A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO
CBD BY MEGAN SARNACKI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE WILD
W
hether it is up for discussion on media outlets or through word of mouth, you have probably heard of cannabidiol, or CBD. Though it has become a trend in recent years, you may still have some questions like what it is and why people use it, which is why we are going back to school. Do not worry, though. There will be no final exam. The homework has already been done because lucky for you, Janet Tombre, the managing director of The Grassy Knoll, a CBD retails store in Grand Rapids, gives us a beginner’s guide to CBD. WOMEN’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE: CBD has become
much more mainstream over the years. Give us a breakdown of what exactly CBD is and how it differs from THC (the main psychoactive compound in marijuana).
JANET TOMBRE: CBD is the natural extraction from the
hemp plant. It has all the medicinal parts to it, but none of the psychoactive elements like the marijuana plant. You can’t get high off a CBD product. THC is the one that gets you high. CBD is the one that helps. We have
what’s called an endocannabinoid system, and CBD locks into those endocannabinoids and tells our body how to heal. WLM: What is the difference between CBD and
hemp oil?
JT: Hemp seed oil is the oil from the seed rather than the oil from the flower. The hemp seed oil does not have the same medicinal effect as CBD. It’s a good oil. You can still use it and cook with it like olive oil, but my biggest thing is to educate people on the differences. A lot of companies claim to be CBD when it’s really hemp seed oil, and hemp seed oil does not do the same thing as CBD. If a product sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. WLM: What do people use CBD for? JT: Oh my gosh! There’s a whole list of things. Some of them are pain and inflammation. If you have arthritic pain or sciatic nerve pain, one of the best ways to relieve and alleviate that pain is to put CBD straight on where it
“I always ask people what it is they want CBD to do or help with and then it’s easier to direct them that way and talk them through the best way to take it. But come with good questions and consult your doctors first.” — JANET TOMBRE,
THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE GRASSY KNOLL
20
Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • April 2020
