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CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is a chemical compound naturally occurring in the hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa. It can be taken orally (as a tablet, capsule or gummy), sublingually (under the tongue as a tincture) or topically (applied to the skin as a cream) to deliver a wide range of benefits.It does not currently need a prescription and people are using it to self-treat a wide range of issues. A 2017 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that CBD could provide relief for a variety of conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis, as well as general pain, anxiety and depression.

Is CBD legal?

CBD is legal here in the UK, provided it comes from an industrial hemp strain that is EU approved and contains no THC, but you need to make sure you are getting it from a trusted source. Hemp Well organic CBD comes from EU certified hemp grown at our own farm, processed and lab tested to make sure it is pure and contains accurate dosages. We control the process from seed to shelf so that you can be confident you are getting a high quality, fully traceable product. For more information on CBD regulations in the UK read our Is CBD legal? post in the Education Centre.

Does it get you high?

There are over a hundred chemical compounds which are naturally occurring in hemp plants. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most well-known thanks to its psychoactive properties but CBD is non-psychoactive and won’t get you “high”. It allows you to get many of the same benefits, such as feeling relaxed, without any of the negative effects that come from THC.

The short answer: compliant, carefully made products like HempWell CBD oils are perfectly legal in the UK.

The long answer: The CBD industry is rapidly evolving and the regulations surrounding CBD are constantly changing to keep up. CBD (Cannabidiol) is legal in the UK to take as a food supplement, not for medicinal use. Selling CBD products is legal in the UK, providing they contain no controlled substances such as THC and come from an EU approved hemp strain. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) remains an illegal substance. Brands selling CBD products in the UK must have submitted a Novel Food Application by 31st March 2021 (which HempWell Ltd has completed).

How is the CBD industry regulated in the UK?

Up until recently the CBD industry was largely unregulated but this led to several untrusted products going to market. So, the Food Standards Agency set a deadline for all UK CBD companies selling products for consumption (such as CBD oil/capsules/gummies) to submit a Novel Food Application by the 31st March 2021. This did not apply to topical products, which have to comply with stringent cosmetics regulations.

After this date, only consumable products that are linked to a validated application will be allowed to stay on the shelves. During this transition period no new CBD products for consumption are allowed to come on the market without a fully authorised application.

Those CBD products available before this date, which are linked to a validated application (like our HempWell application) are able to remain for sale while the authorisation process takes place.

When a CBD company submits Novel Food Application, their products must be sent for full analysis, including:

• Full chemical analysis
• Stability Testing
• Microbiological Testing
• Toxicological Evaluation
• ADME Evaluation

This rigorous process should hopefully lead to better quality products. It is an expensive and lengthy process, meaning sadly it will likely result in the closure of some CBD businesses but should leave the market with more reliable and trustworthy options, including

This is one of the most-Googled questions about CBD, so we are happy to be able to help put your mind at ease: No CBD is not addictive. It is currently sold as a food supplement, not a drug, here in the UK .

According to an independent 2017 report, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that “evidence from well-controlled human experimental research indicates that CBD is not associated with abuse potential.” In simple terms, there is currently no evidence to suggest that CBD is addictive. This is because CBD doesn’t get you ‘high’, so there is little to no abuse potential.

Not only is CBD not addictive, but it may even help treat drug addiction.

Preliminary evidence from this reportsuggests that CBD could lower the likelihood of developing cocaine and methamphetamine use disorders and it may even help prevent relapse after a period of sobriety. And the authors of this 2015 review found evidence that CBD could potentially be used to help treat nicotine and cannabis addiction.

A lot of our customers ask where does our CBD come from and we are very proud of cultivating our own hemp and being able to trace it from seed to shelf. Here we made a short video of Lisa, one of our founders, visiting our hemp cultivation farm in Bulgaria.

What dosage is right for you depends on a number of factors including; your body weight, how you consume the CBD, what strength of CBD you take and what conditions you are hoping to treat.

CBD is a very versatile compound which means we can manufacture several different delivery systems to suit all tastes. Oils are popular but some people prefer tablet, others prefer gummies or capsules. There are benefits to each different format.

Oils

If you want to be able to easily increase or decrease dosage in smaller increments then we recommend you try a CBD oil tincture. All our CBD oils come with a graduated pipette for easy dosing. As you can measure as little as 0.2ml at a time, you have complete control over your dosages. The stronger the concentration of CBD in the oil, the less oil you need to take for the same dosage.

A tincture is a concoction you take by dropper or spray straight into your mouth. You can takeCBD oilsublingually by putting it directly under your tongue (that part of the mouth is a capillary-rich area and so the CBD will reach your bloodstream quicker). Try dropping a dose of CBD under your tongue and holding it there for a minute before swallowing for fast-delivery of CBD.

Another way of taking CBD oils would be to add it to foods. As CBD oils are fat-soluble, they are especially great when added to smoothies, salad dressings, avocado recipes or porridge oats. Make sure not to cook with it as it starts to degrade if it gets too hot. Bear in mind that when CBD is ingested it passes through the digestive tract which means it will work slower than if you absorbed the oil under your tongue.

Capsule/Tablet/Gummy

CBD oil also comes in a capsule/tablet/gummy form, which can be a good option for people who want to maintain a consistent amount of the compound in the body. Some products, such as CBD gummies, capsules, or tablets tell you how much is in a single serving. For example, our gummies contain 10mg per gummy. This makes it very easy to monitor and adjust intake in 10mg increments. However, when CBD is ingested it passes through the digestive tract which means you might have to wait upwards of 30 minutes before experiencing any effect. Gummies can be chewed and eaten like any food. Tablets and capsules are designed to be swallowed with water.

Creams

In balm or cream form, CBD is often blended with other natural ingredients which makes it easy to spread on the skin and often comes with other benefits too (for example our face cream contains Vitamin E for moisturising). When used topically, CBD can reach local targets, like sore muscles or joints. We’ve also heard it works wonders for period pain.

Can CBD get you high? Many people say it eases anxiety and helps them fall asleep. But the euphoria—and sometimes, paranoia and even psychosis—brought on by THC are not experienced with CBD used alone. In fact, there’s some evidence that CBD can help balance out the potentially negative effects of THC. “Cannabidiol is kind of a weird one because it doesn’t really work like THC at all, it kind of almost works in opposition and we don’t really understand quite the mechanism by which CBD is actually working in the brain to have all of these effects that people are claiming that they’re having,” McLaughlin says, MD, FRCPC, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto.