By Steven Voser

From pet supplements to cosmetics, countless products now contain CBD. But despite its growing popularity, people still have a lot of doubts about what CBD is, how it works, and what benefits it does or doesn’t have. In this article, we separate the fact from the fiction regarding CBD.

COMMON CBD MYTHS

  • CBD MYTH #1: CBD ALWAYS COMES FROM HEMP

Hemp is a special type of cannabis that has been bred for industrial purposes, such as to source fibre, oil, or seeds. These plants have also been specifically bred to contain only trace amounts of THC, and they look very different from the cannabis plants bred by seedbanks like ours. In the US, cannabis plants only qualify as hemp if they contain less than 0.3% THC, whereas throughout most of the EU, the threshold is 0.2%.

A lot of people believe that CBD oil is exclusively sourced from industrial hemp. But that’s not true. While some manufacturers, us included, do use industrial hemp to produce CBD oil, others create their products using CBD-rich cannabis strains. This is especially true in the American market. These strains usually produce more flowers with higher concentrations of CBD than industrial hemp, which, again, is grown mainly for its fibre.

  • CBD MYTH #2: CBD OIL IS NON-PSYCHOACTIVE

Cannabis naturally contains over 100 cannabinoids, all of which have their own unique effects on the body. Out of all these compounds, the most studied are THC and CBD. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of confusion in the general public about the effects of these compounds.

THC is often thought of as the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. However, many of the cannabinoids found in cannabis, including CBD, affect the mind and are therefore psychoactive. THC is, however, the main intoxicating agent in cannabis, and is what causes that iconic euphoria or high we associate with the cannabis plant.

  • CBD MYTH #3: CBD BINDS TO CANNABINOID RECEPTORS

The endocannabinoid system is a key regulatory system that mediates the effects of cannabinoids in the body. One of the main components of this system are cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Some cannabinoids can mimic naturally produced endocannabinoids and bind directly to these receptors. THC, for example, binds directly to CB1 receptors.

CBD is different. It has a low binding affinity to cannabinoid receptors, with research instead pointing to CBD acting via 60 different molecular pathways in the body. It's via these systems that CBD is believed to indirectly affect the endocannabinoid system.

  • CBD MYTH #4: CBD MAKES YOU SLEEPY

The endocannabinoid system is involved in regulating many different bodily processes. One of those processes is sleep. However, it's a common misconception that CBD makes people sleepy or has a sedative-like effect. In fact, studies have shown that CBD can actually promote waking and delay sleep time.

Studies also suggest that CBD may have opposing effects on sleep that vary depending on dose and a variety of other factors. A 2014 review[1] published in the journal Current Pharmacology highlights experimental evidence suggesting that CBD could work as a wake-inducing drug. On the other hand, some sources show CBD to help induce sleep by relieving anxiety and stress in individuals with anxiety disorders.

  • CBD MYTH #5: CBD IS THE MAIN MEDICINAL COMPOUND IN CANNABIS

Many people think that CBD is what drives cannabis’ potential as a medicine—and indeed, that is partially true. But the cannabis plant actually contains over 400 different active compounds, including over 100 cannabinoids, many terpenes, flavonoids, and more. And many of these compounds contribute to cannabis’ potential health benefits, not just CBD.

In fact, there’s a solid body of research suggesting that the magic of cannabis may come from the ability of these compounds to synergise. This is known as the “entourage effect”, a theory supported by some of the leading cannabis researchers in the world.

CRUCIAL CBD FACTS

  • CBD FACT #1: CBD WON’T GET YOU HIGH

Earlier, we clarified that CBD acts on the mind and is therefore psychoactive. However, it isn’t intoxicating. Unlike THC, CBD won’t produce any kind of high or euphoria, even in extremely high doses.

However, it’s important to note that some full-spectrum or whole-plant CBD products may contain trace amounts of THC. That’s because THC is a natural compound that is present even in industrial hemp plants. Full-spectrum oils contain the whole profile of chemicals found naturally in hemp, and therefore may contain trace amounts of THC. These concentrations are so low, however, that they won’t be enough to get you high.

  • CBD FACT #2: Research Is Ramping Up

As the second most abundant cannabinoid in modern cultivars, researchers are paying a lot of attention to CBD. A plethora of studies are exploring how CBD impacts the endocannabinoid system, and how it acts in models of inflammation[2], pain[3], and anxiety[4].

CBD RECEPTORS 

  • CBD FACT #3: CBD ACTS VIA MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS IN THE BODY

As mentioned above, studies have identified over 60 different mechanisms of action via which CBD works on the body. Many of these molecular pathways belong to neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, GAMA, and more. Research shows that CBD can affect these systems by either increasing or decreasing their signalling. Studies also suggest that CBD could work as a reuptake inhibitor of endocannabinoids like anandamide. This can lead to a temporary increase in the concentrations of these chemicals in the brain, affecting things like mood and pain sensation.

  • CBD FACT #4: CBD CAN PRODUCE SIDE EFFECTS

Yes, CBD has side effects, and it’s really important to acknowledge that. Luckily, most of the side effects of CBD are mild and can be avoided with proper dosing. Some examples of potential side effects of CBD oil include reduced appetite, diarrhoea, and dry mouth.

Finding the right dose of CBD depends on a variety of factors, including the strength of the CBD supplement you’re using, your weight and individual body chemistry, and the reason you’re trying CBD in the first place. Hence, there’s really no silver bullet to dosing CBD, and it's recommended that you start with a small dose and gradually increase until you achieve the results you’re looking for.

  • CBD FACT #5: CBD IS LEGAL IN MANY COUNTRIES

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the legality of CBD supplements. And while the law regarding these products obviously varies from country to country, many places allow the legal sale of CBD supplements, so long as they contain only trace amounts of THC.

For example, CBD is legal in many European countries, New Zealand, the UK, Uruguay, Canada, and more. In the US, CBD is legal federally if it is derived from hemp, i.e. cannabis plants that contain less than 0.3% THC.

Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: