Photo Credit: Mary’s Medicinals

It is very likely that part of the reason why marijuana reform is sweeping the country and legalization is being discussed in most states is due to the medicinal benefits of an active ingredient in cannabis called cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is one of over many compounds found in cannabis that belong to a class of molecules called cannabinoids. For lack of a better example, cannabinoids are like “ingredients” in a cannabis plant. Like THC, CBD is an active cannabinoid in the marijuana plant, only CBD is non-psychoactive. CBD does not cause a high. We are all beginning to see that cannabis is not as harmful as previous generations believed, and CBD has a great deal to do with that. CBD stands out because it is both non-psychoactive and displays a broad range of potential medical applications. The true medicinal benefits behind cannabis are coming to light, and CBD is that truth.

When I help people at the shop who are interested in CBD it can go a variety of ways, but it starts out with them basically asking how they get this stuff back to their state. When customers come in asking for CBD products without any THC they are looking to help an ailment they or one of their family members are suffering from. I give my speech about the countless different products I have, I usually mention why one is better than the other, and nine times out of ten the people I am helping choose the cheapest product on the shelf. That is like going to the grocery store, seeing all the benefits of why organic brands are healthier, then choosing the cheapest item on the shelf thinking it will be a good comparison. I suppose I understand that when you are trying a new product that you are unsure of money can be tight, but when people choose the low-end products to deal with a serious issue they are not giving themselves a fair shot at what the possible outcome could be. The higher quality justifies the higher price, especially when it comes to your health.

Budtenders work for a small wage and tips, not commission. It is in our best interest to give you the best product. We would like to see you come back. We would like you to tell your friends. We are the people that have been exposed to these products, so we know what they do and how they do it. We also get training from the companies that make and sell them, so what we are telling you is straight from the source. The next time you go into a weed shop looking for a CBD product I would recommend you take your budtender’s advice when you ask them a question. With all the scientific literature about medical marijuana available nowadays sometimes it can leave a person quite confused, particularly when trying to understand how it works and why someone should be using it. Speaking with a budtender is the only place in this industry, currently, where consumers can directly interact with industry professionals, and this allows for huge opportunities in terms of public education.

It is also important to note that CBD products that come from cannabis dispensaries are the ones the consumers should be purchasing, I would highly recommend not purchasing CBD oil from anywhere else. There is no oversight to the plant that was used, it could have chemicals, pesticides, molds, heavy metals and countless other things attached to it. If CBD is extracted from plants that are not grown under the guise of regulation, there is a very high chance that the CBD was extracted from hemp out of places like China. When you concentrate a plant, you concentrate everything in that plant, including all the bad stuff. Although you may see a CBD oil on Amazon at a cheap price that stuff is not going to do you any good, it may have adverse effects, and it will not give you the positive results you are seeking. You also have to watch out for hemp oil, CBD oil and hemp oil are two different things.

One of the best options currently on the market is a CBD tincture made by Mary’s Medicinals called Remedy Oil. Mary’s farms their CBD from a company in Colorado called Elite Botanicals. Elite Botanicals is focused on non-psychotropic cannabinoid cultivation, research, and product development. Leveraging decades of experienced cultivating, breeding, and analyzation of the cannabis plant, Elite works with industry-leading industry pioneers and strategic product manufacturers to provide premium quality cannabis products to the marketplace. Their tincture is five hundred milligrams and it is in a bottle that is the size of a matchbook. Imagine that, five hundred milligrams of CBD oil in a bottle that is three to four inches tall. That is an incredible potency for such a small bottle, and the amount a person would need to use would only be droplets. The issue for people though is the cost. No matter where you go, this tincture will cost at least one hundred and fifty dollars, maybe even as much as one hundred and seventy. Options for similar products by different companies are available at a cheaper price, but they will be lacking. We have one hundred milligram CBD tinctures that are in a bottle roughly the size of a thing of cough medicine, so that means one fifth the potency in a bottle that is three times as large. There are chocolates and gummies that will range from sixty milligrams to two hundred milligrams and cost from twenty to fifty dollars, but nothing is as good as what Mary’s offers. When you choose the cheapest product on the shelf for your first experience you will probably not be happy with the results. And do you really want your medicine to be infused chocolate? The fountain of youth is healthy living. The benefit of the Mary’s CBD tincture is that you are getting a quality product in a small bottle, which means you will feel positive effects from small amounts, rather than having to fill your stomach up with sugar, chocolate, agave nectar, vegetable glycerin, and so on. All those ingredients can inflame the body, which does nobody any good when they are trying to live healthily.

Research done on CBD is still very minimal in the broad scope. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study finding that the frequency of convulsive seizures decreased quite a bit in those exposed to CBD oil versus those using a placebo. Personally, I have found that CBD works wonders for dealing with muscle pains after skiing and biking, inflammation (especially in lotion form), and even headaches. CBD is also proving beneficial for cancer studies, but no concrete evidence has been found yet so most of what we are seeing is rather anecdotal. Take it from me though, CBD will cure a hangover. If you had too much to drink the night before try ingesting some CBD in one form or another and you will be amazed at the results. I do it every weekend.

Cannabis products are designed for adults 21 and older. Please consume responsibly.

Chris Fisher

Chris grew up in Dover, Delaware with his sights set on the wild west. Inspired by 80’s and 90’s- era ski movies Chris found his way to Gunnison, Colorado in 1999 to attend Western State College, now Western State University, and to ski Crested Butte. In this little mountain town in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo mountains Chris also found a lovely little plant called cannabis. Chris still lives in Colorado, having moved to Fort Collins after graduating to follow his love of skiing, mountain biking, and all things outdoors. Currently working as a budtender with 7 years experience in the cannabis industry Chris has a passion for cannabis, a desire to write, and a love for Colorado.