I was introduced to CBD oil under funny circumstances. While going through a particularly tough time, I googled natural Xanax. I’m not a fan of throwing pharmaceuticals at every problem and I’m certainly not a fan of what big pharma has done to the health of this country. Seriously, watch the documentary Prescription Thugs or just open a newspaper and read about the opioid crisis. If there is an alternative way to heal something that is wrong with my body I’m on board. I have turned to alternative medicine many times over the years.
Before my Google search, I had never heard of Cannabidiol or CBD oil. While I have known about the healing benefits of cannabis and medical marijuana, I have steered clear of it because I don’t like what THC (the psychoactive part of marijuana that gets you high) does to me. All it gives me is brain fog and tremendous fatigue. Yet, this doesn’t mean that I haven’t been incredibly supportive of the legalization of cannabis. Doing my research on CBD oil, Cannabidiol is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits but does not make people feel “stoned” because it doesn’t contain THC. You can read more extensively about it here. This sounded perfect to me.
I also read that CBD oil as a supplement has benefits that are practically too long to list. CBD oil can be used for something as non-threatening as acne to more threatening issues, like cancer. People take it for pain, ADD/ADHD, migraines, OCD, metabolic disorders, heart disease, antibiotic resistance, and more…much, much more.
Now before you shrug this off as the new “snake oil,” understand that the human body actually has receptors in the body called the Endocannabinoid System which are receptors in the brain that respond pharmacologically to cannabis. Research has indicated that that CBD has potent anti-tumoral, antioxidant, anti-spasmodic, anti-psychotic, anti-convulsive, and neuroprotective properties. CBD directly activates serotonin receptors, causing an anti-anxiety effect as well.
The best news is, CBD oil is legal in 50 states because of the extremely low traces of THC (the stuff that gets you high) contained in it. Marijuana has around 30% while CBD oil contains no more than .3%. Yet, before you get too excited, there are some all-too-confusing laws that vary by state, which you can read here.
My experience with CBD oil
Back to my story and personal experience with CBD oil. Not knowing much, I went to a website selling it and ordered a bottle. After taking my first dose I really didn’t feel anything. I think this was more due to the fact that, because I have smoked pot before, I was expecting something magical to happen despite knowing that it contained nothing that was supposed to get me high in the first place. I felt a little more relaxed, but that was about it. I think this experience is also indicative of how accustomed our nation has become to the quick-acting effects of pharmaceuticals.
About a week later I had a trip planned to Portland Oregon to visit my husband’s family, a place where marijuana is legal for both recreational and medical use. I needed to stock up on some more CBD oil and figured it was the perfect place to get some. If you have never been to a marijuana dispensary it’s totally worth it just to check one out. I visited a dispensary called Urban Farmacy in Portland and was introduced to CBD oil from a company called Modern Medicinals. At first taste, I knew this CBD oil was different than any other oils I had tried. It was so pure, with only two ingredients, coconut oil, and Oregon CBD Hemp Flower. I was told I could use it sublingually as well as topically to target specific pain points. With a base of coconut oil, on a whim, I also decided to try it on my face. This is where the magic began.
Being a rosacea and acne sufferer, you know I already use honey as a mask to help with inflammation. Honey is pretty incredible for a whole host of skin issues. Yet, when I started mixing a few drops of my Modern Medicinals CBD oil into my moisturizer morning and night I was absolutely blown away by how my skin improved. I no longer got major breakouts, my rosacea became pretty much a memory and if I do breakout it is short-lived.
The problem was, living on the East Coast, I had no direct access to purchase more of Modern Medicinals CBD oil when I ran out. Not only was I using it on my face, but I was also taking it several times a day sublingually. I soon needed more and was unable to order it directly from the company. I was so desperate for more, and only wanted CBD oil from Modern Medicinals, that I asked my husband’s cousin in Portland to buy and ship it to me. Despite the fact that there were plenty of other places online to order CBD oil from other companies, I wasn’t willing to compromise because, in addition to miraculous changes to my skin, I also started to notice some other pretty impressive things happening as a result of sublingually taking it. Here are just a few.
PMS and menstrual cramps became pretty much a memory
This was probably the biggest surprise. In addition to my period calendar app on my phone, I used to be able to track whenever my period was due based on how my body hormonally changed throughout the month. Before taking Modern Medicinals CBD Oil, the day before my period, I would feel like a stuffed pig and I couldn’t stand being in my own skin. The first full day of my period, I would get cramps that required at least one dose of Motrin or another pain reliever. So imagine my surprise when my first period came after taking CBD oil and I had no signs of it coming. And as far as cramps go, on that first full day, I am slightly achy, but nothing I can’t live through and I definitely don’t need a pain reliever anymore.
I have greater focus and concentration
I don’t have a diagnosed case of ADD, but I am certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that I have concentration and focus problems. I have since I was a kid. Rarely do I continue on when an article in a magazine or newspaper says “continued on page…”, it’s tremendously difficult to stay whatever course I am on without drifting off to something else, I have a brain that moves at the speed of light and I talk really, really fast. What I have noticed since taking CBD oil is that I can stick with tasks much longer than I could before, I am way more productive, don’t trail off, don’t get distracted as easily, and am definitely more present.
I have more energy
It’s not a jumpy, I just drank five cups of coffee type of energy, but a more sustainable, less easily fatigued form of energy. I get more done than ever before and, combined with my ability to stay on task with greater ability, am much more efficient.
No more brain fog
Brain fog is quite possibly my greatest physical burden. When my brain fog is at its worst, I am short and easy to temper, unfocused, fatigued, and basically out of it. I don’t deal with brain fog anymore.
Fewer aches and pains
From minor aches and pains to annoying injuries that just hurt, like injuries from gym workouts to tennis elbow from knitting (yes it can happen), I wasn’t in pain like I needed to see a doctor, but I definitely had these pains that just wouldn’t go away. Pretty much daily I was taking some sort of pain reliever. After taking CBD oil regularly these little aches and pains are gone.
Blood sugar balance
I have a pretty severe case of reactive hypoglycemia. After doing a five-hour glucose tolerance test, my blood sugar crashed down to 37 (70 is considered low and 37 is in the diabetic coma range). The lab that tested my blood not only tested my blood three times but made an emergency call to my doctor about it. I always knew I struggled with low blood sugar, but seeing that number on the paper was shocking. As a result of knowing I could not down a cup of coffee and a cruller for breakfast and expect to be on my game, I have always favored protein over carbs, and so on.
What I have noticed about my blood sugar since taking Modern Medicinals CBD oil is my blood sugar isn’t so darn sensitive. Granted, this doesn’t mean that I have given up my eating habits, but I am glad my body isn’t so unforgiving when I stray.
A longer fuse, less anxiety, and more emotionally stable
I am definitely more patient, am less full of anxiety, less likely to fly off the handle, and just more grounded since taking Modern Medicinals CBD oil. I never quite learned the proper coping mechanisms for anxiety and have struggled with a huge learning curve in this area. For most of my life, stuffing it and carrying on has been my M.O. This isn’t exactly healthy but it got me by. I’m not a mess by any standards, just your garden variety human trying to get through life. I can more easily breathe through things, find it in me to be kinder and less judgmental on myself (and, admittedly, others) calmer and more at peace.
I am sure there are heaps of other beneficial things going on with my body since taking Modern Medicinals CBD oil that I can’t see and I should also say that the benefits I have experienced are not a guarantee for you. However, there may also be other benefits you will experience that I have not. For example, everyone raves about CBD oil for headaches. For me, this hasn’t been the case.
Why I only use Modern Medicinals CBD oil
Curious as to why I wasn’t able to order Modern Medicinals CBD oil online (you can now, be sure to read to the end of this post for a special offer), I reached out to the company to inquire. Expecting a pretty stock answer, I was pleasantly surprised that I exchanged a few emails with them about their product and why it is so superior. Since then I have become quite friendly with the company and they truly are wonderful people.
What makes Modern Medicinals so superior to other CBD oils out there is:
- Modern Medicinals is made from Oregon CBD Flower.
- All of the CBD listed in Modern Medicinals is 100% Bio-Available.
Now, why are these important? For starters, most CBD products currently available to people on the internet are made using industrial hemp (with is mostly stalks grown for the strength of the fiber) or hempseed (which is a great source of Omegas.) Neither one is a great source of CBD. And because the current online CBD market is virtually unregulated, anyone can slap the word CBD on their product regardless of whether it contains any usable CBD or not. (Most contain zero CBD.) Furthermore, in order to harvest what limited CBD exists, processors of industrial hemp and hempseed use alcohol, butane, or other harsh solvents to extract the molecules from the plant. (Definitely not the sort of thing you want to put in or on your body, even in residual form.)
The only good source of effective CBDs are products processed from the flower, or what in a marijuana plant would be considered the buds. So basically, Modern Medicinals is better because they use the part of the plant that contains the actual CBD. And they never use solvents or any other chemicals in their extraction process.
But that’s not enough. The CBD in the final product must also be bio-Available or else your body cannot absorb it effectively or feel any results. Modern Medicinals uses a proprietary process to extract the CBD from the flower of the plant and simultaneously convert it into the bioavailable form that your body can use right away. This bioavailability is the reason Mm is so effective when you apply it topically. It is also the reason it works so well when placed and held under the tongue. The sub-lingual application introduces the bioavailable CBD directly into the bloodstream (by way of the capillaries under your tongue) for fast and immediate use by your body.
How does Modern Medicinals work?
CBD interacts with your body’s own Endocannabinoid system (ECS) by promoting a state of homeostasis (well being.) That is why Mm is so effective for a variety of conditions (pain, sleep, anxiety, stress, tremors, digestion, etc.) It’s basically a universal remedy for all that ails you.
Back to the flower: you’re only as good as your source material.
Modern Medicinals works directly with farmers who grow using the best organic practices without the use of pesticides. Mm can track their plants from the field to the bottle and rigorously test each batch for purity and strength. These are the same practices they have always used since the beginning of their dispensary days and it’s another feature of Modern Medicinals that sets it apart from the competition.
Purity
There are only two ingredients in the bottle – organic coconut oil and pure bioavailable CBD. No other additives are present.
Since they only use organic materials, the color can vary. This is due to the nature of Oregon CBD Flower, as the same field can produce slightly different qualities in each plant.
What is Oregon CBD Flower?
Essentially, it’s the same plant that would otherwise be classified as marijuana, but due to it’s already low THC content (less than 3%), can be classified as an agricultural product (and therefore is not subject to strict cannabis laws.) Their process reduces the THC content in the plant from 3% to 0.03% (which is virtually zero.)
Modern Medicinals won’t get you high.
Since Modern Medicinals contains virtually no THC, it’s a great choice if you want to avoid the psychoactive effects of cannabis-based products. It’s also a great choice for people with chronic conditions that require daily medication. CBD won’t wreck your internal organs (unlike ibuprofen) and it is non-habit forming (unlike opioids.) It just makes you feel better.
A note on THC
Some people in the dispensary world will tell you that THC must be present for CBD to work effectively. This is not true. Rather, they find that the presence of CBD enhances the therapeutic benefits THC, but anyone can enjoy the full results of CBD when it is taken on its own.
Modern Medicinals now takes orders online!!
Since developing this wonderful relationship with Modern Medicinals, I got word from them that they started an online store. I was so thrilled with the news I told the company I wanted to let my blog readers know just how exceptional their product is and to tell everyone not only do they have to give CBD oil a try, but they have to get it from their company. I certainly can’t speak to other CBD oil brands, nor do I know enough to disparage anyone from looking elsewhere (Modern Medicinals does to a pretty good job of explaining why they shine over the other brands), but I also can’t guarantee the same experience if you try CBD oil from somewhere other than Mm.
Special thanks to Modern Medicinals for creating such an incredible product, for putting something out in the world that is truly healing.
Update: How to Take Modern Medicinals CBD Oil
Since posting this I got some questions about how to take this CBD oil. Every person has a different situation, so there is no standard dose. They encourage you to take as much as you need to achieve the desired effect and then modify frequency and amount from there. Usually, half a dropper 2 to 3 times a day for up to a week is a good place to start. After that, experiment with what works best for you. There is no threshold for how much you can take. I take between 25ml and 50ml about 4 times daily and I have taken a full dropper on several occasions. Each dropper is clearly marked for easy measuring. For topical application on my face, I mix between 3-5 drops in my favorite moisturizer morning and night.
Sublingual application (under the tongue) for immediate absorption into the bloodstream is recommended. Holding Mm under your tongue for 30 to 60 seconds ensures the fastest activation time. The only exception is for digestive conditions, where swallowing Mm right away can be an effective method.
