Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex biochemical communication system that is located in the brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. 

Natural chemical messengers produced by the body that interact within the ECS are called cannabinoids. They interact with receptors, including the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, to regulate many physiological systems in the human brain and body and help to achieve health and homeostasis—the body’s natural state of balance.

See more information on the Endocannabinoid System.

 

What is the purpose of the Endocannabinoid System?

The ECS constantly monitors your body and systems for signs of trouble or imbalance.  In the event of imbalance, a cascade of neurotransmitters are released from the ECS to the organ, tissue or system involved to help address the problem. The ability to keep the body in balance is called homeostasis.

Given the broad distribution of the endocannabinoid system throughout the body, it modulates and supports balance in many important areas of health, including stress response, brain health, digestive health, skin health, bone health, reproductive health and metabolic function.

 

What is CBD?

CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of over 100 active cannabinoids currently identified in hemp. It is a major cannabinoid, typically accounting for a significant amount of the plant's extract. The extracts used in our products are derived from a selected cultivar of whole plant industrial hemp that yields high concentrations of naturally occurring cannabinoids and terpenes.

 

How does CBD work?

Natural chemical messengers produced by the body that interact within the endocannabinoid system (“ECS”) are called cannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids (plant-based cannabinoids) mimic those produced in your body. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of approximately 100 active cannabinoids identified in hemp. Cannabinoids interact with receptors, including the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, to regulate many physiological systems in the human brain and body and help achieve homeostasis—the body’s natural state of balance. 

See more information on the Endocannabinoid System. 

 

Is CBD the same as Hemp Extract?

While some may use these terms interchangeably, it is important to do your homework to understand what hemp-derived products in the marketplace contain, as labeling practices and the products themselves can vary greatly. Labeling is often vague, leaving you to guess what and how much cannabinoids or other constituents are in a product and in a serving size. We encourage you to review and compare independent lab analyses of products you are considering.

CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of over 100 active cannabinoids identified in hemp. Scientists have identified close to 500 phytochemicals in hemp plants, including cannabinoids, terpenes, vitamins, trace minerals, essential fatty acids and more. Some products on the market are isolates that contain only CBD. With our whole plant agricultural hemp extracts, you are getting CBD along with nature's full spectrum of synergistic nutrients.  Third party test results show cannabinoid and terpene profiles for every batch we make.

  

What are terpenes?

Terpenes are fragrant oils found in plants, herbals and botanicals. Terpenes are what give many plants, including cannabis, their unique smell and taste characteristics. Like cannabinoids, terpenes are now believed to interact with the nervous and endocannabinoid system and may help to explain the benefits of aromatherapy. Our extraction process leaves terpene profiles intact in our full spectrum ECS Care products. Unlike most other providers of hemp products, we 3rd-party test each batch of our products for its terpene profile. 

 

What is THC?

THC is the abbreviation for Tetrahydrocannabinol, one of over 100 active cannabinoids identified in cannabis, and most well known for its role as the psychoactive chemical responsible for a euphoric high. All of our hemp is grown in full compliance with the U.S. Farm Bill which authorizes American growers who meet stringent criteria to cultivate agricultural hemp containing THC content of 0.3 percent or less.  

Our hemp products contain trace amounts of THC (<0.3%, third-party tested in every batch we make) to stimulate the body's endocannabinoid system and cell receptors to interact with other cannabinoids--but without causing intoxicating / euphoric high effects. 

 

What is the entourage effect?

The “entourage effect” refers to when multiple compounds interact synergistically to enhance the effects of the individual components. Unlike CBD-only isolates, full spectrum extractions include cannabidiol along with a variety of phytonutrients to potentially amplify the beneficial effects. Our whole-plant hemp products are made with the botanicals just as nature created them.

 

How much hemp oil extract should I take?

The amount will vary for each individual depending on age, metabolism, health factors and how CB receptors are uniquely clustered in the body. For some, only a small amount is needed to achieve optimal effects, and in other cases, a higher amount may be appropriate. We recommend a low amount daily as a starting point and gradually increase usage as needed. Use the same dose for several days and observe how your body responds, and adjust the amount as needed to find what feels best for you. Your physician can help guide you in determining your optimal amount. 

Our liquids offer flexible dosing options, providing an ideal way to find a dose that provides the desired effect. The calibrated glass dropper in our professional tinctures makes it easy to measure and track a variety of doses to find the level that meets your individual needs.

Our hemp products can be taken day or night, preferably after a meal containing fat for enhanced absorption. When starting out, we recommend you take hemp products about an hour prior to bedtime.

 

Do I need to be aware of drug interactions?

ECS Therapeutics products are provided exclusively through healthcare professionals and we encourage you to discuss any OTC and prescription drugs you use with your practitioner. Because CBD can affect certain liver metabolizing enzymes (CYP450 pathway), it may potentially affect how these drugs are metabolized. Therefore monitoring is required for individuals using CBD alongside these medications.

 

How are your hemp extracts made?

ECS Therapeutics products are made with organically grown, non-GMO agricultural hemp plants, grown and processed in the USA. Our clean, low temperature extraction processes allow us to extract phytonutrients and natural molecules that exist in hemp plants without using harmful solvents, while minimizing degradation of the plant material and extracted oil. Beyond testing performed during manufacture in our NSF-certified and GMP-compliant facilities, comprehensive third-party lab testing verifies the potency and purity of every batch we make. ECS Care liquid and vegetable capsule extracts are blended with organic, cold-pressed hemp seed oil for added nutritional synergy. ECS Therapy topicals combine cannabinoids with a range of organic, complementary botanicals for an enhanced terpene profile.

 

What testing do you do on your products?

ECS Therapeutics products were developed to meet the discriminating quality standards of healthcare professionals who seek pure and potent products that also provide reliability and consistency for their patients. Beyond the testing performed during manufacture in our own NSF-certfied facility, we take it a step further and send out every batch for independent analysis by a 3rd party, ISO-accredited laboratory that specializes in the industrial hemp and cannabis industries. 

• We test for every batch for identity, potency and purity. We do not skip batches.
• We test for the cannabinoid profile and terpene profile so you know what beneficial constituents are in our full spectrum products. 
• We also test for a range of potential contaminants including heavy metals, residual solvents, pesticides, microbial and bacterial content including yeast and mold, and mycotoxins.
• Our testing confirms that our products contain <0.3% THC. 

 We proudly disclose our testing results. Our product labels contain a QR code that can be scanned from most cell phones to view the independent analysis for each batch, and our lab testing is also available upon request.

Where are your products made?

ECS Therapeutics' products are made from agricultural hemp that is proudly grown, processed and manufactured in the USA. We manufacture all of our liquids and liquid vegetable capsules in our own NSF-certified facility located in New York.

Can I test positive in a drug test while using your products?

Our full spectrum liquids, vegetable capsules and gummies contain trace amounts (<0.3%) of THC. If a drug test level is set for zero or very low tolerance, you can test positive for THC. Note that we do offer products that are THC free, including our Broad Spectrum products and most ECS Therapy topical products.

 

What is "agricultural" or "industrial" hemp?

Industrial hemp (also called agricultural hemp) is the non-intoxicating, low-THC, genetically distinct variety of the plant cannabis sativa. The Farm Bill of 2018 defines hemp as "the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis."

 

What is the US Farm Bill and how does it relate to hemp?

President Obama signed the Farm Bill of 2014 into law with Section 7606 of the statute stating that: “If the industrial hemp is grown or cultivated for purposes of research conducted under an agricultural pilot program or other agricultural or academic research, and the growing or cultivating of industrial hemp is allowed under the laws of the state in which such institution of higher education or State Department of Agriculture is located and such research occurs, the product can be made and manufactured and sold as part of the state’s approved hemp pilot program.” 

In 2018 President Trump signed a new law which defined hemp as "the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis." Provisions of the bill also amend the definition of “marihuana” in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, thereby completely removing hemp and all parts of the plant and all derivatives from that definition. This effectively removes federal constraints on hemp cultivation, production, or commercial activity for products that contain hemp or constituents of hemp.