Myth: CBD hasn’t been scientifically proven to help any health conditions.Myth: CBD doesn't cause side effects.Myth: CBD cures cancer.Myth: CBD increases natural lubrication.Myth: CBD gets you high.Myth: All CBD products get the same results.Myth: "I tried CBD for 7 days and nothing happened, so it doesn’t work."Myth: CBD works immediately.Myth: CBD won’t show on a drug test.Myth: CBD will put you to sleep.Myth: More CBD is better.Myth: CBD isolate works better.Final thoughts on CBD myths.Shop now.

These twelve myths need busting now.

There’s no shortage of dismissive articles about cannabidiol (CBD), and they tend to follow the same formula.

Headlines of these types of pieces typically fall under some variation of “CBD: Myth or Medicine?” The article will refer to CBD as a “hot wellness trend” and list the plethora of products it’s now appearing in (shampoos, mascaras, etc.). It’ll then list the most exaggerated claims made by CBD evangelists:

CBD makes you hornier!

If you bathe in CBD every night, you’ll live forever! (I might’ve made that one up, but give it time.)

By the time the article gets around to asking whether there’s any actual science behind the claims, you might find yourself convinced that CBD is an overhyped, celebrity-endorsed load of nonsense that’s lapped up by millennials who don’t know any better.

Other myths yet go in the opposite direction, exaggerating its advantages and claiming false health benefits.

While this dismissive mindset might not seem like it’s doing any harm, this isn’t necessarily the case. Real harm can be done when this misinformation reaches folks who have the power to influence people’s lives.

The truth lies between the extreme myths. To set the record straight, our head of product education at My Supply Co. wrote this blog post exploring the reality behind twelve of the most common myths.

Beyond correcting the myths, our goal is to make sure each person gets real therapeutic results from CBD. If you have any questions, talk with us before you go out and buy CBD products.

Myth: CBD hasn’t been scientifically proven to help any health conditions.

Fact: CBD has been clinically studied to exert a number of therapeutic benefits.

You've likely heard vague assertions like, “There’s some indication CBD might be useful in treating a few conditions, but there’s little concrete evidence.”

But the assertion that CBD hasn’t been proven to help any conditions is simply not accurate, and an insult to the monumental effort of scientists performing the studies and trials. Here are just a few titles and links to reviews, studies, and trials:

All studies linked above are hosted on PubMed, NCBI, ClinicalTrials.gov, and similar sites.

Myth: CBD doesn't cause side effects.

Fact: CBD interacts with certain medications.

CBD is generally considered safe from side effects. However, it can interact with medications. For example, it can affect the way your body metabolizes certain medications, which may change their levels in your blood and alter their therapeutic impact.

We wrote a more in-depth article on CBD's side effects and potential interactions, but we recommend you speak to your healthcare provider as well.

Myth: CBD cures cancer.

Fact: CBD has been clinically studied to induce apoptosis and suppress proliferation in certain cancer cells.

It's true — there has been a proliferation of studies and more than sufficient evidence that CBD is able to both suppress tumors and kill cancer cells.

However, while the evidence is clear, researchers can’t seem to agree on how it exerts these effects.

For example, CBD’s effects on breast cancer have been studied since 2006, and research in the field has undergone recent expansion. Many studies agree that breast cancer cell lines are generally sensitive to CBD’s anti-proliferative effects through a variety of mechanisms, including apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest, without a significant effect on non-transformed breast epithelial cells. However, different studies reach different conclusions on how CBD suppresses breast cancer.

A 2011 study demonstrated that cell cycle arrest, where a cell is no longer duplicating and dividing, was achieved by activation of CB2 receptors (endocannabinoid system) and TRPV2 receptors (pain and inflammation pathways).

More recent studies have found the antiproliferative effects of CBD on breast cancer cells to be independent of the endocannabinoid receptors. Instead, CBD has been consistently shown to generate ROS (reactive oxygen species), which in turn inhibit proliferation and induce cell death.

This might seem counterintuitive, as CBD is exerts potent antioxidant activity. However, CBD has also routinely been studied to differentiate between healthy cells and transformed cancerous cells. By generating excessive ROS within cancerous cells, with little impact on healthy non-transformed cells, CBD has been shown to suppress the progression and induce the death of cancer cells.

There's a long way to go to understand how it can be applied predictably and consistently, especially as these effects are dose-dependent.

That doesn’t mean CBD can’t help buffer your everyday defenses to prevent the pathologies that can lead to cancer.

You see, CBD helps bring you back to homeostasis, or biological balance. This balance is an integral part of maintaining your innate health and defenses at a cellular level.

CBD does this by enhancing endocannabinoid signaling in your body, which not only helps maintain these balancing processes, but it also slows down the detrimental effects of aging on neurogenesis and neuroinflammation.

In addition, the ECS and oxidative balance that CBD helps maintain are both important regulators of cell fate, controlling cell survival and cell death decisions, which adds them to the list of the many potential ways CBD exerts its anti-cancer effects.

So, while the verdict is out on how much CBD you should take to support these cancer-killing activities, we still highly recommend adding CBD to your regimen for supporting balance and preventing oxidative stress that keeps you resilient to stress and disease.

Myth: CBD increases natural lubrication.

Fact: CBD has the potential to enhance sex.

This one is grounded in some truth.

Studies investigating CBD and THC's use in the bedroom reveal an array of positive results. The quality of sex, likelihood of achieving an orgasm, and quality of the orgasm are improved. Performance anxiety is reduced, libido and drive are improved, and it's easier to get in the mood.

Most people that experience these benefits may in fact have other conditions they're not aware of. They may have an exaggerated stress response, which diverts resources from creating sex hormones and vital neurotransmitters to ensure a consistent supply of stress hormones like cortisol. Or they may have been experiencing pain and discomfort during sex. Unfortunately, the medical industry normalizes vaginal pain during intercourse, and many might just assume it came part and parcel with vaginal sex.

So, enhanced lubrication may be a result of reduced stress or anxiety, or an improved sense of well-being. It could be a result of truly enjoying the sensation, as opposed to the pain that might normally accompany the experience.

Myth: CBD gets you high.

Fact: CBD is psychoactive, but not intoxicating.

Though CBD is derived from the cannabis plant, it doesn't intoxicate. In fact, CBD behaves as an inverse agonist of your CB1 and CB2 receptors, meaning it dampens THC's activity and reduces its intoxicating effects. These receptors are part of your Endocannabinoid System (ECS), your body's master regulatory system in charge of maintaining homeostasis, or balance, across all major biological and neurological systems.

So, how does CBD improve your mood, or help you focus, feel energized, or go to sleep?

In addition to helping bring you back to homeostasis, CBD is clinically studied to:

Improve endocannabinoid tone, which is impaired by continued stress and diet. Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring cannabinoid-like compounds that your body naturally produces to help regulate mood, inflammation, pain, immunity, and resilience to stress and disease.
Inhibit the stress response and reduce cortisol levels to alleviate the emotional, physical, and psychological manifestations of stress
Improve serotonin receptor activity, which supports memory, mood, cognitive function, and healthy aging
Restore functional brain connectivity damaged by stress, diet, toxins, and depression by promoting the creation, maintenance, growth, and adaptability of brain networks in the PFC (mood, emotional regulation, executive function) and the hippocampus (memory, learning, processing)
Balance an overactive immune response, which is characterized by fatigue, poor sleep, poor appetite, and depressed mood
Calm an overactive HPA axis, which is associated with agitation, dysphoria, insomnia, and anorexia

Everything is chemistry. By helping restore function and promote balance across a number of key systems, multi-tasking CBD helps support your brain, body, and emotional well-being, keeping you resilient to stress and disease.

Myth: All CBD products get the same results.

Fact: Every CBD product is different.

Quality varies widely between CBD products. Testing by the FDA shows that the CBD content found in some products doesn’t match the claims made on the label. Other CBD products tested by the FDA didn’t contain any CBD.

The amount of CBD in the product you buy, as well as its potency, depends on who made the product. Since you only get therapeutic results by taking the right dose, you can’t be sure what health benefits you may or may not get from the products available on the market.

You can be sure of what you get with the medical-grade CBD products available through My Supply Co. We 3rd party lab test for purity and potency. Ask us about our lab results if you're interested in learning more.

Myth: "I tried CBD for 7 days and nothing happened, so it doesn’t work."

Fact: You need to have a goal to make progress.

Of all the bad CBD takes, this is by far the worst. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much of an explanation. I’ve read a number of pieces where the author tries CBD for a week or two, and at the end of the week they report that they felt no different after the experiment than they did before.

Of all the bad CBD takes, this is by far the worst. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much of an explanation. We’ve read a number of pieces where the authors try CBD for a week or two, then report that they felt no different after the experiment than they did before.

But here’s the rub: There wasn’t a condition they were trying to treat in the first place. It’s like deciding to take Tylenol for a week when you’re not in pain. What exactly are you evaluating with your experiment?

Before you try CBD, consider if you have a condition or symptom that CBD can treat. For example, are you having trouble sleeping? Do you need focus or mood support? And remember that personal anecdotes aren’t science.

Most people think that after you try CBD, you’ll get immediately tired, locked to a couch, and fall asleep. This is a very common misconception, once again, influenced by THC. When you use THC, the effects are pretty recognizable after a few minutes, and sometimes it may hit you very hard and get you into the too-high state. CBD, in reality, does not have that hard-hitting effects, unless you’re taking a massive dose. Some people may not even feel immediate or mid-term positive effects after consuming CBD. Ideally, if you want to clearly identify CBD’s effects on your body, use it for long periods. Usually, after seven days of continuous use, you’ll start to notice its effects. Also, be very conscious of how you feel before and after taking it and set a purpose of why you’re taking it. That way, it will be easier to see the results.

Myth: CBD works immediately.

Fact: CBD needs commitment.

Typically, you can feel the effects of CBD after about 15-30 minutes when you take a sublingual tincture. This method involves dropping the tincture by mouth, holding it under your tongue for at least 60 seconds, then swallowing.

However, CBD takes some time to show its full effects. Some people have to use CBD for several weeks to feel the results, and that’s perfectly normal and fine. Give your body some time to adjust and you will feel incredible results.

We recommend taking at least 100mg Full Spec. CBD daily for 30 days to experience the full benefits. Since full-spectrum CBD products do contain trace amounts of THC, consider taking CBD Isolate if you're in a vocation that requires testing for THC.

Speaking of...

Myth: CBD won’t show on a drug test.

Fact: Full-spectrum CBD contains trace amounts of THC.

Drug tests typically test for THC, CBD’s intoxicating cousin.

While CBD products typically don't show up on drug tests, your body can metabolize CBD in a way that may show as a false positive on a drug test.

Additionally, since our products can contain trace amounts of THC, we cannot guarantee that you pass a drug test. So please always use discretion when using any CBD products.

Myth: CBD will put you to sleep.

Fact: CBD promotes relaxation that helps you sleep.

When taken correctly, it’s highly unlikely that CBD is going to make you sleepy or drowsy. In fact, CBD can make you feel more focused during the day and feel more rested at night.

While CBD does relax your body, being relaxed and feeling sleepy are two completely different states.

CBD relaxes by helping bring you back to homeostasis, inhibiting an exaggerated stress response and allowing you to rest. It also promotes healthy serotonin activity, the famous mood and brain-boosting neurotransmitter that also plays an important role in regulating metabolism, your sleep-wake cycle, energy balance, gut health, and immune function.

Lastly, CBD helps you sleep by promoting alpha and theta wave activity in the brain. Alpha wave activity promotes calm focus and is found during flow state, creative tasks, and early REM sleep. Theta wave activity promotes memory and learning and is found during deep meditation, REM, and early-stage sleep.

So you can take CBD with confidence and should never feel out of it or sleepy. Everybody is different, of course, but drowsiness caused by CBD alone does not seem common. Our article on side effects and possible drug interactions goes over some of the ways it can happen if mixed with other drugs.

Myth: More CBD is better.

Fact: CBD's effects are dose-dependent.

Many people assume that by taking a higher amount of CBD, they will get better, faster, or longer-lasting effects. That is not true.

CBD's benefits can be dose-dependent. Lower doses of CBD bring calming energy, brighten mood, and improve focus. Higher doses provide more potent pain relief (for certain conditions) and are better suited for anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Just like with any supplement, there is a point where you are taking too much. While CBD hasn't been studied to cause serious harm in high doses, it doesn’t seem to always be a positive either. Because it increases endocannabinoid levels, which modulate mood, pain, sleep, immunity, and resilience to stress, too much CBD can overstimulate your ECS receptors and potentially cause drowsiness. You can also quickly build a tolerance to it if you're taking much more than you need to.

The best thing to do is to start low, around 50-100mg per day, and taking it twice a day. Give your body at least 30 days to see results, don’t rush it.

Myth: CBD isolate works better.

Fact: Full-spectrum CBD's benefits are quantifiably greater.

CBD isolate, as the name suggests, is processed, pure CBD — nothing else. Sounds pretty effective and good, right?

While there’s generally nothing wrong with CBD isolate, you miss out on the important other natural compounds found in the hemp plant when taking only isolate. This includes other minor cannabinoids like CBC and CBG, as well as natural compounds in hemp called terpenes.

All these natural compounds, when taken together, cause much better CBD effects. In other words, they interact synergistically. This is a concept we covered in an article answering the question "Does CBD work better with THC?. It's called the Entourage Effect, and is the main reason we recommend taking full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD extract instead of CBD isolate.

Final thoughts on CBD myths.

As you can see, there are multiple misconceptions about this compound and its effects. CBD has been around for many years now, but it is not until recently that scientists and researchers are starting to look into it. This uncertainty and general lack of knowledge has allowed these myths and false claims about the component to appear. It is our duty as members of the cannabis community to debunk these myths and set the record straight. We recommend that you try CBD for yourself, and the best way to do so is with top-quality products from recognized brands like Botany Farms. Click here to buy yours and experience what premium CBD feels like!