An article written by Johnny Green in 2017 titled, “Are CBD Products Legal In All 50 States?” says that cannabidiol or CBD seems to be all the rage right now. Green says this isn’t only because in the last handful of years a number of studies have found CBD can help treat various ailments, but also because there’s been a significant rise of mainstream media coverage on CBD. He says that this rise in popularity has caused there to be a rise in the availability of CBD products, which can be found on sale over the internet, and sometimes even in department stores.

Medical News Today in 2017 writes how tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, was the most well-known compound in the cannabis plant, but they now realize marijuana contains THC and CBD. They say THC is known for the mind alerting “high” it produces when broken down by heat and introduced into the body, but on the other hand, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound which means it doesn’t affect the mind or mental processes of whoever is using it.

According to Leaf Science in 2017, there are two types of the cannabis plant, hemp which contains .03 percent THC, and marijuana which contains high levels of THC. They say hemp is usually harvested for its stalks and seeds rather than its flowers and these are the parts of the plant where CBD is legally allowed to be extracted.

Green says, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, imported hemp products are legal as long as they do not cause THC to enter the human body. He says that CBD products can be made from the legally grown domestic hemp, and sold in the state that they were made in. He expresses how it starts to get hairy when CBD products move across state lines. He says if you purchase CBD products, it doesn’t necessarily mean your purchase was legal, but it doesn’t mean the purchase was illegal either. Green explains how it all depends on the product, where/how is was created, and where/how it was sold. He says your best bet for legality purposes as well as quality purposes is to purchase CBD products from a licensed dispensary.

Medical News Today goes on to say that because of the way CBD acts in the body, it has many potential benefits. They say a study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine found CBD significantly reduces chronic inflammation in some mice and rats. They say this proves how CBD can help treat pain or inflammation. They also say CBD is being studied for its possible role in treating epilepsy and other mental health disorders. Along with this, it’s being studied for its use as an anti-cancer agent, for patients with chronic anxiety, type 1 diabetes, acne, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Healthyhempoil.com in 2017 says when buying CBD products, you should pay attention to CBD volume, hemp oil volume, and concentration. They then discuss the different types of CBD products, starting with CBD capsules, which are standard dissolvable capsules that contain powdered hemp oil with concentrations of CBD. Then, they describe CBD tinctures, which they say are the most popular and arguably the most versatile form of CBD. They say tinctures are absorbed under your tongue, which means they act quickly, and can be added to any drink you choose. Finally, they discuss CBD topicals, which include lotions, creams, balms, and more, and are a handy way to target specific points of stiffness or inflammation on your body since CBD is absorbable through the skin.

On August 2017, co-founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of GreenMarketReport, Debra Borchardt wrote how hemp cannabis product sales are projected to hit one billion dollars in the next three years. She says that according to a new report by Brightfield Group, hemp CBD sales have already hit 170 million dollars in 2016, and there is an expected 55 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years. Brightfield says they determined that 64.5 percent of sales come through the online channel followed by 17.8 percent at smoke shops and thirdly 9 percent at dispensaries. They say the top 20 brands averaged sales of 2.1 million dollars per year per company for 2016, and the top five online brands were CW Hemp, PlusCBD Oil, HempMeds, Elixinol and CannazALL.