What is CBD? And why is the cannabis-derived ingredient on the rise for wellness products? If you only know three letters associated with cannabis, they're probably T-H-C. But there's another term on the rise: CBD. CBD, one of the more than 100 chemicals in cannabis, is emerging as a popular wellness ingredient. The plant extract, often consumed as an oil under the tongue, is now the featured ingredient in high-end products including coconut oil, body lotion, face serum, olive oil, jam, bath scrub, cold-brew coffee, sports salve, lip balm, infused water, gummy snacks and dog treats. Products' prices vary but may cost about triple what their CBD-less counterparts do. Unlike THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (Cannabidiol) won't get you high, and it's becoming so mainstream that even Coca-Cola may have interest in a CBD drink. There are still plenty of unknowns when it comes to CBD. The FDA has only approved the use of CBD oil in specific cases of epilepsy.

Epidiolex, the FDA-approved CBD drug, was placed in the "least restrictive" category of controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Agency, meaning it's in the same category with cough medicine Robitussin AC. Laws surrounding the sale of hemp CBD are murky at best; products made with the cannabinoid are not legal in all 50 states, though the oil is legal in more states than medicinal marijuana. Even in California, where recreational marijuana consumption is legal for adults 21 and older, there are complicated rules. And yet, even with new guidance on CBD use in food products in the state, the industry continues to grow. "A lot of states only allow CBD for a limited amount of medical conditions. But they’re not checking the mail, not checking these other companies that are shipping in," Kristen Yoder, host of podcast CannaBS Detector, said at the first-ever CBD Expo in Anaheim, California. The FDA has approved of the use of CBD to treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, two forms of epilepsy.

So what's the draw of the chemical compound for everyone else? Pro skateboarder Matt Miller, who started CBD brand Miller Healer, turns to CBD sports salve and Natural calming gummies patches as his primary medicine. Stacy Verbiest, who founded therapeutic women’s cannabis line Wink with creams and tinctures, says CBD helped her friend manage the pain of cancer treatments. Pet owners buy cat and dog treats with the hopes of helping their best friend feel happier and more comfortable. Experts, including those with the World Health Organization, holistic wellness note that there's some potential for treatment beyond epilepsy, but research isn't as advanced. Greg Avetisyan is co-founder of the CBD store Topikal Everything Hemp, which just opened a second California location this year. THC, meanwhile, helps with "pain relief, shers in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world," the company said in a statement in September. "The space is evolving quickly.