Cannabidiol (CBD) is derived from hemp plants and interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a group of receptors that take it in and contain enzymes to break it down. After the enzymes break CBD down, it is then synthesized and sent throughout the whole body to various biological and cognitive processes.

Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species explicitly grown for industrial use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. CBD is extracted from Hemp plants.

Although CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) comes from the Cannabis Sativa plant and are the most prominent cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, they are not the same. They have different chemical compositions which causes the body’s endocannabinoid system to receive and process them differently. Whereas THC can have psychoactive effects, CBD does not act in this way.

In addition, CBD and THC are derived from different strains of the Cannabis Sativa Plant. While both technically part of the Cannabis Sativa species, hemp and marijuana plants are actually two different strains of the plant species. While both marijuana and hemp plants produce CBD and THC, marijuana cannabis plants have a higher concentration of THC, and hemp has a higher concentration of CBD. CBD comes from the whole plant in varieties grown to have a low level of THC (less than 0.3% dry weight). In contrast, THC is pulled primarily from the flowers of plants bread to have higher levels of the compound ranging from 5-35%.