What is CBD?

CBD has been a hot topic lately because so many people have reported the compound provides therapeutic relief from everything from chronic pain to acne. There have been dozens of news articles and television segments. By now, almost everyone has heard of it:  But just what is CBD?

Most CBD (cannabidiol) comes from the agricultural hemp plant, a fast-growing member of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. Marijuana belongs to the same family of plants. While marijuana and hemp are similar in many ways, they differ in their phytochemical composition. Hemp has lower concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the psychoactive compound in marijuana that gets you “high.” It has higher concentrations of CBD, which doesn’t produce the “high” of marijuana. CBD was first discovered in 1940, and is the second-most prevalent of about 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants.

It’s important to note that CBD is NOT the same as marijuana and CBD from hemp is legal in all 50 states, while CBD from marijuana is not.

Hemp Oil v. CBD Oil

You may see hemp oil sold online and in stores, but hemp oil and CBD oil are not the same. While hemp oil is high in omegas, vitamins, and other nutrients, hemp oil is usually pressed from hemp seeds and contains no CBD. Our CBD is extracted from the entire hemp plant. We eventually end up with a compound that is 99+% pure CBD.

Because CBD is not yet regulated by the FDA, be sure to buy your CBD products from a reputable seller. Unscrupulous merchants will market CBD products with far less CBD (and sometimes more than 0.3% THC) than listed on the label. If the products aren’t tested in a lab there can be harmful chemicals and/or contaminants present. Sunrise CBD products are 100% pure and third-party lab tested so you can be sure there are no pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and bacteria present, and the product is always THC-free.