Thursday, February 20, 2020

43 CBDelightful

I enter sweepstakes from time to time (by that, I mean for hours at a time daily) so earlier this month, I won a prize pack from 43CBD.com, a retailer from Colorado who distributes various CBD products. I was psyched to hear the news, since I've tried CBD products one other time last year from Apis Merchantile. Our super friends the Beckers know that I struggle with generalized anxiety, so they gave me a jar of CBD honey (their nephew owns the company). I've known for years that the THC in marijuana could help immensely with pain, depression, and appetite (among other things) but I was interested in investing in products that could help with health without the high of THC.

The experience went something like this an hour after my husband and I took a heaping spoonful:

Chuck: (standing in front of me with his hands on his hips) "Do you feel something? I feel something. Something's different."

Me: "Man, I was just about to say the exact same thing. I feel chill. Do you feel chill?

Chuck: "Man, something's different."

Me: "Man I know. Right on, you know?"

I'm on a low dose of Clonapen for anxiety and on this occasion, I felt like the CBD helped more than the medication. So I wondered, would all CBD products have a similar effect?

Here's the Deal

I won the Full Spectrum 500 MG Hemp Oil Tincture, 750 MG Cannabidiol Vegan Capsules, and the 300 MG CBD Salve.




So...one of the first things I learned about this product was its price point, since I didn't buy it. I literally cussed out loud when I visited the oil products because the first one I saw was $150 and the last thing I spent more than $100 on was a smart TV and that's because my husband absolutely insisted we have one. I can have a hard time letting go of money. I noticed that the oil I won was at a price point of $45, which would be affordable if I felt it was a great benefit to me. I checked Amazon and Google and observed that this price point is competitive with a number of oils on the market. The capsules were $65 and the salve was $45 although they sell higher strength salves for $75. 

Initially I felt like if you blaze up, it would be a more thrifty advantage to just stick to your gonja, unless you really need a solution for your health problems while you're at work or caring for children or operating heavy machinery, or...you know...getting a drug test. Of course, some people who are pro-marijuana cannot smoke, like one of my family members who just had heart surgery. Others I know who smoke pot have teenage or young adult children who suffer from anxiety that could benefit from the products, assuming they are potent. So in thinking it through, I decided there are a number of circumstances where CBD would be advantageous compared to smoking marijuana.

So, is it worth the cost? Polling Facebook friends, I received a lot of feedback ranging from "not worth the money" to "changed my life." Everyone has different experiences with different products. I, for instance, had a profound experience with vitamin B6 earlier this year. I started a regime, as it was recommended for depression, and within a few weeks, I began to notice a substantial difference. I was getting up early, putting on makeup, doing chores...showering regularly. The nurses at my grandmother's nursing home didn't even recognize me, and I've been going there almost daily for three years. Would everyone have that experience? I have no idea. You know what they say--different folks, different strokes. I still cannot believe there are people out there who don't think "Forrest Gump" was a truly amazing movie...

For me, if I have heard that a product has helped tremendously with mental health, I have a hard time not investing more time in investigating the claims and recommending the products. My young cousin, who is in her twenties, has struggled with severe OCD and anxiety for years. I remembered her saying something about using CBD last year, so I contacted her to ask her about her experience. The following is her testimonial:

I began using CBD to help me with my withdraw from Xanax. I was put on a large amount of Xanax for my anxiety and I was finally tampering off when I heard about CBD. The first CBD product I tried was a 5mg frog gummie. After eating it I immediately felt a sense of calm that I havnt felt in a while because of the Xanax withdrawl. I bought some more gummies and decided to also try some CBD capsules. They helped tremendously with my withdraw and anxiety. From then on I began using CBD everyday from oils, to gummies, to vape juice. I became a much calmer Person and I was able to finally get off of Xanax. Not too long ago I tried the flower, and it was such an amazing feeling. It gives me a sense of calm and euphoria. I was recently diagnosed with panic disorder and I can manage it because of CBD. I feel like CBD came into my life for a reason and it came into it at the perfect time. CBD literally saved me."

Reading the reviews on 43CBD's web site, I noticed similar stories of alleviating anxiety and pain. My cousin pays around $80-$100 a month for her CBD regime and she advised me that it is totally worth it.

I have bipolar disorder and I'm on the lowest dose of Seroquel daily and Clonapen as needed. Since taking the vitamin B, I haven't needed the Clonapen as much and I honestly cannot remember the last time I refilled it. Although I'm used to the Seroquel now, it used to knock me out at nights. Now, I can go to sleep if I choose to, but I can also stay up late and work.

The biggest difference for me was taking the oil. The first night I took the maximum dose, expecting a relaxing feeling, and began to work on various projects on my laptop around 11:00 PM. I am usually up until 2:00 AM on nights I work. Within the hour, I had an overwhelming feeling of needing to pass out. I didn't even make it to the bathroom to brush my teeth--I was just out. I tested this a few other times and decided that if I wanted to stay up late, taking the oil was probably not the best idea. I also tested it during the day when my husband came home early in case it had the same effect. I only noted that I felt very mello and calm, but didn't feel at all drowsy.

I've always been good at sleep (I wish they paid you for that kind of thing), so while I don't feel like it would be something I need, I know a number of people who struggle with sleep and I feel hopeful that it would benefit them. They've tried melatonin (it can give you nightmares), magnesium, and a variety of other natural aids to no avail and won't try prescription drugs because of the side effects (my husband took Ambien and once showed up on the neighbor's lawn at 3 AM with a giant stuffed gorilla). After experiencing this oil, I feel that it's something I could legitimately suggest to loved ones to help them rest.

I didn't have the same experience with the capsules. I passed them out to several friends who also said they didn't feel a significant difference, although one friend did say it helped them to feel relaxed. One afternoon after taking 2 capsules, I did have a peaceful and calm feeling, but I don't feel like I could 100% contribute that to the capsules.

I used the salve on my husband's back one night. He said he felt like it was relaxing, but one draw back to the salve is that it smells like marijuana, so I wouldn't use it and go to work or out in public. I've read testimonials that say it helps with aches and pains, but my husband and I only have injuries that flair up from time to time and didn't get a chance to use the salve for ailments.

I know that some people don't give any credit to natural remedies but my experience has been different. Once at a festival, I bought emu oil (I have no idea why I did this except...well it was emu oil...what is that even?). One of the claims it made was that it was good for burns. Don't you know a week later, I burned my finger on the stove and it really hurt. I remembered the emu oil and grabbed it from the cabinet. I swear, it instantly made the pain go away. It was absolutely amazing. Since then I have been less skeptical of holistic treatments. I've never had a drug problem, but with the opioid crisis going on (and personally knowing some addicts) I believe that it would be beneficial for people to learn how food and natural plant products can help them with a variety of health issues. My mother cut out gluten and inflammatory foods from her diet a few years ago and it eliminated snoring, restless leg syndrome, and joint pain.

If the Company was a Person

I am the type of person that feels if they invest any amount of money on a product, they should research that product and know who they're dealing with and what they offer. I've been in sales and customer service for over 20 years and I own my own business, so when I buy a product or service, I am the customer who will ask questions, browse the website, and read reviews. I travel a lot, so I often use Yelp to provide feedback after a hotel stay and 9 times out of 10 I will take the time to give feedback on a restaurant. It gives me joy to offer high praise--especially for a locally owned or smaller business. Of course, I also enjoy giving lower ratings because, generally speaking, the reviews are hilarious and they totally deserved it. I'm definitely a mic drop person.

I take surveys weekly for cash and one of the questions that is typically asked across the board is something like,"If this business was a person, what personality traits would they have?" Then they give you a list of traits to choose from. On 43CBD's website, the owners encourage customers to call them with questions. I found that impressive, since I own a small business and I don't like to encourage customers to ever call me under any circumstances (just kidding...kind of...). I corresponded with the marketing director on more than several occasions, and he was super helpful.

Plus one of the owners names is Dontje, and if I can't pronounce someone's name, that automatically makes them cool. I feel like the owners have seen "The Big Labowski" more than a couple of times, that they care about their customers, believe in their products, and that they might like Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I'm not sure what their favorite flavor might be. I'm going to guess Pistachio, Pistachio, because it's green.

Their website offers a lot of information for people who may be hesitant or skeptical. That includes lab results, testimonials, and a blog about different subjects (pet health, arthritis, psoriasis, athlete recovery, and the differences between CBD and THC). I enjoyed browsing the web site because it was thorough, included a variety of information, and I felt like it was down to earth. It was kind of like a Tinder profile where the person just posts perfectly normal, yet attractive photos without making themselves look like a super model and then they also have a sense of humor about themselves in their blurb. Not that I cruise Tinder or anything but I've heard stories...

I also learned that it's a product you can give pets who are suffering from anxiety. If they don't eat wet food, you can put it on a treat or administer it directly. We have owned pets who suffer from anxiety, especially during storms or traveling.

The Summary

Although it might not be an immediate need for me, my experience with CBD oil is that I would recommend that friends and family try it for anxiety or a sleep aid and--total transparency--we will probably be inviting people over who we know may need it to have them try it. That's what we do with just about everything we buy. I feel like it's kind of a big deal to have us as friends...

Have something you'd like me to review? Inbox me at adrnlize@aol.com. I know, I know...an AOL account...I still wear Jncos...




























2 comments:

  1. Very entertaining, I love your writing style! BTW, you pronounce my name Don-yay!

    ReplyDelete