In the early days of cannabis culture—we’re talking the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, before CBD isolate was a gleam in some stoner chemist’s eye—you pretty much only had two ways to consume your chronic: smoke it or bake it in a brownie.

We know this was a LONG time ago—heck, the word “chronic” still only had one definition (and it had nothing to do with pot), but it’s important to understand the past in order to appreciate the present.

Fast-forward a generation or two, and cannasseurs now have a plethora of ways to get their ganja on. Depending on your proclivities, you can consume your cannabis using one (or all) of these forms:

• Joint
• Blunt
• Thai stick
• Bong
• Edibles
• Drinks
• THC strips
• CBD strips
• THC oil
• CBD oil
• Hemp oil
• Live resin
• Shatter
• Wax
• Tincture
• Vaporizer
• Moon rock
• Extracts
• Concentrates
• Dabbing

The list literally goes on and on and on. You can even get a healthy dose of marijuana in the bedroom with cannabis lube, or incorporate it into your skin care routine with cannabis-infused cream. It truly is a wonderful time to be alive!

But wait, we’re not done yet. You can now tack on one more form of marijuana to this long list of options: CBD isolate. But what is CBD isolate, and how, exactly, do you use it?

The experts at budcargo.ca will answer those questions. Along the way, we’ll also address other common questions, including:

• What is CBD?
• How is CBD isolate made?
• Will CBD isolate get you high?
• What are the benefits and effects of CBD isolate?

So sit back, relax, toke ‘em if ya got ‘em, and get schooled on all things CBD isolate.

What Is CBD?

By now, you’re probably familiar with at least a few of the many cannabinoids out there, like CBG, CBD, and THC. But just in case, here’s a quick primer on CBD for those of you who’ve been living in Lower Patagonia for the past 20 years.

CBD is short for cannabidiol (pronounced like can-uh-BIH-dee-all). It’s a chemical compound found only in the three species of cannabis plant (indica, sativa, and ruderalis).

CBD is rapidly growing in popularity—even overshadowing the psychedelic effects of THC—thanks to the myriad medical benefits it supplies.

We’ll discuss those benefits later, but now let’s turn our attention to the question you probably came here asking: What the eff is CBD isolate?

What Is CBD Isolate?

Put simply, CBD isolate is CBD in its purest form.

The process of making CBD isolate, which we’ll discuss in more detail below, separates (or isolates) the CBD from all the other stuff that makes up the marijuana plant.

Hence the name CBD isolate. It’s very much akin to the almost-100-percent pure THC distillate that’s making the rounds of the canna-community.

CBD isolate usually comes in one of two forms:

• Crystals
• Powder

Crystal CBD isolate is the less refined of the two, but you can only use the crystals in one way (dabbing). Powder CBD isolate is pulverized and processed crystals that can be used in a variety of ways. We’ll discuss those ways at the end of this article. But for now, let’s take a look at how CBD isolate is made.

How Is CBD Isolate Made?

The process starts with growing hemp or another high-CBD strain, like Charlotte’s Web or Cannatonic. The reason CBD isolate is made from these types of cannabis is that other strains, like Sour Diesel and Blue Dream, contain more THC than CBD.

When the cannabis plant reaches maturity, it’s harvested and subjected to some form of extraction. Extraction separates the cannabinoids, terpenes, trichomes, flavonoids, and other chemical goodies from the plant matter. Common extraction methods include:

• CO2
• Ice water
• Butane
• Alcohol/ethanol

At the end of the extraction process, you’re left with a cannabis concentrate. Depending on the form in which you choose to keep the cannabis concentrate (e.g., solid, semi-solid, liquid), you can then make things like shatter, wax, oil, and tincture.

But if you want to make CBD isolate, you’ll need to refine that concentrate a little bit more with a process called winterization.

Winterization is just a fancy science term for cooling down a chemical substance in order to remove impurities. So, in the case of CBD isolate, winterization removes excess waxes, but it also removes the terpenes, trichomes, and flavonoids.

There’s a big debate raging around whole-plant cannabis vs. isolates because the chemicals that are removed to produce an isolate can have beneficial effects when taken together.

As simple as the extraction and refining processes sound, they’re really not. Certain extraction methods can be done at home, but winterization is a bit more complicated than just storing your cannabis concentrate in the freezer for a few days.

If you’re interested in trying CBD isolate for yourself, we highly recommend that purchasing it rather than making it yourself.

Important note: be sure to get your CBD isolate from a reputable source. Buying a baggie of powder from a guy you met in the park is just a bad idea all around. Don’t do it.

Talk to the budtenders at your local dispensary, and they can point you in the right direction.

Will CBD Isolate Get You High?

The “TL; DR” answer is no, CBD isolate will not get you high.

The reason CBD isolate—or any CBD product for that matter—won’t get you high is because of the high-CBD/low-THC strains used in the extraction process.

If you chose to use a high-THC strain, the concentrate and isolate produced WOULD get you high. But then it wouldn’t be a CBD isolate, would it? It would be a THC isolate instead.

What Are The Benefits And Effects Of CBD Isolate?

When people ask about the benefits of CBD in general (and CBD isolate, specifically), they want to know if it will make their particular physical or mental issue better.

When people ask about the effects of CBD, they want to know if they should be prepared for side effects that might detract from the good they expect the CBD to do.

So, to help you get the full picture of the benefits and effects of CBD isolate, we’ll examine each in turn.

Benefits Of CBD

1) Less Pain And Swelling

If you suffer from pain and swelling — arthritis, menstrual cramps, headaches, psoriasis, dermatitis, or sore muscles — CBD can make you feel better.

CBD is well known for its analgesic properties, which is why CBD creams are becoming more and more popular every day.

2) Relaxation

CBD interacts with your brain and body in a way that makes you feel relaxed and calm…even in the face of high stress.

This is great news for those who can’t seem to settle down at the end of the day in order to catch some much-needed shut-eye.

CBD can help you fall asleep faster, stay that way longer, and wake up refreshed in the morning.

For more on how CBD can help you relax after a hard day, check out our article CBD For Sleep: Everything You Need To Know.

3) Less Nausea And Increased Appetite

CBD is very good at settling an upset stomach and preventing or reducing nausea. That alone will certainly make you feel better, but the decrease in nausea produces another benefit: increased appetite.

For those undergoing cancer treatment, loss of appetite due to nausea (and the resulting issues it produces) is a major problem. CBD can return things to normal.

Want to go deeper into the topic of cannabis and hunger? Take a minute to read Why Does Weed Make You Hungry?

4) Improved Mood

The right dose of CBD can improve your mood without the overwhelming side effects that other antidepressants exhibit.

For those suffering from depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, psychosis, and other mental disorders, CBD can make them feel better fast.

Find out more about how marijuana affects your mood in the article Marijuana and Depression: Everything You Need To Know.

5) Improved Blood Sugar Levels

Diabetes is a growing epidemic and millions of people deal with it every day. That worry hangs like a wet blanket over their lives and everything they do.

CBD can help stabilize blood sugar levels and make dealing with diabetes just a little bit easier.

6) Less Anxiety

Anxiety takes many forms and can severely affect your life for the worse. CBD reduces anxiety so that situations don’t overwhelm you and make you want to curl up in a ball under your covers.

When asked how this works in real-life situations, some users report that they don’t react to the triggers that caused their anxiety before. They’re also able to recognize the irrationality of their triggers and let them go instead of dwelling on them.

7) Better Focus

CBD increases your focus and helps you avoid or dismiss distractions.

Office workers who take CBD for a different problem find themselves better able to “put on their blinders” and block out the noise, movement, and social distractions that rage around them.

When they can focus in this way, their productivity improves — and their job satisfaction along with it.

8) Other Benefits

Other benefits of CBD isolate include:

• Suppresses seizure activity
• Mediates psychotic disorders
• Fights tumor and cancer cells
• Tempers neurodegenerative disorders

In addition, CBD counteracts the drowsiness, paranoia, and memory loss associated with THC.

So if you do happen to take a THC product for your pain or nausea, make sure it’s of the full-spectrum kind so you get the tempering effects of CBD.

Because of this long list of benefits, CBD isolate can be used to treat:

• Schizophrenia
• Psychosis
• Epileptic disorders
• Cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Lupus
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Chronic pain
• Neuropathic pain

Many of these disorders were thought to be untreatable until CBD came along. So you can start to see why all the hype around CBD is justified.

Side Effects Of CBD

1) Dry Mouth

One of the most common side effects of CBD is dry mouth.

But in a world full of medications with side effects that are worse than the original problem, a bit of dry mouth doesn’t seem that bad at all.

2) Possible Interference With Other Medications

CBD interferes with your liver’s ability to process other drugs.

So if you take a heart medication and add CBD to control your blood sugar, the CBD could negate the benefits of the heart medicine and cause more harm than good.

Be sure to talk to a physician about whether CBD is right for your condition.

3) Biphasic Characteristics

Biphasic means that at low levels CBD will provide certain effects, while at high levels it will provide different effects.

If this seems foreign to you, think about alcohol (also biphasic). At low levels, it’s a stimulant, while at high levels, it’s a depressant.

CBD doesn’t act exactly the same as alcohol — stimulant on one end, depressant on the other — but the effects will change as the dosage level increases.

How Do You Use CBD Isolate?

One of the many nice things about CBD isolate is that it’s super easy to use. Because it’s a powder, CBD isolate can be used in a wide variety of ways.

Here’s a list of strategies to help you put your CBD isolate to work.

Eat It

CBD isolate powder can be added to anything you can eat. Mix it into brownies, cookies, pies, and other baked goods.

Dissolve a bit in your favorite oil or salad dressing. Fold it into ice cream or pudding. Add a teaspoon to your tea or coffee.

The possibilities are endless and are limited only by your imagination.

Dab It

You can dab crystal CBD isolate using a dabbing rig for a quick pick-me-up and almost instant medical relief.

Smoke It

Sprinkle a pinch of CBD isolate in your joint before closing for a CBD kick that can’t be beat.

Vaporize It

Mix a small amount of CBD isolate into your favorite vape oil product or e-liquid for a healthy boost.

Make Your Own Tincture

Add a small amount of CBD isolate to a teaspoon of coconut oil, and hold it under your tongue for a minute and a half.

The oil and CBD isolate enter your bloodstream through the sublingual artery, where it’s only a stone’s throw away from reaching your brain. Tinctures are the easiest and most discreet method for consuming cannabis.

Rub It On Your Skin

CBD isolate can be whipped into your favorite body or face cream. You can maximize CBD’s anti-inflammatory and pain-reduction properties by rubbing the cream into your skin.

Can You Use Too Much CBD Isolate?

Technically, it is possible to use too much CBD isolate — especially since CBD isolate is more potent than other CBD products — but you’ve really gotta put some effort into it.

Now before you swear off CBD isolate altogether, consider this: it’s technically possible to overdose on water (and no, we’re not talking about drowning).

If you drink too much water (a condition known as hyponatremia), the liquid overloads your kidneys and causes a whole host of problems throughout your body. “Too much water” is different for every person but roughly equates to 1.5 gallons in three hours.

To put that in perspective, the medical community recommends that you consume 0.5 gallons (8 cups) of water over the course of 14-16 hours.

The same concept of “too much” applies to CBD and CBD isolate.

A high dose of CBD tops out in the 50,000-milligram range. That’s 33 tablespoons of pure CBD isolate.

There’s no way you’re going to — or even can — take that much CBD isolate in one go unless you actually set out to do it (which you shouldn’t).

To put that amount in perspective, an average 180-pound male suffering from severe pain only needs to take 25 milligrams (⅛ teaspoon) to feel relief. That’s a long way from 50,000 milligrams.

And even then, the “overdose” effects might not be all that bad.

One CBD user reported nothing more than an extreme sense of drowsiness (which may be a welcome side effect anyway if you suffer from insomnia).

We’re not saying it’s OK to take doses in the four- or five-digit range. We’re just saying that you shouldn’t be afraid of using too much CBD isolate when you’re first starting out.

Is CBD Isolate Right For You?

The only way you’re going to know if CBD isolate is right for you is to give it a try.

Unlike other methods of cannabis consumption, CBD isolate can be taken in many different ways. That makes it incredibly versatile for those who need CBD’s medicinal properties at work or out in public.

A small pinch in pretty much anything will get you the relief you need.

And if you don’t like CBD isolate for some reason, you can always switch to one of the other forms. That’s the beauty of marijuana: there’s no right or wrong way to use it. It’s whatever works best for you.

For more information on all things marijuana and to check out our 100 percent all-natural cannabis products, visit budcargo.ca today.