What Does CBD Stand For?

These three letters have been so present in the common mind recently that it’s simple to forget to think about what does CBD stand for.

CBD is undoubtedly a catchier name and one that’s much easier to remember. But for the science heads out there, who need to know what CBD means (we see you, we respect you, we’re here for you) let’s dive into the science behind the letters.

What Does CBD Stand For?

CBD stands for Central Business District.

Look, we all know that’s not why you’re here, but it does, and that is an interesting fact in itself. If you’re curious, the central business district is simply part of a city where most the offices and businesses are based.

(Aside, CBD also stands for Cannot Be Denied, Caribbean Development Bank, Caught By Dog, Christian Book Distributors, Convention on Biodiversity, and our other favourite two, Certified Bath Designer and Crazy Blind Date, as well as a bunch of other things, but let’s not get into all of those right now, we have other things to discuss).

Why are we mentioning this? Simple, because until recently, the central business district was what most people thought of when you said CBD (although a little bit of all of us is going to think of certified bath designers now) but that is not the case anymore. The CBD we know, and you know, and everybody else is getting to know, stands for Cannabidiol.

What is Cannabidiol?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural molecule obtained from the hemp plant. The interest in CBD has grown so much recently because, unlike its sister, THC, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol it has no psychoactive effects (and because we’ve come this far, THC also stands for, amongst other things, The History Channel, Total HeadCount, Translational Hand Controller, and the band Texas Hippie Coalition, who are well worth a listen).

What this means, in simple terms, is that CBD won’t get you high, that’s not what it’s for. In fact, what CBD is for, and the benefits it has, are the source of much debate, and even more scientific research at the moment.

We can’t, due to UK law, talk too much about the (possible) health benefits of CBD at this point, but being that a law change in the UK in November 2018 saw medical marijuana, including CBD, become available on prescription under the NHS, there is definitely movement, so we may well be able to go into more detail soon.

In the meantime, it doesn’t take a particularly long time on Google to find the scientific research that has been carried out into the potential benefits of CBD.

So, what does CBD stand for? Because it isn’t high, so standing is easy (get it? Like what is E.T short for? Because he’s got little legs! … Okay… so we’re still working on our non-psychoactive cannabinoid molecule humour, let us know in the comments if you have a better one).

How is CBD Different from Marijuana?

So now we’ve discovered what CBD stands for (stop thinking about bath designers), let’s take a while to go into exactly what it is.

Anything related to the cannabis plant in any way will come with a certain stigma, but it is important to separate CBD from these assumptions.

CBD contains very little (or in some cases no) THC, so it does not create a high, instead, it works with similar molecules in your body.

CBD reacts with your endocannabinoid system, which affects everything from memory, to pain, to fertility, and can increase or decrease the effects of this system, which can be important for balance.

Many people don’t realise that cannabinoids occur naturally in the human body, if they did, perhaps it would be easier to end the stigma.

As it is, that stigma is certainly decreasing, and this looks only set to continue. There are many scientists looking into the positive effects of CBD (again, we can’t tell you about them, but they’re totally out there for you to find) and an increasing amount of anecdotal evidence from those who use CBD (feel free to add your own in the comments, you can say it, it’s just us that can’t!) that speaks of the possible benefits of taking CBD.

So, here we are, you know what CBD stands for (you’re doing it again, aren’t you? You’re obsessed with certified bath designers!) and a little about what it does.

Now, all that’s left is for you to try it yourself and see how you find it. Any questions you have, feel free to ask us. We’re here to discuss anything you need to discuss, for as long as you need to discuss it.

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