There’s no question that CBD is the buzzy wellness product of the moment. If you live in a country where it’s currently legal, you might feel like CBD has gone from being sort of around to absolutely everywhere all at once.

But even though it’s infiltrating pretty much every corner of the wellness world many people still find CBD a little confusing—especially when it comes to figuring out the right way to use it and how to make sure the stuff you’re buying is, you know, actually legit.

What is CBD?

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound from the Cannabid sativa plant, whish is also known as marijuana or help.

It’s a naturally occurring substance that’s used in products like oils and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm. Unlike its cousin, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the major active ingredient in marijuana, CBD is not psychoactive.

So you’re saying CBD won’t get me high?

Nope. The cannabis plant is made up of two main players: CBD and THC. “CBD is the non-psychoactive portion of the plant, so what that means is you won’t have any effects like euphoria” or differently said “You won’t feel sedated or altered in any way.”

Therefore it also crucial to buy third-party-tested CBD for quality assurance (more on this later).

Where does hemp come in to all this?

You’ve probably heard the terms cannabis, marijuana, and hemp all tossed around in relation to CBD. The plant Cannabis sativa has two primary species, hemp and marijuana. Both contain CBD, but there’s a much higher percentage in hemp, which also has very low (less than 0.3%) levels of THC compared to marijuana.

When people talk about hemp oil, they’re referring to oil extracted from the seeds of the hemp plant. There are no cannabinoids — CBD or THC — in hemp oil. This ingredient is packed with healthy fats and often appears in beauty products for its moisturizing benefits.

What are the health benefits of CBD?

The only CBD approved medication that is currently FDA-approved is Epidiolex, which the agency approved last year for the treatment of certain types of epilepsy. But many people swear CBD has helped with a slew of other health conditions, including back pain, osteoarthritis, even cancer.