Though humans have used cannabis—from which cannabidiol (CBD) is derived—as medicine for over 5000 years, the scientific community only identified CBD as a chemical compound in 1940. 

CBD is a cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are a whole family of compounds produced by cannabis plants; 113 of which have already been identified. The most famous of cannabinoids is, of course, the THC that gets you “high.”

CBD is extracted from cannabis plants too—but usually from hemp strains which produce far more CBD than THC. Unlike THC, CBD cannot get you or your pets “high.”

Amazingly, our bodies—and our pets’ bodies—produce cannabinoids too, called endocannabinoids, which act as messengers in a body-wide system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). All vertebrates have an ECS. The ECS features a number of receptors, including CB1 and CB2, which CBD interacts with thanks to CBD’s molecular resemblance to our own endogenously-produced endocannabinoids. When CBD interacts with our endocannabinoid systems, it precipitates a variety of effects, such as reducing inflammation, dialing down overactive immune responses, lowering stress and promoting homeostasis. Those four broad effects alone have therapeutic implications for dozens of diseases and conditions.

The ECS is a very important bodily system that is rarely discussed, but that’s changing thanks to the latest research. The ECS regulates a broad number of physical processes, including how we perceive pain, hunger and stress. It also plays an important role in regulating mood, immune activity, glucose metabolism, blood pressure, intestinal function, bone density and more. The reason CBD is often touted as a panacea or “cure-all” is because it interacts with the ECS—which regulates or affects nearly every other system in our bodies.

Though the science on CBD is still preliminary, recent studies show that CBD influences other important compounds produced by our bodies, such as adenosine—which plays a major role in our waking-sleeping cycle; serotonin—which plays an important part in regulating stress, mood and happiness; as well as vanilloid—which plays a role in the modulation of pain.

Cannabinoids are fatty compounds produced by cannabis plants. The cannabinoid most people know about is THC, which is produced in abundance by marijuana plants and produces psychoactive effects commonly referred to as a “high.”

The word “cannabinoid” is somewhat generic. More specifically, cannabinoids produced by cannabis plants are referred to as phytocannabinoids, while those produced by our own bodies (and the bodies of all vertebrates) are called endocannabinoids.

So far, scientists have identified at least 113 kinds of phytocannabinoids produced by cannabis plants. Thanks to a phytocannabinoid’s molecular resemblance to endocannabinoids, cannabis-derived cannabinoids can interact with receptors in human and animal endocannabinoid systems through various receptors, including CB1 and CB2.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is still poorly understood, but preliminary research indicates it is a tremendously important system.

The ECS is distributed broadly throughout the body, and is made up of various endocannabinoids and receptors, including the two primary receptors CB1 and CB2.

CB1 receptors are distributed in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, while CB2 receptors can be found in the brain, immune system, gastrointestinal system and peripheral nervous system.

To date, scientists have found evidence that the ECS may play a role in a host of cognitive and physiological processes including immune system activities, pain-sensation, memory, mood, fertility, pregnancy, pre-and-postnatal development, and mediating the pharmacological effects of various cannabinoids.

But that’s not all. The ECS is also thought to play a vital role in numerous neural functions, including learning and memory, movement and motor coordination, emotion and motivation, addiction, and the modulation of pain, and more besides.

The ECS is also thought to play an important role in promoting homeostasis: the condition of optimal functioning for living organisms.

CBD is fully legal to purchase in both the US and Canada as of 2018. Though the regulatory regimes differ in each country, there are no prohibitions on purchasing CBD products in either the US or Canada and hemp can be cultivated legally.

Here at CBD Oil for Dogs, we use only lab-tested, hemp-derived CBD of the highest quality to ensure our products are consistent, safe, reliable and THC-free.

Yes you can!

Prescriptions are not required to buy our products in either the US or Canada. In accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill and Canada’s Cannabis Act, our CBD is derived from hemp and processed to produce pure CBD isolate, which is THC-free.

Before trying CBD for the first time, we advise that you speak with your veterinarian first. Note this: not all veterinarians are allowed to discuss using CBD for dogs. Call or email your vet first to find out if they are open to discussing CBD for your pet.