Cannabidiol (CBD) and its Benefits
The masses have often misunderstood CBD or Cannabidiol. With several governments worldwide banning CBD, people confused it with marijuana and thought only the worst about it. But today, CBD has been gaining popularity again. Now people are warming up to CBD as it has many health benefits. So, let’s find out more about CBD benefits.
Wait. Before going into the benefits of CBD, it’s a must to know what does CBD stand for? Right? So, let us first know what exactly CBD is and how is it different from marijuana?
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol or CBD is a chemical derived from the Cannabis Sativa plant. After THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, it is the second most prevalent active compound found in cannabis. CBD derived from hemp contains no more than 0.3% THC. So, it possesses no psychoactive properties that will give you a “high.” As per a report from WHO, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
Whether CBD is legal or not depends on where you are living. For example, in Canada, it is legal to use CBD for both medical as well as recreational purposes. On the other hand, some countries like Mexico, Australia, Argentina, etc., only legalize the medical use of CBD. While it is legal in all 50 states in the US, the law differs from state to state.
Benefits of CBD
CBD has been credited with relieving numerous medical conditions, such as pain, epilepsy, anxiety, inflammation, and insomnia. Let’s talk about these CBD oil benefits in detail.
CBD Helps in Relieving Pain
There are many benefits of CBD oil (oil made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant, then diluting it with a carrier oil). One such benefit is that it gives relief from pain. It has anti-inflammatory effects and works on the endocannabinoid and pain-sensing systems to relieve pain. It may provide an option for treating different types of chronic pain. Using an animal model, it was established that CBD applied to the skin could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Though many claims are made that CBD may be effective in reducing chronic pain related to multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, many trials are needed to substantiate such claims.
Effective in Treating Certain Types of Epilepsy
CBD has been lauded for its various medicinal properties and for treating many health problems. But the most substantial scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating some rare types of childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).
These syndromes typically don’t respond to anti-seizure medications, but many studies pointed out that CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and, in some cases, it was able to stop them altogether. There are various videos available on the internet where the effects of CBD on these children and their seizures can be seen. In June 2018, the FDA approved the first-ever cannabis-derived medicine for these conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD.
Treats Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia
It has become common to use CBD to address anxiety, fight depression, and help patients who suffer through the misery of insomnia. Pretreatment CBD can significantly relieve anxiety in humans. It can lower the anxiety in people before they head to a public event where they need to speak. However, it is not known the optimal dose that one needs to take to see positive results.
CBD may also effectively relieve depression, possibly because of its solid anti-stress effect that kicks in either when an acute dose of CBD is given or when it is administered repeatedly. Studies on animals have shown that CBD positively affects serotonin and serotonin levels in the brain, improving mood. Though CBD may help with curing depression, we have a long way to go. More trials are needed to establish CBD as a sure-shot way of curing depression.
Also, it was found in people administered with CBD to cure anxiety or depression that CBD had no adverse effects on their sleep quality. In fact, studies suggest that CBD may even help insomniacs with both falling asleep and staying asleep.
Shows Positive Results in Acne Treatment
CBD may help people having acne problems or even reduce future breakouts as it has anti-inflammatory qualities and prevents inflammatory cytokines from activating. It also controls excessive production of sebum by preventing human sebocytes from producing too much sebum.
Final Words
Though more research is needed, CBD may still prove effective in relieving pain, treating anxiety, depression, and some rare types of epilepsy. Because of these benefits many CBD merchants who were skeptical about investing in CBD are now coming forward and manufacturing CBD on a large scale. While there are many CBD merchants who are able to get CBD licenses, there are still many left. If you are also one of them who is unable to get a CBD license, get in touch with PSP.Academy. We will be happy to help!!
