What Are CBD Capsules?

CBD capsules are one of the products infused with CBD and are used to harness the cannabinoid therapeutic benefits. The blog explains more about CBD capsules, their type, their legality in the UK, and their health benefits.

CBD products have gained popularity in people's life, from infusing it to daily meals, applying CBD oils directly to the skin to vaping CBD vape juice. They have been studied for their benefits in anxiety, seizures, pain, inflammation, sleep, and other body discomforts. However, various health researchers are unclear if CBD works in treating these conditions. Nonetheless, the creative department of the cannabis industry is developing new ways to take cannabinoids. The innovation is swallowing capsules or softgels infused with a pre-determined amount of CBD. It is not convenient and fast like swallowing CBD oil, but it covers the bitter taste of the oil.

What is CBD?

CBD is the short name for Cannabidiol. It is a compound existing naturally in the Cannabis Sativa plant with over 100 other cannabinoids. It is mostly extracted from hemp extract, where it is highly concentrated. Sometimes CBD is confused with the psychoactive effects associated with smoking cannabis. However, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for inducinga sensation of highness and hallucination in marijuana users, and it is highly concentrated in Cannabis indica. According to Englund et al. (2013), unlike THC, Cannabidiol has no mind-altering effects, mostly used to reduce addiction and the kaleidoscopic effects of smoking.

Understanding CBD capsules

CBD capsules are cylindrical airtight pills that house a pre-determined amount of dry CBD ingredients. They are made of dissolvable gelatin casing and made up of raw vegetable materials. Upon swallowing the product, the cannabinoid undergoes a breakdown of digestion and metabolic processes before it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, it might take time to feel the effects of CBD manifest. Therefore, if onewants a fast reaction, vaping CBD or taking the cannabinoid sublingually under the tongue will provide immediate results. CBD capsules come with a determined dosage of CBD. Therefore, they are easy to dose but finding middle–of–the–road doses can be a bit difficult. They are handy; for instance, if 10Mg of CBD is present in a capsule, one can't adjust the dose to 5Mg. Additionally, CBD capsules are a convenient and flavourless way to take CBD since the organic casing helps mask the earthy bitter taste associated with most cannabis products.

The Legality ofCBD Capsules in the UK

In 2018, the UK parliament meeting allowed the use of products infused with cannabinoids like CBD, CBN, and CBG for public consumption. However, the products should contain less than 0.2% THC of total weight. There CBD capsules are allowed in the UK, but the following additional regulations and laws determine how far they are legal:

• CBD products should be derived only from industrial hemp cultivated outside the UK
• Marijuana-derived CBD products are illegal.
• Manufacturers of CBD products should be approved by the Food Standard Agency (FSA) after submitting their Food Novel application.
• CBD products with high THC levels are used for medical programs under qualified physicians
• Cannabis products should not be used as food addictive but for only recreational activities.
• FSA approves the use Of CBD for children above one year old but under parental guidance.
• Pregnant and lactating mothers should not take CBD products since nobody guarantees the baby's safety.

Types of CBD Capsules

Companies use different extraction methods when manufacturing CBD capsules. Asa result, there are three different types of CBD capsules in the cannabis market with different customer demands:

• Isolated CBD capsules are the purest type, containing 99% of CBD dry ingredients. It ensures that the capsules have high CBD potency and no contamination from other plant phytochemicals.
• Full-spectrum CBD capsules: contains all cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids existing in industrial hemp, including small traces of THC. It is best suited to users who wish to have additional health benefits from other plant phytochemicals without fearing the risk of getting high. Although these CBD capsules should contain less than 0.2% THC, some manufacturers may illegally contaminate the product with a high amount of the mind-altering compound.
• Broad-spectrum CBD capsules: contain almost all cannabinoids in the hemp plant except traces of THC. They also comprise entourage effects associated with taking CBD alongside terpenes. Additionally, broad-spectrum CBD capsules are the most recommended type since they contain medium CBD potency imposing no danger of overdosing the cannabinoid, and provide additional therapeutic effects of other cannabinoids without the risk of getting high.

Benefits of CBD Capsules

Corroon et al. (2019) explained that after CBD capsules have been digested and metabolized, the cannabinoid is absorbed into the bloodstream,interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) responsible for maintaining body balance. ECS comprises cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids located in all body parts. They interact with CBD compounds in tackling body imbalances like pain, sleep, anxiety, and stress. Nonetheless, CBD capsules are used for the following benefits:

• According to Sales et al. (2018), CBD has anti-depressant properties that help to manage anxiety and stress. The cannabinoid interacts with ECS receptors in the brain to trigger the release of the hormone serotonin, responsible for activating happy compounds like dopamine.
• CBD boosts mental clarity and concentration in people withattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Taking CBD capsules will boost your concentration and alertness for better production.
• CBD capsules are used to relieve body inflammations. CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce excessive inflammatory responses by affected body cells.
• CBD has analgesic properties that are essential in treating body pains. The cannabinoid binds with ECS receptors to alter how the patient's mind perceives pain by blocking pain nerve signals into the central nervous system (CNS)
• CBD capsules are used in cancer treatment and management. According to Heider et al. (2022), a study performed on cloned cancer cells in rats showed that CBD could fight cancer cells and reduce cancer tumour growth by promoting the reproduction of healthy body cells.
• Swallowing CBD capsules an hour before bed can help one tackle sleeping problems. The cannabinoid induces calming effects in the brain and muscles, making one sleepy.
• CBD capsules can boost body energy levels by enhancing the metabolic rate by converting stored fat into energy.

Conclusion

CBD capsules have found their way into people's hearts more than most cannabis products, like low potent CBD gummies. They are discrete and convenient to use since they are small, portable, and have a long lifespan than most CBD products. In addition, CBD capsules are flavourless, and their gelatin casing can mask the unpleasant earthy flavour of CBD. CBD capsules can manage anxiety, stress, sleep, pain, and mental clarity with minimal or no side effects. Therefore, the UK government legalized their use for public intake, but they are sourced from hemp plants cultivated outside UK boundaries. 

References

Corroon, J., & Felice, J. F. (2019). The Endocannabinoid System and its Modulation by Cannabidiol (CBD). Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 25.

Englund, A., Morrison, P. D., Nottage, J., Hague, D., Kane, F., Bonaccorso, S., ... & Kapur, S. (2013). Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(1), 19-27.

Heider, C. G., Itenberg, S. A., Rao, J., Ma, H., & Wu, X. (2022). Mechanisms of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Cancer Treatment: A Review. Biology, 11(6), 817.

Sales, A. J., Crestani, C. C., Guimarães, F. S., & Joca, S. R. (2018). The antidepressant-like effect induced by Cannabidiol is dependent on brain serotonin levels. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 86, 255-261.