CBD Basics

What is CBD? 

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits. However, unlike its more famous friend, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), it does not make people feel “high”.  

The Cannabis family has 2 popular plants: Hemp, which is CBD-rich, and contains little THC. Marijuana, which is THC-rich, and contains little, yet varying degrees of CBD. For this reason, SunnySide Botanicals exclusively use only hemp-derived CBD. As it is a safe, non-addictive, substance that does not produce a high it an appealing option for patients looking for relief from a number of health issues. 

CBD also has demonstrable neuro-protective and neurogenic effects and its anti-cancer properties are currently being investigated. There are many on going studies currently being conducted in the United States, Canada and elsewhere World Wide, including by the National Institute of Health, Health Canada, and the World Health Organization, all of which have information available online about CBD. 

 Therapeutic / Medicinal Benefits 

There are so many different health benefits to taking CBD, many of which are still being studied and discovered, and many of the benefits are anecdotal. The first legal and pharmaceutical use has been to treat children suffering from epileptic seizures and a CBD drug has been approved by the FDA and prescribed to many children with amazing results. However, without anecdotal evidence, the FDA would never have pursued CBD as a realistic treatment for such a serious condition – especially for children. What else is known to date is that it can help individuals who are experiencing nausea and vomiting because due to chemotherapy or any other type of necessary, but difficult medical treatment. 

There is also strong evidence to suggest it can be of great assistance to those who suffer with any of the following: 

• anxiety   
• depression and other mood disorders 
• insomnia and other sleep disorders 
• inflammation 
• chronic pain  
• arthritis 
• migraines 
• fibromyalgia 
• multiple sclerosis (MS) 
• neuropathic pain 
• skin conditions like eczema and acne 
• gastro-intestinal diseases / disorders like IBS or Crone's 
• neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's 
• opioid withdrawal 

While many of these ailments are very serious, even life threatening, CBD is an absolutely wonderful daily supplement for those of us just seeking some aid as we go about our wellness journey.  

Some often overlooked, but remarkable benefits are: 

1. Its an amazing anti-oxidant, with many studies noting it is 30-50% better than both vitamin-c and vitamin-e at ridding the body of free-radicals. (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/1/21/htm) This has positive health implications throughout the body, not just for routine health, but for health skin benefits such as regeneration and repair, and anti-aging.  
2. Regular CBD use also promotes homeostasis within the body, which is crucial in maintaining ones day to day health.  
3. Its ability help your body produce serotonin can help not only relieve tension and nerves, but help you focus on the day and tasks on hand 
4. It’s a marvelous sleep-aid, without being a sedative! It calms you down so your body’s natural sleep cycle can take over. Further, it encourages REM sleep, which is where your best rest and recovery occurs. An ideal setup for you to wake up and start your day, ready to Enjoy the Sunnyside of Life! 

How to take CBD 

There are many ways to take your CBD, and each may provide different results and benefits.  Common products and their intended ingestion method are: 

As you may note, one of the most popular ways is via edibles such as gummies. Unfortunately, many who start with gummies usually come away from their CBD experience without noticing positive results. This is due to the extremely poor efficiency (bioavailability) of CBD-oil  being absorbed through the digestive system.  

Most studies show that a maximum of only about 9% of your CBD dose will be absorbed if taken as an edible. The rest is wasted during first-pass metabolism via the liver. This also is the case if you drop CBD-oil tinctures into a beverage. Additionally, any benefit will take about an hour to take effect. Not ideal for anyone seeking pain relief. A simplified explanation: your body is made of water, and it has a difficult time absorbing oil.   

On the other hand, if you ingest CBD-oil via the sublingual glands under your tongue, you can get much better absorption, and the results will be felt much quicker. To get the most out of your CBD products, simply hold the oil in your mouth for up to a minute, and swallow. Results can be felt in as little as 30 minutes, and most of it isn’t going to waste. Additionally, with tinctures, you can adjust your dose easily upwards or downwards as needed.  

This is crucial as everyone’s CBD experience is different. The ailments they seek remedy for, their own individual circumstances (metabolism, body structure, cannabis enthusiasm), and when they take their CBD can all impact how it benefits you.  

One key thing to remember: like many supplements, it can take up-to 2 weeks of consistent daily dosing for full benefits to be realized!  

CBD (THC-Free) 

Our regular tinctures are made with a pure CBD extract (commonly known as CBD Isolate – we have isolated CBD from the rest of the hemp extracts). This pure extract comes in a crystal form, and we infuse it into MCT oil at various concentrations. 

Pure, flavourless, and simple.  

FULL SPECTRUM CBD 

CBD + THC – What’s the difference and how can they work together? 

There are some fascinating results when one considers how THC and CBD interact, especially in ratios where the CBD content is significantly higher than the THC. 

THC, most famous for being an intoxicant – the thing that gets you high, provides the intoxicating effects by attaching itself to the abundancy of CB1 receptors in your brain (for information on CB1 receptors and the endocannabinoid system, read our brief guide), especially in the areas that control things like pain, emotions, hunger/thirst, pleasure, and behavior. While the psychoactive effects of THC on these areas can lead TO intoxication, THC has several other significant benefits, especially pain relief. It’s also very therapeutic for severe-insomnia, IBS and cancer related pain and is even a tumor growth inhibitor.  

But many, so many, of us don’t want to get high; we just want to feel better. 

CBD has the remarkable ability to limit THC’s intoxicating effects and can even prevent it, especially when the CBD’s proportionate content is significantly higher than the THC. When present, CBD changes the shape of the CB1 receptor. THC is unable to attach itself rendering it unable to provide the intoxicating effect while allowing the other benefits to reach their potential.  

Our full spectrum CBD tincture has the ideal ratio of CBD to THC that will maximize the cannabinoid benefits, without intoxicating effects. With less than 2% of the concentration being THC, we’re confident our Full-Spectrum CBD Tinctures can  provide a greater therapeutic benefit, for those who may need it. 

NANO CBD (THC-Free) 

We’ve mentioned the extremely poor efficiency of CBD-oil when its ingested as an edible. Mostly, this is because your water-based body has difficulty absorbing oil/fats. Complicating the situation further, the size of the CBD particle is quite large, ranging between 2000-4000 nanometers.  

We’re extremely proud to be able to offer a water-soluble CBD that overcomes these obstacles to deliver a cutting edge CBD product. We’ve been able to shrink down the CBD down to 16-20 nanometers, and emulsifying it into distilled water with some additives like piperine and curcumin to increase the bioavailability significantly – as much as 7x more than an edible. 

Because it’s so much more potent, significantly less is needed. And because it is water based, results can be felt in as little as 15 minutes. Perfect for smoothies, coffee, or even in your carry-around water.   

How to select your CBD product? 

Here is our guide that will help you choose the ideal product based on your therapeutic needs, and a convenient method of dosing.  

CBD (oil based – ingest sublingually) 

• Daily Supplement / Homeostasis 
• Mild Insomnia 
• Increase Focus 
• Mild Joint Pain / Arthritis 

Full Spectrum (oil based – ingest sublingually) 

• Chronic Pain 
• Insomnia 
• Gut Health 
• Anxiety / Depression  
• Plus the benefits of regular CBD 

NANO (water based – mix with beverages) 

• Suited for microdosing throughout the day 
• Rapid Results make it great for pain relief 
• Migraines 
• Skin applications 
• Plus the benefits of regular CBD