As the world faces unprecedented times, there is one term – other than the C-word – that is on everyone’s lips: stockpiling.
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As the world faces unprecedented times, there is one term – other than the C-word – that is on everyone’s lips: stockpiling.

In scenes that would have seemed completely unfathomable just a few weeks ago, panic buying has occurred across the globe, seeing shoppers queue for hours to get enough food and essentials for their households while we are on lock down.

But it wasn’t just tinned foods and toilet roll that was on the list of those in the Netherlands. They were seen rushing out to buy cannabis-based products in places such as Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Utrecht and the Hague, lining up in their dozens to stock up for what could be a lengthy quarantine.

What is CBD and WHY is it so popular? 

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of more than 100 chemicals found in the hemp plant, a strain of cannabis grown specifically for industrial uses. It is extracted by pressing the plant’s leaves and flowers, and sometimes the seeds. The resulting liquid is then distilled in a factory and cleaned of contaminants before being tested for quality and strength. This refined form of the chemical can then be added to consumer products(1).

The substance is completely legal in the UK and widely used in the food and cosmetic industry. CBD products do not carry the risks associated with psychoactive strains of cannabis(2), and the World Health Organisation has confirmed it does not cause addiction(3). Although CBD isn’t classified as a controlled drug in the UK, the Trades Association recommends retailers do not sell it to anyone under 18. 

Despite being a relative newcomer to the market, CBD is now on everyone lips and widely covered in the media. Many people have said it brings them a range of benefits, including making them feel calm and relaxed. It is legal and – because it is derived from a plant – completely natural. Meanwhile, its earthly, slightly bitter flavour means it pairs particularly well with sweet foods.

The popularity of CBD has rocketed in recent years, with the number of people buying it in the UK doubling between 2017 and 2018 to 250,000(4). One explanation is likely to be the growing awareness of the product’s benefits as people reveal their personal stories of how they say it has helped them. The legislation of cannabis in several American states has also raised awareness of the plant’s various derivatives, including CBD.

What has it been claimed to help and does it get you high?

There have been several scientific studies into how CBD affects your body. Scientists believe its benefits stem from the way it interacts with your body’s receptors – tiny proteins attached to your cells that receive chemical messages and help them respond to different stimuli(6).  

But does it get you ‘high’? As CBD comes from cannabis, many people assume it works the same way as the original plant, but this is not the case. That’s because hemp is a non-marijuana strain of the cannabis plant. The marijuana plant and the hemp plant are both from the ‘cannabis’ family, but the latter does not contain sufficient amounts of a substance known as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

THC is the ingredient in cannabis that has ‘psychoactive’ effects, and it is contained in a particularly high concentration in the marijuana cannabis plant. Hemp cannabis, on the other hand, does not contain enough THC to cause these psychoactive effects. The lack of the psychoactive ingredient THC means it’s entirely legal to buy and take CBD supplements in the UK. Because users do not get high, there are also no withdrawal symptoms and it’s not addictive.

Sources: 1 https://www.apekssupercritical.com/cbd-extraction-process/ 2 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/3 https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/CannabidiolCriticalReview.pdf 4 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1v5vxpY7zkVkJLLSsvRXvqJ/why-is-cbd-on-everyones-lips 5 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476 6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430692?