We’ve been spending a lot of time on gut health and healing, so I wanted to get back to some nutrition & health trend myth busting! Starting with: CBD 101. It’s a super hot topic in the nutrition, health, and even pharmaceutical world, and there is SO much misinformation there about CBD. It’s time to dive in to see what the big deal with CBD is. Today’s guest is Meg Kramer, the editor of CBD Hacker, a website that provides evidence-based research into all things CBD. It was really important to me to get someone on the podcast who doesn’t actually manufacture CBD themselves (or have a brand that does so), so we could stay completely unbiased towards any particular brand in the information.

Today you’ll learn: what CBD is, what all the hype about it is for and why it’s so popular yet hotly contested in the industry, the main uses and types of CBD, and how to find a quality product vs. how to spot a fraudulent product that’s just trying to take your money! We split this episode into two parts, so next week we’ll be talking about the legality of CBD, whether it’s safe, if it’s a good idea to take with the job that you have, etc.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER. The information we are talking about in this podcast is intended as general information only, and should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any disease or condition. We are not telling you to go out there and start taking CBD immediately. As you’ll soon learn, you need to do a lot of research to determine what is high quality and what isn’t in the CBD world, whether it’s legal in your state and safe for your job, and whether it’s right for you.

Discussed on today’s episode:

What IS CBD? Why is there so much hype about it lately?

What does it do? Does it get you high?

What are the main uses of CBD? 

Is all CBD oil the same? What’s the difference between CBD derived from different parts of the plant? Is whole plant form best?

What should you look for on the label of a CBD oil to see if it’s a high quality product?

How to start off taking CBD? Do you have to start with small amounts? How do you know what a good amount to take is? How do you know if it’s actually helping?

What are the different ways you can take CBD? How do they compare? 

What are the CONS of taking CBD, if any? Does it interact with any medications?

Are there any long-term side effects?  

Resources mentioned:

* CBD Hacker Website

* CBD Hacker: Facebook

* CBD Hacker: Instagram

* Meg Kramer on Twitter

* Project CBD Website

* Book: Healing with CBD: How Cannabidiol Can Transform Your Health Without the High, Eileen Konieczny, RN, with Lauren Wilson.

* Book: CBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medical Cannabis, Leonard Leinow & Juliana Birnbaum

Other questions about CBD 101? Comment on the show notes!