10 CBD Myths

Here are 10 common myths with explanations and information regarding their falsehood.

You may already know about these topics, as the CBD industry has been around now for a few years. However, misinformation continues to cause the industry issues and needs to be addressed. And yes, there are other resources out there if you would like to look at them. Many of them will sound remarkably similar to what I have here. So, why bother putting it in my own words? It is important to me that you know we are being honest and open about everything written here. If there are other questions or concerns, please visit the Q&A pages as we answer other common questions there.

First, let’s define what Hemp is, the cannabis plant grown for specific chemical content that has no more than 0.3% THC.  Cannabis is technically both hemp and “marijuana”. However, Hemp is chemically different and is grown for higher CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC and other non-THC cannabinoids. It is nearly the opposite in today’s legal “Pot”. It has been grown for high THC Content. 

Legal CBD products must be hemp derived and therefor can only contain 0.3% THC or less. That is nowhere near what is needed for a “high”, even with extremely sensitive body chemistry. There is a level of “relaxation” that a person can get from CBD and some people’s body chemistry does need that 0.3% THC to get the best results. Not everyone does, we will cover more on body chemistry later. 

Most people refer to CBD and other non-THC Cannabinoids as non-Psychoactive; in my research I have come across information that I feel this terminology needs a bit of an adjustment. It is more so that it is non-intoxicating. Technically speaking, the definition I found groups CBD and other Cannabinoids as similar to Caffeine, relating to this definition. Saying a “Compound can be considered psychoactive when it acts through the central nervous system, affecting the body’s biochemistry, resulting in a temporary change to perception, mood, or consciousness.”  This affect from hemp derived products is being studied as part of treatment for conditions such as anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction, and depression. Again, this does not imply CBD or other non-intoxicating cannabinoids will impair your ability to drive or think clearly. In other words CBD will NOT get you “high”. 

For more on specific cannabinoids such as: What is CBD, CBG, CBN and CBC? Please visit our “Common CBD Q&A” page:

So many people are convinced that they need the strongest product available. This is basically the opposite of what we recommend. 

Low and slow is a really good way to approach CBD use. This is really all about body Chemistry! There is no shortcut to determining a person’s dose. There is some trial and error involved. If you are trying CBD, it might be a good idea to print out our Starter Journal Booklet to help you with keeping track of the first few days and aid you in seeing the results more clearly. 

Although there is no actual “overdose” level with CBD, you can take more than your body and body chemistry really needs at that time. What you might experience if you have taken more CBD than you need: some tiredness (in extreme cases some brain fog), dry mouth, diarrhea (usually from taking oil in large quantities).  These are associated with taking extremely large doses, such as several hundred MG’s at a time. An example would be if a person chose to drink an entire bottle of CBD oil in one shot, I would expect most of those possible side effects to occur. 

This touches on the common question, Are there any side effects? Yes, there can be side effects, usually very mild forms of those mentioned in the previous paragraph. However, most people do not experience these or if they do it’s not enough to deter them from CBD use. 

This Myth has 3 parts.

There are so many ways CBD products and brands can differ. I will try to keep this from getting long and technical.

For starters there are 3 main CBD categories: Isolate, Broad Spectrum, and Full spectrum.

Isolate is exactly that, it is that compound isolated out of the rest of the plant. You might find CBD Isolate products, CBG isolate products, CBN and CBC isolate products as well. All of those will be in the upper 98% to 99% pure down to the molecule. For more on specific cannabinoids such as: What is CBD, CBG, CBN and CBC? Please visit our “Common CBD Q&A” page. 

When you find Broad Spectrum CBD products that generally means more than one cannabinoid present but has no THC down to the testable threshold, usually 0.001% or below, and is generally undetectable. The only tests I am aware of that would possibly detect any THC at that level is in specific military detailed panel drug tests. The average person should pass a drug test while taking broad spectrum CBD products. 

Products labeled as Full Spectrum, indicate that there is up to 0.3% Delta-9 THC and would most likely show on a drug test. The term Full Spectrum should also indicate that more than just CBD and THC are in that product. Usually including: CBD, CBN, CBC and possibly also Delta-8 THC or other trace cannabinoids as it is usually formulated with a distillate. 

Then there is the difference of how your body is getting the CBD. There are Sublingual oil (also commonly called “drops”), Water-soluble, topical, edible, vaporized, and smokable. By far Sublingual oil held in the mouth (usually under the tongue) for more than 30 seconds has the best documented absorption. Many people prefer the convenience of edibles, and my advice to that is if it is a gummy, resist the urge to chew it and try to let it dissolve in your mouth. This is why we currently only have Hard candy. We also don’t currently see the benefits to using water-soluble cannabinoids as there is limited research about how altering the molecule from lipid soluble may change how it interacts with your endocannabinoid system. Topicals can be very effective for localized pain or skin irritation or conditions. Topical is absorbed into the body but not usually to the overall degree as sublingual or ingesting. Vaporizing or “Vaping” is known to be fast acting and can be an effective way to get your CBD. However, there are still a lot of issues with additives and is not currently a reliably safe activity due to flavors and fillers often used. Do your research, if we get to the point that we can manufacture our own, know that they will not contain flavors, fillers, or thinners. Smokable CBD will look and smell an awful lot like its higher THC containing family members. Hemp flower visually is no different from “POT”. There are also CBD Dabs and crumbles available from other brands; again I would be very careful about flavors and additives. The CBD content of natural dried hemp is usually only around 10 to 20%. If it is any higher than that I would look out for additives. However, smoking a hemp joint is for some people the perfect replacement to smoking ‘other things’. It also will almost certainly contain near that .3% THC.

As for Brands, I will not badmouth other CBD companies. I will simply say be very careful! Look for clear labels that state the actual MG of CBD or Total Cannabinoids. Be careful of confusing or contradicting labels. Stating Full Spectrum and THC FREE on the same product is a red flag for me. Look out for ingredients you don’t recognize. Be cautious if it has a long list of ingredients. 

As a brand, Wavellite CBD, we believe in not having frequent “SALES”. We believe that our price should be our price. If a brand is constantly offering discounts, it tells me the “retail” price is inflated and therefor probably not a good buy for your money.

This started because early on when CBD first hit the market people didn’t realize that the small amount of THC in Full spectrum (0.3% or less THC) WILL likely still show on a drug test. Sadly, there were definitely people who lost jobs due to that misunderstanding. Please keep reading. There are CBD products that have absolutely 0% THC!

CBD Isolate products that are truly THC free are safe. CBD Isolate will not show on a Drug test because there is nothing there to detect.

There is a gray area with Broad spectrum. There is a very minor risk depending on the way the broad spectrum is formulated it may contain trace THC amounts, less than 0.001%. There are tests that are very sensitive and depending on how much of those products containing that trace amount of THC a person consumes regularly and how that person metabolizes cannabinoids a positive test is possible. Please take note of this if you have a work situation that is quick to act on a single possible positive. However, as much of the country moves towards a different attitude about THC, some companies have stopped testing for it. 

*Please make your own informed decision regarding the testing risks involved with Full and Broad spectrum CBD products.* 

There is also some concern that other cannabinoids like CBN could possibly transform in the body and trigger a false positive test for THC. In the study that found this potential for a false positive the test is known as “immunoassays” using antibodies to detect drugs. Other than specific military detailed panel tests, I am not aware of other risks of positive tests. Know that in most cases a second “Confirmatory” test is administered that would show negative in true “false positive” or “cross-reactivity” cases.

WebMD does have some good articles on this if you feel the need to do your own research.

This is an outdated concept that seems to persist. At one time this was basically true, however it is no longer true. There are plenty of studies out there if you look for them. 

Where this myths still has some relevance is in that the CBD industry must be careful in how they discuss medical application. As the industry is not currently regulated by the FDA, the CBD industry can not make specific medical claims about the effectiveness of CBD products. The CBD industry can in some cases point to studies and testimonials or personal experiences of great results. If you have specific questions about how CBD products can help with specific conditions, a good, thorough web search will usually come up with some sort of study results to say, yes CBD can help. If you email us directly (WavelliteCBD@gmail.com) with questions we can attempt to locate specific studies for you.

Also, there is one FDA approved seizure medicine that is CBD-based called Epidiolex. This is an interesting development that the pharmaceutical industry is recognizing the potential of Cannabinoids. However, it is a double edge issue that we in the CBD industry are watching closely. 

When I have conversations with people about CBD, the person will often say they don’t need CBD, but this person they know needs it for a given condition. Often, the person I am speaking with can absolutely benefit from CBD. We in the CBD industry struggle to avoid sounding like “snake oil” salesmen. We don’t want CBD products to be misunderstood as a “cure all” and we actually can not call it a “cure”. We don’t want anyone being lied to. 

The reality is CBD is known as an adaptogen. That means, CBD and other cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system, the amazing thing is how it can interact with multiple system simultaneously. The endocannabinoid system is something like an interpreter between systems in the body that are not communicating properly. This also means the body will do different things depending on what the body needs at that time. An example is how for many, it seems to assist in sleeping at night, while during the day that same dose of CBD seems to assist in being alert and thinking clearly. This may also depend on a person’s body chemistry and some people notice that Isolate works better in some ways for them while Broad-spectrum helps more with others. Yet another person will have the opposite observation.  

However, here is a list of just some symptoms or conditions that there has been evidence to support CBD use to help with.

Acne, ADD/ADHD, Addiction, AIDS/HIV, ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anorexia, Antibiotic Resistance, Anxiety, Atherosclerosis, Arthritis, Asthma, Autism, Bipolar, Cancer, Digestive Issues, Depression, Diabetes, Endocrine Disorders, Eczema, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma, Headaches, Heart Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Inflammation, IBS, Kidney disease, Liver Disease, Menstrual Cramps, Metabolic Syndrome, Migraines, Mood Disorders, Motion Sickness, MS, Nausea, Neurodegeneration, Neuropathic Pain, Obesity, OCD, Pain, Parkinson’s Disease, Prion & Mad Cow Disease, PMS, Psoriasis, PTSD, Rheumatism, Schizophrenia, Seizures, Sickle Cell anemia, Skin Conditions, Sleep Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury, Stress, Stroke & TBI,  and Tremors. The list continues to grow all the time.

It is legal in all 50 states, it is even federally legal through the farm bill passed in 2018. There is no need for prescriptions for CBD that is covered under the farm bill. Prescriptions are necessary for specific THC containing products found in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana. 

This is the myth that makes me sad and angry all at the same time. There are Scam CBD and Hemp products out there. Sadly, what that does is discredits the whole industry. People who were dishonest and saw the ways to cash in on the new unregulated industry are responsible for this. However, just like anything, it is important to know what you are buying. An established company should have Certificates of Analysis to prove the potency and content of its products. There have been some surprising and disappointing research done over the last few years. I have seen several independent large-scale tests of CBD products. The results almost every time have shown only about 30% of products on the market contain what they claim. The other side of it is that several companies started creating super inflated prices to then offer big discounts for “subscriptions” that tie you in to monthly auto payments. I have several issues with that tactic. Let’s just point out that your needs may change month to month. Then, there are those just starting with CBD and need time to determine their best dose. And please be careful with “Hemp” infused or “Hemp extract” on the label. Do your research!

This ties into the next Myth.

I have run into this so often I can’t even keep track. Either the person I am talking to or it was a friend that it didn’t work for. There are two usual reasons for this. One, is buying the previously discussed “scam” products that are not what they claim. The Second, is not sticking with it or being consistent. Some people report needing a good 2 weeks to see real results. Some are lucky and see results within minutes. This is that recurring issue of body chemistry. Some may even have consumed an entire bottle of sublingual oil and feel like it really did not do anything. However, by 3 to 5 days after running out of CBD, that person is starting to realize how much it was helping. Please, give it time! Consider keeping a journal; we have a good starter guide for people that would like some guidance on how to keep track, so it is easier to see the results. I like to compare it to your hair growing. You don’t really see the difference day to day, but suddenly you realize you need a haircut. For some the results are just little by little, day to day and those kinds of results are hard to recognize. It can be helpful even if you have been taking CBD regularly. Use this guide to re-evaluate the results you are getting from your current CBD routine.

The simple answer is no.

Without getting into specific neuro pathways in the brain, we can simply say that research on CBD shows no activation of the “addiction pathway of the brain”. Even the World Health Organization stated, “At present, there is no case reports of abuse or dependence related to use of pure CBD.”

I will point out however, a person, if relying on a substance or even activity to calm or decrease anxiety may feel distress if that substance or activity is discontinued. This has more to do with a psychological dependence that can occur when a routine is changed for people with anxiety and/or a hand full of other conditions.