What’s CBD & 3 Latinas Behind Top Products
The CBD scene has really blown up over the last year, and it’s very likely because everyone has been dealing with the stresses of living through a pandemic. Many are simply looking for a good, natural solution to daily anxieties and worries. So what’s CBD and how can it help you?
CBD is a chemical that is found in cannabis plants and unlike THC (which is from the same family), it doesn’t cause any high whatsoever. So it’s nothing like smoking cannabis, it merely relaxes you and even has been shown to relieve anxiety. The way it works is it interacts with central nervous system and peripheral system receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors, which alter Serotonin levels. Serotonin levels – if you remember from your Psych 101 class – affect things like depression and anxiety.
In fact, a 2011 study on people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) found that participants who received CBD experienced versus those who received a placebo experienced reduced anxiety levels. Other studies have also found CBD success for people with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
How can you use CBD to help stress levels or even low grade anxiety? First, and most importantly, always talk to your doctor first, and see a therapist if you are experiencing substantial symptoms. If you want to start with CBD oils to eat or put on your face, here are some Latina-owned brands that will get you started on your canna-journey.
Calibueno
Oakland-based Calibueno is owned by Bay Area Latina Claudia Mercado. The marketplace offers cannabis products but also high grade CBD, meaning they are much stronger than what you would find at your Whole Foods. Claudia is focused on transparency, and educating the Latinx community about economic empowerment through cannabis. They only work with brands that fall in line with their priority of maintaining a healthy community.
Vital Tonics
After struggling with a back injury at a young age, Natalie Bustamante was frustrated and depended on medications through her life. After a trip to Thailand, she sought to create a more holistic way of dealing with her pain, and that’s how Vital Tonics was born. Her products use nanotechnology to break down the CBD molecules to a size so small they bypass digestion entirely, leading to on the spot relaxation. They even offer a hydrating, CBD-infused face mask!
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A Boring Life
Serafina Palandech and her wife and business partner Chef Jennifer Johnson, were looking to create chef-driven CBD snacks for folks looking for a stress buster to fight the daily grind. Their products, A Boring Life, are CBD infused high protein snacks for anywhere, any time snacking. They honeys and nuts infused with delicious flavors like chocolate and lavender and also with organically grown hemp extract oil with CBD.
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