The CBD market is in a state of massive growth, both in the UK and globally. Each new study reveals the magnitude with which the UK category is growing, with the latest from the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis estimating that over 6 million people in the UK have tried CBD in the past year, with 1.3 million of those using it regularly.

On a financial basis, the UK market is expected to reach £1 billion by 2025. For such a new emergent sector, this growth clearly represents a giant opportunity for ambitious candidates. So, what’s the best way to get ahead of the curve? Making sure that you don’t just understand the market, but that you understand CBD itself.
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What is CBD?

First things first, let’s establish a basic definition of CBD. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of over 400 different compounds that have been identified so far in the cannabis plant. More specifically, it’s part of a family of substances known as “cannabinoids”, the most famous of which is THC.

THC is the compound in the cannabis plant that gets users high, and leads to many of the negative side effects such as paranoia and anxiety. CBD, on the other hand, is not psychotropic, meaning it has no chance of inducing a high. Instead, it has been shown to have a variety of well-being applications, including pain relief, anti-inflammation, as well as contributing to positive mental health.

The most interesting part is that cannabinoids directly similar to THC and CBD are already produced inside the body. Despite first being discovered in the cannabis plant, the body has a massive network known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is present in the immune system, nervous system, and most major organs, and is responsible for overseeing a vast number of different parameters like memory, pain, temperature, and pH levels.

When users take CBD, they’re actually supporting this pre-existing network in monitoring and adjusting levels across the body. That’s why its potential series of applications are so massive and inspirational.
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Is CBD safe and legal?

As previously mentioned, CBD has no psychotropic properties, meaning it will never get you high, but it’s also provenly safe. An extensive report by the World Health Organization described CBD as being “generally well tolerated with a good safety profile”. Given the scepticism surrounding CBD, this statement has a lot of weight.

It’s also perfectly legal both in the UK and across the majority of Europe, assuming that several key parameters are met. These guidelines all relate to ensuring THC levels are low (the exact mg differs between countries), with the UK setting the tolerance at 0.2% by concentration.
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Why do people use CBD?

Now you know how CBD interacts with the human body, but that doesn’t quite answer why it’s become so popular. Due to the current state of UK regulations, most companies cannot comment on the medical applications of their products, but as an impartial third party we can discuss the reasons behind why CBD is the word on everyone’s lips.

The main point is a promotion of general well-being. Since introducing CBD into the body supports the production of your body’s own endocannabinoids, it can have a wide range of benefits and impacts across the body. It also represents a completely new way of approaching the management of certain conditions. We’ll list a few of the key ones here:

• Improving sleep patterns
• Reducing pain and inflammation
• Easing symptoms of anxiety & depression
• Managing epileptic fits

Understanding CBD terminology

As with any new market, there are 1000s of different iterations of the product as everyone attempts to stake their own claim. That means there are lots of buzz words and pieces of terminology floating around for you to get your head around. That’s why we’ve broken down a few key examples.

• Cannabidiol: Simply the full name for CBD. You can see why people shorten it!
• Cannabinoid: The type of compound category that CBD falls under. First discovered in cannabis, they’re actually found all throughout nature.
• Hemp: A subset of cannabis largely used for industrial purposes and harvesting CBD. High in CBD, and low in THC.
• Endocannabinoid: The name for cannabinoids produced internally in the human body.
• Endocannabinoid system: The network in the human body by which all cannabinoids interact with your biology.
• Whole plant: A product that uses the full span of compounds found in the hemp plant, including cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, waxes and oils.
• Full spectrum: A product that uses the full span of hemp compounds, except the waxes and oils to make it easier to ingest and/or vape.
• Broad spectrum: A full spectrum product that has gone through further processes to ensure there is absolutely no THC present.
• CBD isolate: A product that just uses CBD in its purest form. This is the cheapest and most common form of CBD.
• Terpenes: These compounds are found throughout nature, but are found in abundance in hemp. Naturally supports CBD when taken alongside it.
• Flavonoids: As above, these compounds naturally support CBD in promoting well-being and balance throughout the body.

Opportunities in the CBD job market

So, you’re more informed about what CBD is and why it’s gained traction as a category, but what about job opportunities? There are plenty of positions opening up as a more and more CBD firms open up across the country, with everything from field sales roles to marketing positions requiring a whole spectrum of different experience levels.

With national stockists like Boots, Tesco, Holland & Barrett and Lloyds all stocking CBD, and giving it major shelf space, it’s clear that this isn’t just a passing fad. Our main piece of advice is to educate yourself, both through our blog here and using reports like the ones we’ve linked to.

As the category continues to expand, a basic understanding of CBD will become expected, but for now it’s still completely open. Getting in at this juncture with a few key tools will enable you to flourish and grow alongside the sector.

Want to know more? Chat to one of our team at Parna on 01212274767 now about CBD opportunities and how best to approach the industry.