typically smokes a lot more tobacco than a CBD user smokes flower.
As a side note, many former cigarette smokers (myself included) have found that smoking CBD reduces nicotine cravings. I quit tobacco nearly 20 years ago, and if I was hanging out with friends who smoke (especially drinking with them), you could bet I would sneak one now and then. Now people can smoke in front of me as much as they want; I’m happy to light a bowl of CBD flower, which smells and tastes a lot better and actually has a beneficial effect.
Vaping is another popular way of using CBD (and THC), and many people feel it is healthier than smoking. I’m not one of them; I don’t trust the chemicals used in processing vape juice, and I don’t like the plastic waste associated with vape pens and cartridges.
Of course, only you know what’s right for you. Just know that each CBD delivery system has its good and bad points:
Smoking and vaping deliver instantaneous effects, but they can irritate your lungs and the effects don’t last as long.
Sublingual drops take longer to deliver the effects, but there are no toxins involved.
Edibles are highly convenient and discreet, but they take the longest to kick in and you wind up losing some of the cannabinoids to your digestive system.
The Phytochemical Spectrum
Besides the delivery method, one thing to consider when choosing a CBD product is the cannabinoid profile. There are three basic types:
- Full-spectrum CBD contains all of the cannabinoids present in the plant, including THC. Keep in mind that hemp-derived CBD can by law contain no more than 0.3% THC (some state laws vary on the percentage, but the bottom line is that there is not enough THC to get you high).
- Broad-spectrum CBD has had every trace of THC removed from it. This is important for people whose occupation requires regular drug testing, because while full-spectrum CBD contains very little THC, it can cause a positive test. The downside to removing the THC is that all of the plant’s cannabinoids work synergistically with each other in what’s known as the “entourage effect”; if you remove one of them it can greatly reduce the benefits of the product. I personally have tried a broad-spectrum oil and found it lacking.
CBD isolate is just as it sounds: CBD and nothing more. In my opinion these products are practically worthless.
In addition to all the cannabinoids in hemp flower, there are a number of terpenes. These are aromatic compounds present in many plants (pine, lavender, hops, etc.) that affect the flavor and can boost the benefits. Anyone who drinks hoppy IPAs and loves that special aroma will feel instantly at home opening a jar of hemp flower. Terpenes are what make various strains of cannabis taste fruity, grassy, piney, skunky, etc. In fact, if there’s one differentiating factor many people notice between THC and CBD flowers, it’s that the CBD flower smells less skunky and more herbaceous.
CBD flower is available in a wide variety of strains. Since most people use CBD for its calming effects, the indica strains tend to be more popular, especially for those seeking a good night’s sleep. Good Earth CBD Hemp planted two varieties of flower for their 2021 harvest:
Cherry Blossom is an indica strain with a very high CBD content and a terpene profile that promotes rest and relief.
Queen Dream is a sativa-dominant strain, also high in CBD but—contrary to its name—with a more uplifting terpene profile making it more desirable for daytime use.
Chillin’ at Home
I’ve been taking CBD for a couple of years now, and it’s been a game-changer. I don’t have a lot of stress in my life but I do have some situational anxiety and, as I’ve gotten older, I experience more insomnia than I once did…as well as some minor aches and pains from working out or stiffness from sitting in a chair at my computer all day. CBD helps me relax and eases minor pain. My favorite routine is to chill out in the evening with a bowl of flower, a glass of red wine and a favorite album on my old-school iPod. Then, just before bed, I take half a dropper of oil (about a 60 mg dose of CBD). I sleep like a baby and tend to have really vivid dreams indicative of deep REM sleep.
Naturally, if you suffer from chronic pain, depression, or anything serious like that you’ll want to talk to your doctor. But for those minor concerns like I experience, you may want to give CBD a try. Be sure to buy it from a knowledgeable source, such as an established CBD shop or direct from the grower—many, like Cassidy, sell their wares at local farmer’s markets, where you’ll usually get a better deal—so you know what you’re getting. Grocery store and gas station employees aren’t going to know the product like a real CBD shop will, and the quality is often inferior. A good CBD vendor will know their product and be able to steer you in the right direction regarding strain, strength, and dosage.
Cheers, and happy chillin’!
