CBD and What It Can Do for You

CBD and What It Can Do For You

How the world views cannabis has changed significantly over the past few years. Before, it was heavily associated with stoners and slackers, but today, the plant is seen as something that can be incorporated into one’s healthy lifestyle. It’s also been highly considered as an alternative when it comes to combating various medical conditions, be it anxiety, pain, or insomnia.

The lack of knowledge regarding cannabis may leave a lot of people confused and intimidated. There are way too many sources to get information from, so let’s run down the basics. Below is an explanation of one of the most important components of the cannabis plant, which is cannabidiol, or CBD.

Want to find out more about CBD and What it Can Do for You? Read on.

The Basics

First, we’ll have to address the controversy surrounding cannabis. There are still some states adamant on completely banning the plant and any compound derived from it, but its use is now legal in over 21 states, whether it’s for medical or recreational purposes. Other countries have also decided to decriminalize cannabis, including Israel, Uruguay, and Canada. It goes to show the world is gradually embracing the diverse benefits and qualities of cannabis.

Cannabis is categorized in various types. Some strains are cannabidiol dominant, meaning it doesn’t produce psychoactive effects or produce euphoric highs. Cannabis with high levels of cannabidiol in them is believed to provide medical relief instead, which is great news for people looking for alternative solutions to various diseases.

Introduction to CBD

Cannabidiol is one of the many cannabinoids (naturally occurring compounds) in cannabis, along with THC, which is cannabidiol’s more popular relative. These cannabinoids work by engaging with our bodies’ endocannabinoid system, which helps in regulating our bodily systems.

The endocannabinoid system plays a vital role in our body as it helps in our immune balance, stress recovery, neuroprotection, and homeostatic regulation. It also affects other bodily functions such as sleep, appetite, pain perception, immune function, memory, and mood.

Despite the significance of the cannabis-derived cannabidiol, it is still followed by much social and political controversy. It’s important therefore for the medical community to help make people realize that these naturally occurring compounds found in cannabis exist in order to help our organ systems function better. Cannabidiol does not only relate to homeostasis, but its potential as a treatment for medical diseases can be expanded further through research, both in the laboratory and clinically.

Cannabidiol for Epilepsy

The benefits of cannabidiol have gone unnoticed until recent times. It became a topic of discussion in the United States back in 2013 when CNN featured the story of Charlotte Figi, a six-year-old girl with Dravet syndrome, a severe and intractable form of epilepsy. In the featurette, it showed how cannabidiol-dominant strains helped Charlotte manage her seizures from 300 a week to just a couple a month without the usual psychoactive effects cannabis is known to produce.

There’s also been significant research regarding cannabidiol oil and its potential impact not just on children with epilepsy, but in adults as well. Like Charlotte’s case, the subsequent studies showed that cannabidiol has decreased the number of seizures daily in adults.

There’s also the issue of more children prescribed with pharmaceutical drugs, which poses harm to their underdeveloped organ systems. With cannabidiol oil, children are given a natural and safer alternative to traditional medication and treatment, eliminating the dreadful side effects of prescription medicines and potential long-term damage.

But there’s more cannabidiol than its benefits to people with epilepsy. Since it doesn’t induce euphoric highs, cannabidiol has the potential to become the primary alternative for the treatment of other medical conditions for people who don’t want to get high.

More Medicinal Benefits of Cannabidiol

Because the endocannabinoid system is important to how our body perceives inflammation and pain, cannabidiol can be used for many different types of pains in the body, such as fibromyalgia, migraines, joint pain, nerve pain, and chronic pain. This is backed by a HelloMD survey, which showed that nearly 50% of cannabidiol users have completely stopped taking pharmaceutical drugs like Vicodin and Tylenol in favor of cannabidiol.

That having said, cannabidiol could be the answer to the country’s opioid problem, as well as help fight the dependency on taking over-the-country NSAIDs.

For people with sleeping difficulties and suffering from mental and psychological stress, cannabidiol can also be used to fight insomnia, depression, and anxiety. If you’re considering to use cannabis as a supplement or alternative means of medication for these conditions, it should be noted that cannabidiol should be combined with healthy eating, exercise, and other healthy lifestyle choices. It will help clear the mind without inducing highs, paranoia, panic attacks, and other side effects that THC is known to produce.

Taking cannabis and cannabidiol orally for anxiety appears in a Vedic text that dates back to around 2000 BCE, which goes to show that it is one of the most common uses of the plant and the compounds derived from it. Unlike THC that’s known to increase or trigger anxiety in some people, cannabidiol has consistently shown that it can reduce anxiety even in higher dosages or concentrations. This relaxing effect is associated with the activity in both the paralimbic and limbic areas of the brain.

A research review conducted in 2012 that assessed multiple international studies concluded that cannabidiol is effective when it comes to reducing anxiety, particularly social anxiety. With more clinical trials requested, it was found two years later that effective management of our endocannabinoid system is one effective strategy to halt the physical and behavorial effects of stress.

Availability of Cannabidiol

If you’re looking to try out cannabidiol, it’s essential to know that the compound can be infused in many different products. Since one of your goals is to avoid the psychoactive effects of cannabis, it’s imperative that you make sure that a product you’re purchasing is cannabidiol-dominant, with very little to no THC. According to experts, the products you should go for must be derived from the whole cannabis plant in order to support the “entourage effect.” The entourage effect is a term used by cannabis enthusiasts describing that a certain product will work most when there’s is a combination of the many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, instead of isolating CBD molecules exclusively.

Some products are also labeled 1:1, which also encourages the entourage effect. However, you may still feel a buzz, but it is usually very mild and will not prevent you from functioning. Some people may need equal parts of cannabidiol and THC depending on their medical condition. After all, THC’s purpose is not only limited to give you a buzz; it has medicinal benefits as well.

There are many legal products in the market that are rich in cannabidiol and people have been using them to treat ailments for years. Among those are vape pens with e-liquids sourced from cannabis flowers, as well as flowers high in cannabidiol that people know now as Charlotte’s Webs (inspired by Charlotte Figi).

If smoking isn’t your cup of tea, there are topical and edible options to choose from, such as bath bombs and lubricants, perfect for each workout session. There are also salves, lotions, and other topicals you can use to relieve joint pain and other bodily pains. There are even fun to eat and drink products like chocolate and tea, as well as pills, and what they call tinctures, which can be added in drinks and foods or dropped directly under the tongue.

Your pets can also use cannabidiol as well since mammals all have endocannabinoid systems. In fact, dog treats infused with cannabidiol are popular among pet owners, especially for pets that are hyperactive, anxious, or have pain issues.

For people who want to quit smoking, cannabidiol can help with cessation. There are chewing gums to stop nicotine cravings and inhalers that will help curb cravings for opiate. Although, its legality is still a big question mark in the United States.

The ability of cannabidiol to treat various medical disorders has reached international regions as well. One good example is Mexico, who has made cannabidiol products legal as long as the THC content does not go over 1%.

Cannabidiol is still controversial, given that it’s associated with cannabis, but it’s undeniable that it can benefit mankind in more ways than one. In the future, we might see a world where cannabidiol products are a common find in pharmacies. It’s only a matter of time before people with anxiety, depression, and chronic pain will have free access to such products without having to worry about its legality.