CBD GUIDE

In 1992, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli scientist, discovered that every human and many animals have a system present in their bodies known as The Endogenous Cannabinoid System or Endocannabinoid System. This system is activated by cannabinoids. 

The endocannabinoid system has often been described as the most important system in the body for maintaining long-term health. Our bodies create cannabinoids, which are used by the endocannabinoid system to maintain balance (homeostasis) in the body. 

Unfortunately most of us are unable to create enough of our own cannabinoids and therefore our endocannabinoid system may be out of balance, resulting in poor health.

Research suggests that taking CBD oil helps your body to create more of the cannabinoids needed by this system, in turn helping to maintain balance and wellbeing in the body. For scientific research on the endocannabinoid system please click here.

We detail the quantities of CBD in each product in our range. Visit our shop here.

CBD had been used for many thousands of years until it was unfortunately prohibited in the 20th century due to its connection with cannabis. CBD and hemp are now fully legal in the UK and the EU but sellers of CBD oil cannot make medical claims regarding its benefits.

When hemp and CBD were legalised a few years ago, many people began to take CBD and other cannabinoids extracted from hemp plants to top up their cannabinoid levels and bring more balance to their endocannabinoid systems.

Taking CBD oil helps your body to create more of the cannabinoids that your endocannabinoid system needs to help maintain balance and wellbeing in the body. It is vital to keep this system working well as it helps our immune systems, protects our brains, helps us manage stress and generally keeps our bodies in balance.

Learn more about our CBD products & read first-hand about our customers experiences in our testimonial section here.

Did you know that we also have a  great online community where you can see advice and support, whilst also being able to share your experiences of using CBD oil?

Please click the link below to join & feel free to invite anyone to the group who you feel could benefit from learning more about CBD & our healing oils.

CBD Oil Community Group

First of all a disclaimer: UK Home Office regulations prevent us from providing any medical claims regarding CBD’s efficacy. We cannot give any recommended dosages for particular issues.

Having said that, there are thousands of studies published online and if you read the testimonials from our customers you can discover what people are using Bristol CBD oils for and read about their experiences. Please visit uk.trustpilot.com/review/bristolcbd.co.uk to find these reviews.

Some people sleep well on CBD, others don’t. It usually depends on the reason why sleeping is difficult. For some, CBD can help relax the body and mind so that sleeping becomes easier. On the other hand, some people notice an uplifting, energising effect, which could make falling asleep more difficult. Should you notice that falling asleep proves more difficult, then take your last drops of the day some 2-3 hours before sleeping.

Studies have also shown that the amount of CBD you take can affect whether you feel sleepy or not. Generally the more CBD you take the more likely you are to feel tired. This is due to the biphasic properties of CBD (see below).

It is wise to check with your doctor before using CBD oil if you are using other medication. According to the World Health Organisation CBD oil is non-toxic, non-addictive and non-psychoactive and there have never been any reported cases of overdoses or serious side effects.

In some studies, certain doses of CBD have been known to temporarily deactivate Cytochrome P450 (CYP450), a class of liver enzymes responsible for the breakdown of some clinically prescribed medications. This can lead to the delayed breakdown and prolonged activity of administered prescription medications (as well as some OTC medications).

While not believed to be life-threatening, it is advisable to pay attention to any changes in health whilst taking medications alongside CBD and always visit your GP if you are concerned about any new symptoms.

Some people already have anomalies in the CYP450 enzyme system, which can impact the way they metabolize CBD, as well as certain medications. For these individuals it may be necessary to re-evaluate the dosage of CBD.

If you are thinking about using CBD oil whilst pregnant or breastfeeding you should consult with your GP.

We do not sell CBD oil to children or anyone under the age of 18. If you are thinking about giving CBD oil to someone under the age of 18 you should consult with your doctor.

If you are new to taking CBD it is wise to start with a low or medium strength CBD oil. If you are a sensitive person, then we recommend you starting with the 3% or 5% CBD oils, although it is perfectly reasonable to start with the 10% CBD oils.

We recommend starting with the minimal suggested serving on any CBD product and then increase the amount gradually until you reach the results you want.

The World Health Organisation stipulates that CBD is non-toxic, non-addictive, and non-psychoactive and, to date, there are no reports of serious side-effects.

But if you are taking other medication, you should consult with your GP or pharmacist, to check whether there could be any contra-indications.

When you first start taking CBD oils, you should start with a low dose, and start increasing gradually, as per our dosage guide.

Everyone is different; everyone’s body is different. As a result everyone reacts to CBD differently. Some of us are naturally much more sensitive to CBD than others.

With CBD it is important to start with a small dose and build it up slowly. Discover how your body reacts to CBD for a few days before increasing the dose. Some people only need about a small amount of CBD per day, whereas others find that they might require up to 70mg per day which is the maximum recommended daily dose. 

A good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight in kilos by 2 and take that number of milligrams of CBD per day. For example: if you weigh 70 kilos then you can start by taking 35mg of CBD per day. You may find that you need to increase the dose from there to get the desired effects.

CBD Oil is twice as bio-available via the gums, than via the gut – which means that it is absorbed much better when held in the mouth for a minute. Spray or drop the CBD oil into your mouth then close your lips and apply slight suction. This boosts the absorption of the active ingredients through the mucous membrane in the mouth. After a minute or two of allowing the cannabinoids to be absorbed through the gums, we recommend you wash the oil down with a drink.

CBD oil is most quickly and readily absorbed via the gums. It is less bioavailable via the gut so if it is swallowed immediately some of the CBD will be lost or absorbed more slowly. Therefore we recommend that people place CBD oil or paste into the mouth and keep it near the gums for a minute before swallowing. You can learn more about CBD oil by visiting our shop here.

Our broad spectrum and full spectrum gold oils have very little taste. The whole plant CBD oils contains the dark-coloured plant waxes which have a bitter taste. Some people dislike this bitter taste and so prefer to use the ‘gold’ CBD oil. This gold CBD oil contains the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes but does not contain the dark, bitter plant waxes so the gold oil has a very mild taste.

Some people mix the dark CBD oil with honey or other sweet liquids on a spoon before putting the CBD oil into the mouth. Other people have recommended placing CBD oil onto a sweet or mint before placing it in the mouth and sucking the sweet.

Every bottle of CBD that we sell has a measured amount of CBD in it. This is calculated based on lab tests which measure the strength of CBD in a batch of oil or paste.

We stipulate on the label of each bottle how much CBD is in each bottle in both total weight and as a percentage.

For example we sell a ‘300mg CBD 10ml bottle’ which is 3% CBD. This means that the bottle contains 300mg of CBD in total and that the CBD is 3% of net weight.

i.e. a 10ml bottle contains a total of 10,000mg of oil and 3% of that is CBD which equals 300mg of CBD. You can buy CBD oil from our shop here.

All CBD products sold in the EU must be laboratory tested. If you buy CBD oil from a shop or website that does not have valid lab tests then you cannot be sure of the actual amount of CBD in the bottle. Our latest lab reports are visible on our website.

Our CBD oils and pastes are sourced from ethical farms in the US and the EU. We work with a network of people to ensure that we have access to a broad range of CBD oils of different strengths. Some people prefer gold oils, which are more readily available in Northern Europe and the US, whereas other people prefer darker whole-plant oils, which are more common to Southern or Eastern Europe.

We only sell CBD oil extracted from organically grown hemp sativa which has been cultivated far away from main roads, with no pesticides or chemicals. Our growers use natural methods to nurture the soil and they hand-harvest the buds and flowers before carefully extracting the CBD oil. Our CBD oil is also suitable for vegans and is lactose free and non-GMO. 

The Cannabis Trade Association (CTA) in the UK works in conjunction with the Home Office. The CTA publish guidelines relating to CBD products and we adhere to these guidelines. Our broad spectrum products are novel food compliant in line with the novel food guidlines published by the Food Standards Agency in the UK.

We like to satisfy as many people’s needs as possible. Some people want 10ml bottles while others want larger bottle sizes. Some people want spray bottles and others want dropper pipettes. The key thing to remember is that the size and type of the bottle is less important than the total weight of the CBD inside. A 30ml bottle containing 500mg of CBD (0.5mg CBD per drop) will be less strong per drop than a 10ml bottle containing 300mg of CBD (1mg CBD per drop) for example. You can buy CBD oil from our shop here.

We have two postal services available on our products for orders in the UK.

1) Our standard service is FIRST CLASS TRACKED which usually arrives in 1 to 2 working days and costs £4.99 or is FREE on orders over £30.

2) You can also opt for NEXT DAY DELIVERY at checkout. This delivery service costs £6.99 and if your order is placed before 1pm it should arrive the next working day.

We do not work on weekends (everyone needs a break sometimes!) so if you place an order after 1pm on Friday, we will ship your order the following Monday.

If your order has not arrived, please wait up to a week before contacting us, as sometimes the Royal Mail can take a few extra days to deliver. You can purchase CBD oil from our shop here.

Sadly since Brexit we have stopped sending retail orders outside of the UK. 

Various methods can be used to extract the CBD oil from the hemp plant, including pure alcohol or butane extraction. We generally use CO2 extraction as it is safer, more environmentally sustainable and produces a purer, cleaner oil.

Our whole-plant CBD oils are extracted using very high pressure (supercritical) CO2 extraction to create a raw CBD extract which has a cannabinoid profile representative of the hemp material used and is therefore very similar to the way ‘nature intended’. This method ensures the full spectrum of cannabinoids plus all of the terpenes, flavonoids, omega-3s and other plant nutrients, essential for the ‘entourage effect‘.

Our gold CBD oils are extracted using lower pressure (subcritical) CO2 extraction and is filtered to create a high purity, CBD oil that is golden in colour with high cannabinoid potencies. This method ensures the full spectrum of cannabinoids plus the terpenes essential for the ‘entourage effect‘.

Our broad spectrum oils are extracted using short-path distillation to create a high purity, CBD oil that is slightly golden in colour with high CBD potencies. This method ensures high levels of CBD (cannabidiol) plus some other cannabinoids and zero THC.

We specify the extraction method for each product that we sell.

CBD oil is sold as either whole plant oil, full-spectrum gold oil, broad spectrum oil or isolate CBD oil (often called 100% or pure CBD). All oils must contain less than 0.01% THC to be legally sold in the UK.

Several studies have shown that the efficacy of CBD oil improves dramatically when a range of cannabinoids and terpenes are available. Working together, this full-spectrum of cannabinoids creates what is known as the ‘entourage effect‘. As Dr. Ethan Russo states,
“Many of these ‘minor’ cannabinoids are seemingly inactive on their own but together they make this beautiful music”.

For this reason, we wholeheartedly recommend that you take whole plant or full-spectrum gold CBD oils, as these oils contain the full range of over 100 healthy cannabinoids, of which CBD (cannabidiol) is only one. If you would like a THC-free option then the broad spectrum oils offer a cheaper alternative. While they do offer high levels of CBD, broad spectrum oils contain only a handful of cannabinoids and do not contain any terpenes, flavonoids or THC so may be less effective than full spectrum oils.

For more information regarding the difference between full spectrum, broad spectrum and CBD Isolates please click here:

https://medium.com/cbd-origin/full-spectrum-vs-broad-spectrum-vs-cbd-isolate-the-difference-explained-a09e415bf235

Our full spectrum Bristol CBD oils are extracted from organic hemp using supercritical or subcritical CO2 extraction. Supercritical CO2 extraction uses high pressure CO2 to extract all of the plant materials including the cannabinoids, terpenes and dark plant waxes from the hemp. This extract is called whole-plant extract.

Subcritical CO2 extraction uses lower pressure CO2 to extract all of the cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp but not the heavier plant materials including the dark, bitter-tasting plant waxes which are left behind. The resulting full spectrum CBD oil is a golden colour without the bitter taste. As subcritical CO2 extraction is a less efficient process than supercritical CO2 extraction, gold oil tends to be more expensive than its whole-plant equivalent.

The simple answer is No.

People are sometimes told that they should take CBD from ‘indica’ plants instead of ‘sativa’ plants. However we believe the important thing is finding a whole-plant extract with a variety of cannabinoids that contains the appropriate level of CBD for your needs.

Some companies charge high prices for ‘Indica CBD’ but this is of questionable benefit.

No. CBD is legal across the EU and many other countries around the world. In the UK it can be sold legally as a food supplement. It is always wise to buy from a reputable company that can provide lab reports. Equally, it is also advisable to check reviews and testimonials about the CBD supplier to ensure that they are providing a high quality product.

If you plan to travel with CBD products, please check the legal status regarding CBD in the country you will visiting, as it is still illegal in many places.

Yes. CBD oil comes from the hemp (cannabis sativa) plant, which contains only trace amounts of THC, whereas cannabis oil comes from high-THC cannabis plants.

The only real difference between these two plants is that the hemp plant contains less than 0.2% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound in cannabis, and so cannot get you ‘high’, whereas the cannabis plant that is used for cannabis oil contains much higher levels of THC and is therefore psychoactive. Apart from this definition, the two plants are virtually identical.

As cannabis oil contains higher levels of THC, it is currently illegal in the UK. Some people appear to benefit from taking oil with the higher levels of THC (certain types of epilepsy for example) but this should only be taken if prescribed by a physician. The UK government began to prescribe cannabis oil to patients with extreme conditions in October 2018.

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical responsible for most of the psychological effects of cannabis.

It acts much like the cannabinoid chemicals made naturally by the body. Cannabinoid receptors are concentrated in certain areas of the brain associated with thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and time perception. THC attaches to these receptors and activates them and affects a person’s memory, pleasure, movements, thinking, concentration, coordination, and sensory and time perception.

CBD oil does not contain THC levels greater than 0.2% so using CBD oil does not have a psychological effect and will not get you ‘high’.

CBD oil contains THC levels lower than 0.01% so using CBD oil does not have a psychoactive effect and will not get you ‘high’.

CBD extracts from the hemp plant are a very sticky paste that can be tricky to handle. So these sticky extracts are normally suspended in a carrier oil such as olive oil or hemp seed oil. Please do not confuse hemp seed oil with CBD oil.

Some CBD suppliers do their own laboratory testing in house, which means they produce the CBD extract and then test it. This can cause a conflict of interest as it is obviously beneficial for the CBD supplier to claim that their CBD oil is strong. The use of a third party laboratory, i.e. one that is not owned or controlled by the CBD supplier, means that the lab report can be trusted.

A biphasic drug is one that has different effects on the body at different blood concentration levels.

One of the most well known biphasic drugs is alcohol. It acts as a stimulant until blood alcohol levels reach 0.05 percent. After this point, continued consumption of alcohol causes sedation and depression.

When CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system at a low concentration, it has been shown to increase wakefulness, alertness and other elevating responses.

At higher levels of concentration, however, CBD has a sedating effect. For example, people who consume more substantial amounts of CBD may feel sleepy and calm instead of alert and energetic.

CBD oil is completely legal in the EU so travel through EU airports within the EU with CBD oil is fine. Outside of the EU different laws may apply and we advise people to check online to find out the rules regarding CBD oil in their planned destination.