The Misunderstood Miracle—How marketing mayhem, disinformation, ignorance, and greed have obscured the truth about the world’s greatest natural healer!

BLISS

It’s been only 6 years since I first fell in love with CBD (cannabidiol), but it seems like a lifetime. So much has happened. I’m now the CEO of a major CBD company, HempLand® USA, one of just a few companies (there are many now) that started the CBD health revolution. Previous to my love affair with CBD I worked in the dietary supplement business for over 30 years, both as an owner and CEO of several leading health companies. Wellness is my passion. I thought I had seen it all. I had not. Winston Churchill described Russia as, “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” He could have just as easily been describing CBD.

I’ve witnessed first hand how CBD helped transform the health of countless individuals, some of whom had given up all hope at ever getting better. I’ve also watched, and continue to watch in disgust as CBD companies distort, exaggerate and lie about CBD.

Yes, I have a vested interest in wanting you to know the truth about CBD, and what it can do for you, but that’s not the only reason I wrote this article. I believe once you discover how CBD really works and how it came to be, you too, like me, will experience the wonder, joy and mystery that only comes when you understand one of nature’s greatest health gifts, whether or not you ever buy CBD.

I like to say one word started me down the CBD path, strangely it was not CBD, it was anandamide. In 2015, I read an article in Scientific American: New Brain Effects behind “Runner’s High.” The article explained that runner’s high, once thought to be due to endorphins (neurotransmitters) released into the bloodstream as a consequence of exercise, was now thought to be produced by another neurotransmitter called anandamide.

Anandamide was described as a “bliss” producing molecule

It seems endorphins are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier anandamide is not. Like endorphins, anandamide is released during heavy exercise. Anandamide was described as a “bliss” producing molecule, hence the prefix ananda, a Sanskrit word that means “bliss.” The article said anandamide was part of the same system of the brain involved in a “marijuana buzz.”

Anandamide! How was it possible that a chemical compound could be called anandamide? Chemical compounds have scientific tongue-twisting names, not ancient spiritual names! Our body actually produced a “bliss” molecule associated with a “marijuana buzz?” I had to know more.

Discovery of Discoveries

As I looked deeper into anandamide, I learned that it is a specific kind of neurotransmitter called an endocannabinoid, and is a major player in something called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is an incredibly complex biological system that CBD helps to function better. The discovery of the ECS has been described as one of the most important medical discoveries of the twentieth century!

Think of the ECS as your body’s master monitoring system, tracking all aspects of biological functioning with one goal, keeping everything working properly, and in balance. The medical term is homeostasis. Virtually all of the miraculous health benefits CBD supposedly delivers, like eliminating pain, anxiety, improving sleep, mood, energy, and reducing inflammation, actually occur because of what CBD does for your ECS, the real hero in the CBD saga.

Watch this short video about the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The ECS discovery started with the discovery of cannabinoids which are powerful active compounds found in cannabis (marijuana/hemp). CBD, the “good boy” cannabinoid that doesn’t get you high, more on that later, was discovered in 1942 by Dr. Roger Adams and his team at the University of Illinois.

THC, the “no-no, bad boy” cannabinoid that does get you high, was discovered In 1964, at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.

Here’s where it gets hilarious. In the 1990’s, the U.S. government started funding research in order to put meat on the lies they had been peddling about the horrible mental and physical effects of marijuana. By then, the counterculture had pretty much destroyed public trust in the party line. The glory days of “reefer madness” were over. To regain public trust the government needed real evidence that confirmed the horrors of “devil weed.” They needed science. Big mistake!

Rather than showing the harmful effects of cannabis, study after government-funded study painted a very different picture. Most of the studies showed overwhelmingly positive medical effects of cannabis, some quite profound. Plus the research contributed to a much deeper understanding about how our brains functioned.

Example, in 1990, it was announced that a team led by Lisa Matsuda at the National Institute of Mental Health, while looking for negative mental effects of marijuana, had discovered a cannabinoid receptor in the brain. She demonstrated that THC works by activating cannabinoid receptors in the brain called CB1 receptors. A second cannabinoid receptor named CB2 was also identified at this time. But why would the human body have receptors for marijuana cannabinoids? Were we hard-wired for pot? Uh oh!

Science soon had an answer. In 1992, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Lumir Hanus, along with American researcher Dr. William Devane, working with the now-famous Dr. Mechoulam discovered the first endocannabinoid. Endo means made inside your body. They gave their newly discovered molecule probably the only spiritual name in scientific history, anandamide, bliss. Jackpot!

Based on the discovery of the endocannabinoid anandamide, scientists reasoned that it was merely a coincidence marijuana plant cannabinoids, like THC, fit into cannabinoid receptors. THC and CBD were imposters, helpful imposters, but in actuality, they were only mimicking endocannabinoids. Not correct, and here’s where the CBD mystery really gets strange, more on that later.

Anyway, once the cannabinoid receptors and their real purpose were understood, it wasn’t long before scientists discovered an unknown molecular signaling system within the body that is involved in regulating a broad range of biological functions. This system was named the endocannabinoid system (ECS), after its namesake, cannabis! As mentioned, this was a big deal. Now science had a much deeper understanding of cannabinoids, receptors and the vital role they play in the ECS and ultimately your good health. And to think it all started with a misguided scientific effort to discredit cannabis. Let’s circle back to CBD.

The Elixir

By 2015 public interest in CBD was increasing dramatically. CNN had run a series of documentaries about medical marijuana in which they featured information about CBD and its many healing benefits, complete with emotional healing stories. Just after the documentaries, the first of two CBD friendly farm bills was signed into law, allowing hemp to be grown under certain conditions. This provided an opening for CBD to be sold legally as long as it was extracted from hemp.

Hemp is simply a name for a cannabis sativa plant that contains less than 0.3% THC, far below the threshold of negative psychoactivity associated with THC. If the cannabis sativa plant contains more than 0.3% THC, it’s classified as marijuana. Certain strains of cannabis sativa contain high levels of CBD and almost no THC. These strains were grown for the burgeoning CBD market.

After reading the article about “runner’s high” it wasn’t long before my research led me to CBD, and soon thereafter I knew it was going to explode. I tried CBD on myself for stress, chronic back pain, and insomnia. I was extremely impressed with the results. But what ultimately caused me to enter the CBD market with my own company was the state of play within the burgeoning market place itself, a madhouse bearing very little resemblance to reality.

CBD was touted as having even more medical benefits than marijuana but without the high. Companies were willing to make any healing claim no matter how outlandish if it sold CBD. The FDA sent letters to several CBD companies warning them about unsubstantiated claims, and dire consequences if they continued. It didn’t help.

Companies that wanted to appear scientific explained or showed the ECS graphically and how CBD like THC could switch on your ECS. The lock and key scenario was a favorite marketing metaphor. CBD was the key that fit perfectly into the ECS receptor lock. Once unlocked, healing miracles were unleashed. None of the claims or graphics were even partially accurate.

There was a kind of revivalist feeling to the CBD marketplace. Biblical. True believers expounding on the joys of the converted. Miraculous healing testimonials abound. CBD was the new holy water, a magical elixir that could be added to anything.

Where there was once only CBD tinctures and capsules there was now CBD coffee, CBD soft drinks, CBD dog treats, CBD energy drinks, CBD gummies, CBD bath bombs, CBD beauty creams, CBD water, CBD massage cream, CBD deodorant, CBD acne cream, CBD suppositories, CBD pain patches, CBD vapes, and my personal favorite, CBD toothpaste, to name but a few!

Truth

I knew what I had to do. My marketing strategy for CBD was simple. Tell the truth.

Here’s what you need to know before you even think about trying CBD. There are 3 fundamental misunderstandings and misrepresentations the CBD industry promotes:

1. CBD is non-psychoactive. Incorrect. It’s mostly perpetrated by CBD marketers who have no idea what they are talking about. However, the supposed non-psychoactivity of CBD makes a great marketing story to differentiate “safe and sane CBD from dangerous and insane THC.”
2. CBD is effective at low doses. Incorrect. The reason CBD marketers want you to believe CBD works at low doses is obvious. CBD is expensive to produce. Less CBD means more profit.
3. CBD works by activating cannabinoid receptors. Incorrect. Also perpetrated by CBD marketers who simply haven’t done their homework.

Here’s the truth:

1. CBD is definitely psychoactive, just not in the same way as THC. CBD counteracts many of the so-called negative effects of THC. Your mind won’t race, no trips, no disconnected thoughts, no memory loss (CBD actually improves memory) and most importantly, no paranoia. But does that mean CBD is not psychoactive? The definition of psychoactive is: Any substance having a profound or significant effect on mental processes. Let’s look at a condition that leaves little question about the psycho-activity of CBD, schizophrenia.

   In a groundbreaking randomized double blind-study conducted on 39 inpatients suffering from acute paranoid schizophrenia entitled: “Cannabidiol enhances anandamide signaling and alleviates psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia.” Easy to google. CBD was shown to be as effective as a leading psychotropic drug, Amisulpride, for alleviating schizophrenic symptoms. Both medications worked well, but CBD had much fewer side effects.

   This study clearly shows the opposite of what is touted in the CBD industry. CBD displays the classic definition of psychoactivity, any substance having a profound or significant effect on mental processes. CBD raised anandamide levels which caused the patient’s to have less paranoid thoughts, less dissociative identity disorder, more focus, much clearer thinking, and a feeling of balance! In short, CBD had a profound positive effect on the patients mental processes. To repeat, CBD is indeed psychoactive, but in a good way!

2. CBD is NOT effective at low doses. If you’re purchasing a CBD product that contains less than 1000mg of CBD, you’re wasting your money! CBD clinical studies (google them) on pain, anxiety, sleep, and other conditions use single dose rates between 100mg to 800mg daily. That’s as much or more than the total amount of CBD found any many CBD hemp oil products sold online. And these products are suppose to deliver up to a month of effective daily doses!

   The newest scheme some marketing companies employ to justify the low levels of CBD contained in their questionable products is to state that their CBD has been processed using nano technology to be more absorbable (bioactive), therefore less is more. Laughable!

   To be fair, some CBD companies do sell products with 1000mg or more, but many CBD companies (the majority) focus on selling products with too little CBD to be effective. As mentioned, the reason is obvious, GREED.

3. CBD does NOT activate cannabinoid receptors. It has no affinity for them. The lock and key metaphor is ridiculous. CBD does something far more amazing and bizarrely mysterious.

   Remember that I started this story with anandamide? It turns out anandamide is the whole ball of wax for CBD! CBD raises levels of your bliss molecule, anandamide. It does this by deactivating an enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). This enzyme is part of your ECS, and its purpose is to regulate levels of anandamide. Deactivating it means higher levels of anandamide.

Here are some more frequently asked questions and answers.

No one really understands how CBD deactivates (FAAH) or more mysteriously, WHY! Scientists now argue that the cannabis plant produces the cannabinoid THC to disorient hungry insects. Tripped out paranoid, disoriented insects would tend not to be a threat. But why does cannabis produce CBD? I think the answer is more likely spiritual than scientific. Could it be that CBD was created to help humans experience more balance and harmony? More bliss?

How important is it for CBD to raise levels of anandamide. It’s monumental if you are suffering from pain, anxiety, stress, poor sleep, lousy moods, low energy, and inflammation. It’s the endo-cannbanibinod anandamide that activates your cannabinoid receptors to unleash the healing power of your ECS. A better way to put it is when CBD raises anandamide levels your ECS functions optimally.

Medical science now believes that as you pass 40, your body produces less endocannabinoids, primarily anandamide, leading to a condition called Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome, CEDS, and that’s why you may suffer from the symptoms I’ve just listed. Aren’t all of these symptoms an indication that your body, or mind, or both are out of balance?

CBD dramatically raises levels of anandamide, AND THAT’S THE MISUNDERSTOOD MIRACLE! For your ECS to do its job the way the creator intended, restore balance and harmony, it must have proper levels of its bliss molecule anandamide! When it does, your ECS, not CBD, is indeed the world’s greatest natural healer!

HempLand® USA

As I said, I’ve been in the dietary supplement business for several decades. I already had a superb scientific team of researchers and formulators in-house. I also had multiple manufacturing locations, customer service personnel, and a state-of-the-art shipping facility.

However, what I didn’t have was a relationship with cannabis growers. That proved to be a challenge. The majority of growers were in Colorado. My assistant googled everyone in Colorado that had an agriculture license to grow hemp. I contacted each grower. In 2015 there was only a handful. The vast majority of companies selling CBD were just marketing companies of which there were already many. I made appointments with the growers and headed to Denver.

Welcome to the marijuana culture. Virtually all the hemp growers I met were from California and had been in the marijuana business, legally or otherwise. None of them owned their own farms in Colorado. They had convinced local farmers to join the “green rush before it’s too late, bro. CBD is gonna be huge!” They had that part right.

Generally, most were not the kind of people I was used to working with in the dietary supplement business. They were poorly organized and had no idea about FDA regulations. Even simple things like product chain of custody, batch and lot numbers, sanitary manufacturing, was way beyond their skill set. They didn’t care anyway. There was money to be made.

Justin and Chris Hammer

But not all were like that. I met two brothers, Chris and Justin Hammer, that were head and shoulders above the rest. They had a clear vision, where they were going and how to get there. They had years of experience growing medical marijuana legally in California and saw before most the amazing health potential of CBD. They had solid relationships with local farmers and a first-class extraction facility, small but that would change. They were looking for somebody from the “straight world” to partner with. We hit it off immediately.

They supplied me with hemp CBD extract. It was lab tested, beautiful, clean, and pure. When I retested at my third party lab, the oil was perfect; no contaminants and cannabinoid counts were right on the mark. Very different from CBD products I had tested from the other growers. The Hammer brothers already understood chain of custody, batch and lot numbers, but most importantly, they understood good manufacturing practices.

Click here to try the original hemp CBD oil.

For the first two years HempLand® USA only offered Cannabitol® Full-Spectrum CBD Oil in two strengths. We had no gel caps or any other CBD products. Business was great, but I was still in the learning phase, and so were the Hammer brothers. What was extraordinary about Chris and Justin is they put every single dollar they earned right back into their business.

Within two years, they owned their own farm, several new John Deere tractors, greenhouses for cloning, and a serious genetics lab for strain refinements. Their little C02 extractor (C02 extraction is the cleanest method to extract CBD, and has no residual solvents) turned into four enormous C02 extractors. They also had state-of-the-art distillation equipment, and each year have continued to add more sophisticated extraction equipment.

Last year the Hammer brothers got their USDA certification for organic growing and extraction. My initial impression of them proved to be correct. We’ve remained close partners and friends.

HempLand® USA has significantly expanded Cannabitol® CBD products. We offer our full-spectrum CBD oil in 3 therapeutic strengths, 1000mg, 2000mg, and 5000mg of CBD respectively. Full-spectrum means our hemp oil extract contains more than CBD. It contains all of hemp’s powerful health constituents, including a small amount of THC, under 0.3%, other cannabinoids, terpenes, that also support your ECS, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

We also offer our full-spectrum CBD oil in the same strengths, but we remove THC (THC Free CBD oil). Some of our clients don’t want THC even though the amounts we include is below what is allowed in hemp, and way below the negative psychoactive threshold. And even though research shows that a small amount of THC helps your ECS function better.

Finally, we offer Cannabitol® Full-Spectrum THC Free CBD Oil in soft gels. Each soft gel contains 25MG of CBD. All of our products are priced well below market considering the therapeutic levels of CBD they contain.

With the exception of soft gels, Cannabitol® Hemp CBD Oil products come in 1 ounce and 2 ounce bottles with a calibrated dropper to accurately measure dosage.

So what is the most effective dosage of CBD? You already know that it needs to be substantially higher than what’s currently popular. If you’re unfamiliar with CBD, start with our 1000mg strength. One full dropper will have approximately 33mg of CBD. Try taking a full dropper up to 4 times daily. You’ll know when you hit your sweet spot in a number of ways: symptom relief, more clarity, focus, calmness, and a sense of well-being. If you’re overdoing it you’ll feel slightly sedated—not a bad feeling, but you may want to back off. Conversely, if you don’t experience symptom relief or an increased sense of well-being try a higher strength. Move up to 2000mg or 5000mg.

Me

And there you have it. You now know more than most CBD companies about how CBD works and how to use it effectively. You know the truth.In closing, let me leave you with one final truth. If you support your endocannabinoid system (ECS) with the correct dosage of CBD, you’ll be amazed at the health benefits you can achieve. We receive thousands of letters and emails attesting to this fact. Your ECS really is the world’s greatest natural healer. It’s all about balance, harmony, and bliss. I sincerely hope you will allow HempLand USA® to help you achieve your health goals.

Richard T. Waggoner
CEO, HempLand USA Inc.
www.hemplandusa.com