Answer: Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is one of over 100+ naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds found in Cannabis, an annual herbaceous flowering plant. CBD oil is derived from an organic substance formed in the plant’s secretions. Both marijuana and hemp are forms of cannabis. However, cannabis does not mean marijuana. Cannabis is the genus name and general umbrella term, under which all forms of marijuana and hemp fall. Until recently, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, was the most well-known and studied cannabinoid due to its abundance in marijuana. However, as the second most prevalent cannabinoid in marijuana and the top non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in hemp, CBD has been gaining momentum in the scientific community and media. Unlike THC, CBD does not cause any feeling of “high,” which contributes to its legalization across the United States. CBD does not typically have any immediately noticeable effect, though some customers have reported otherwise. Bluebird CBD products and extracts are derived from hemp (not marijuana), and can also be referred to as CBD hemp oil, hemp-derived CBD oil, or plainly “hemp extracts,” since they typically contain more than just CBD. However, CBD oil is different from hemp seed oil and organic hemp oil, as these are derived from hemp seeds (not the resin) and do not contain cannabidiol. All of Bluebird’s hemp crops are grown legally in Colorado, and all product batches are rigorously tested for safety, quality, and cannabinoid content.

Answer: CBD primarily interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a grouping of millions of cannabinoid receptors found throughout your body, but are primarily clustered in the brain and central nervous system. While CBD is a phytocannabinoid, or plant-based cannabinoid, your body also naturally produces cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids. Almost every organ of your body, including your skin and digestive tract, contains cannabinoid receptors. Unlike THC, CBD does not interact strongly with the two classical cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). This is why CBD does not cause any psychoactive effect. Instead, CBD inhibits the enzymes that break down endocannabinoids, leading to an increase in your body’s naturally-produced cannabinoids. This increase even occurs in our furry friends, making CBD useful for pets too! CBD’s molecular formula is C21H30O2, and it has a molecular mass of 314.4636.

Answer: Scientifically, industrial Hemp and Marijuana are the same plants, with a genus and species name of Cannabis Sativa. They have a drastically different genetic profile though. Industrial Hemp is always a strain of Cannabis sativa, while marijuana can be Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, or Cannabis ruderalis. The major difference between CBD oil and hemp oil is how industrial hemp has been bred compared to a marijuana form of Cannabis sativa. Typically speaking, industrial hemp is very fibrous, with long strong stalks, and barely has any flowering buds, while a marijuana strain of Cannabis sativa will be smaller, bushier, and full of flowering buds. However, newer industrial hemp varieties in the USA are being bred to have more flowers and higher yields of cannabinoids and terpenes, such as our Colorado hemp we’re now using! 99% of the time marijuana has a large concentration of THC compared to CBD. Hemp, on the other hand, naturally has a larger concentration of CBD compared to THC. Fortunately, the cannabinoid profile of hemp is ideal for people looking for benefits from cannabis without the ‘high.’ Hemp is used for making herbal supplements, food, fiber, rope, paper, bricks, oil, natural plastic, and so much more, whereas marijuana is usually used just recreationally, spiritually, and medicinally. The term cannabis oil can refer to either a marijuana or hemp-derived oil since marijuana and hemp are two different forms of cannabis. Bluebird’s CBD oil is derived from hemp. In the USA the legal definition of “industrial hemp,” per Section 7606 of the Agricultural Appropriations Act of 2014, is “INDUSTRIAL HEMP — The term ‘‘industrial hemp’’ means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

Answer: The short answer is yes. CBD is CBD, whether from marijuana or hemp. Marijuana contains a significant amount of the chemical compound tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which causes the “high” feeling. However, marijuana is usually very low in other non-psychoactive cannabinoids, such as CBD and CBG, making hemp the preferable source for CBD oils and extracts. Here’s why. CBD comes from Cannabis sativa L, an annual herbaceous flowering plant. Cannabis sativa L. is the plant species, and does not mean our products will have the sativa-like effects typically associated with those strains of marijuana. The indica and sativa distinction does not have as much bearing on the plant’s effects without the presence of THC. Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis are all subspecies of Cannabis Sativa L. Our hemp extract is made with cultivars that are bred with approximately 70% sativa and 30% indica genetics. For our products, we use CBD oil that is extracted from hemp, a legal plant low in THC. The USDA defines industrial hemp as any part or derivative of Cannabis sativa L. with no more than 0.3% THC concentration on a dry-weight basis. This definition applies to both seeds, fibers, and other derivatives of Cannabis sativa L. Various strains of cannabis plants produce terpenes differently. Commonly, hemp plants contain less resin than marijuana plants. The amount of resin found in hemp plants, however, does not affect the quality of CBD that we obtain from them. In fact, hemp plants are a far better source of CBD than marijuana plants.

Answer: Our CBD products are derived from legal hemp plants. They are food supplements intended to be thoughtfully incorporated into the diet and taken orally. They are not sold for medical purposes such as preventing or treating diseases or ailments.

Answer: The recommended serving size is 15 drops, which equates to about one full dropper of oil and 4.2+ mg of cannabinoids in Bluebird’s regular strength oils (or 15+ mg in our concentrated oils). You can take one to five servings by mouth up to twice a day – many of our customers like to take it once in the morning and once in the evening. However, we always encourage experimentation to find what works best for you. Consistency is key, so no matter what serving size works best for you, we recommend taking it every single day at approximately the same time. If you follow our recommended serving sizes, our 1 oz bottles of CBD oil will last about a month while our 2 oz bottles should carry you through two months. We also offer our oils in sample sizes of 10 mL, which will allow you to try it out for a week.

Answer: CBD oil contains a variety of cannabinoids that interact with the endocannabinoid system. These cannabinoids bind to specific receptors throughout the brain and body, primarily in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. This regulates the endocannabinoid system and promotes homeostasis and overall wellness. Please consult with your physician before using any dietary supplement including hemp extracts.

Answer: Hemp CBD oil interacts directly with the body’s endocannabinoid system to promote homeostasis along with general health and wellness. In accordance with federal regulations, we cannot make health claims regarding our dietary supplement products. We can only recommend our products for general wellness.

Answer: Definitely not. Standard hemp seed oil, which can be found very cheaply at a grocery store, is a much different product than our full-spectrum hemp extracts (not from seed). Standard hemp seed oil is produced by cold pressing the seeds, whereas our hemp extract is a full-plant extraction with many components not typically found in the seeds. Hemp seed oil is considered to be a very nutritious food source, but it doesn’t have the naturally occurring terpenes, cannabinoids and other components that our extracts do have.

Answer: Bluebird Botanicals CBD oil can be found on our site online, in our retail store, and within any of our national wholesalers. Because our extracts come from hemp instead of marijuana, we can and do ship nationwide, and no medical marijuana card is needed. There are some exceptions, like with South Dakota, where we can’t sell our products due to state legislation. We are doing our best to keep up with the ever-changing regulatory landscape in international markets. For the time being, we do not currently ship products outside the U.S. For all EU wholesale orders, contact our exclusive distributor there, Cannawell.

Answer: We use ethanol to extract our hemp, the most historically used method for cannabis/hemp extracts. It is a clean and cold extraction method that allows for optimal retention of terpenes and other sensitive compounds. We also employ low-temperature and relatively low-pressure CO2 extractions for some of our products. We also use supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) at low temperatures to extract some of our products. Bluebird Botanicals does not use petroleum or toxic chemicals for our solvent extractions. Some manufacturers may use butane or other chemicals to separate the plant matter and medicinal chemicals, but we opt for the more natural route. The carbon dioxide or alcohol used to create our full-spectrum hemp extracts is almost fully evaporated away to leave behind a pure CBD oil containing a wide variety of nutritious compounds, including amino acids, vitamins, omega fatty acids, trace minerals, terpenes, and more. There may occasionally be trace amounts of ethanol present in products, but it never exceeds the safety guidelines set forth by California’s Proposition 65. Our CBD Isolate products undergo a further process of winterization, which uses solvents and cold temperatures to remove lipids, waxes, chlorophyll, and terpenes which create the signature taste and smell of hemp. It also makes the product more concentrated. We use this same extraction process for our THC-Free* Oil which features CBD isolate emulsified in fractionated coconut (MCT) oil.