CBD - Does It Actually Work?
With many more countries and states around the world legalizing and becoming familiar with cannabis and hemp based products, so too has cannabidiol or CBD risen in popularity. CBD is a compound that is a part of a larger group of molecules found in cannabis known as cannabinoids, where there is a growing body of research that wants to discover how this group of chemicals affects the mind and body and whether it has the genuine potential to help with many of the proposed conditions and ailments.
Therefore, my intention today is to discuss all things related to CBD, starting firstly with understanding what it is, what it can help us with and lastly assessing the safety/ side effects and the possible ways of taking CBD.
I hope you can learn some new, powerful insights about today's theme 🍀
WHAT IS CBD?
Cannabidiol or CBD is a compound that is naturally found in and derived from the cannabis/ hemp plant.
The cannabis plant has been found to contain many other chemical compounds which are known as cannabinoids, one of which also includes THC or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis on the brain and body.
Hemp is recognized as a cannabis plant which contains less than 0.3% of TH content while marijuana is a cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3% THC. CBD can be extracted and obtained from both cannabis varieties and is not responsible for eliciting psychoactive effects or causing addictive behaviors.
Because CBD is approved as a prescription drug, it can be found in a variety of cosmetic products as well as certain dietary supplements.
HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM CANNABIS AND HEMP?
The cannabis plant exists in two main species; As (medical) Marijuana which has a high THC content but a low CBD content and also as Hemp, which is low in THC and more abundant in CBD - making it more useful for medical uses.
As an additional bit of historical context, the the US was facing large amounts of immigration in the 1910 to 1920 from Mexico due to the Mexican Civil War, where the influx of these immigrants promoted anti cannabis and anti Mexican immigrant movements across the US which was further supported by important figures at that time such as Harry Asnlinger who at the time was the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the US. Anslignger had created propaganda campaigns which used racist terms and descriptions to put those who smoked or used marijuana under a negative spotlight or as an “inferior race”. In this way, these campaigns used the Spanish word for cannabis, marijuana, which was connected to more of a negative imagery and darker skin tones, in order to convince people that this plant is a danger to all. Here we can see how history and racist tendencies have shifted the common perception of this plant and the effects it has from its use.
Studies have also found that CBD does not have addictive potential and is not associated with abuse potential.
5 BENEFITS OF CBD
HELPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS
More and more people are looking into CBD based oils in order to help with their anxiety or to achieve a general calming of the mind where the research of this effectiveness is mixed. Additionally, some people like to take CBD before bed time in order to further calm down the body and facilitate deeper sleep, where there is some evidence to suggest that CBD oils can improve sleep quality.
There is also quite a bit of research that analyses the link between CBD and its impact on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) management which is a type of anxiety disorder. Some studies have found that taking CBD for the management of PTSD symptoms such as nightmares among adults, has been effective and is also beneficial for children who may be struggling with PTSD.
Some research is also digging into the effects that CBD has with people who suffer from depressive disorders, but more work is needed to establish any formal links here.
IMPROVES PAIN MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF
The human body contains a special internal system called the endocannabinoid system which is responsible for regulating a variety of functions such as sleep, appetite, pain tolerance and immune system response. Through this system, our body naturally produces compounds known as endocannabinoids which in essence are special types of neurotransmitters that are able to bind to cannabinoid receptors in our nervous system.
Several studies have shown that CBD from the cannabis plant is able to reduce chronic pain by interacting with the endocannabinoid receptor activity and alongside that also reducing inflammation that is associated with chronic pain.
Some research has also shown that CBD alone may be most effective for treating nerve and back pain but is actually most effective when it is also paired with lower doses of THC, which is effective for the treatment of arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Although more research is needed on human studies for the effectiveness here, there could be promising results from using CBD as an additional method of pain management.
NEURO-PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND EPILEPSY
Because CBD acts on the bodies natural endocannabinoid system, researchers are trying to identify wether this could provide relief for those people who suffer from neurological disorders.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as epilepsy are two fields which have been quite heavily tested together with CBD since they are both neurologically linked.
The drug Sativex which contains a mix of both THC and CBD, has been shown to be an effective and safe way to combat muscle spasms (spasticity) among people with MS, where in one of the many studies, Satvixed use had reduced muscle spasms for three quarters of the 276 participants who were previosuly resistant to MS medications.
Furthermore, for children who suffer from Dravet syndrome (childhood epilepsy disorder), CBD oil has been found to be beneficial for reducing seizure activity when compared with a placebo.
ALLEVIATING CANCER TREATMENT SYMPTOMS & SIDE EFFECTS
A couple of pieces of research have shown that CBD may have a positive effect on managing and treating the common symptoms and side effects of cancer treatments such as nausea, pain and vomiting.
More research is needed in this field before anything can be properly medically prescribed to cancer patients.
HAS POTENTIAL CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS
Some research is pointing in the direction that using CBD has the ability to over time, lower high blood pressure, which otherwise if left unchecked, can manifest itself in many negative ways in the body such as increasing your chances of stroke, getting a heart attack or developing metabolic syndrome.
In studies, participants who took CBD across repeated doses maintained lower blood pressure levels in response to stress compared to the placebo group. Furthermore researchers from this study found that the group who took CBD also experienced reduced arterial stiffness and improved blood flow within the arteries.
IS IT SAFE TO USE?
CBD can be safe to take through the mouth, up to 200mg per day, which has so far been tested for up to 13 weeks and has shown to be safe.
For prescribed medications, Epidiolex can be be used for treating epilepsy and Sativex has been shown to be safe to use for managing muscle spasticity from multiple sclerosis.
Possible side effects from CBD use:
Dry mouth
Low blood pressure
Light headedness
Drowsiness and tiredness
Possible changes in appetite and weight
Additional, taking CBD is not recommend for people with:
Glaucoma (Group of eye disorders which can cause blindness)
Liver disease
Parkinson's disease
So far it is known that CBD interacts with any other medication we may be taking such as pain mediations, antidepressants, seizure medications and diabetes medications. For this reason you should always consult with a medical professional before choosing to take any CBD based medications.
Purity of CBD products
An additional source of concern when it comes to CBD products is the purity of the product itself. This is often the case because CBD products are marketed and sold as supplements and not medications, therefore for example the Food & Drug Administration within the US does not regulate the safety and purity of these products, so it is hard to guarantee complete purity and safety of these products which are otherwise sold on global markets.
HOW USE TAKE CBD
CBD today is found commonly in the form of oils, extracts, capsules, patches, vapes or skin creams.
Within the US, the only CBD based prescription oil that is legally able to be prescribed is Epidiolex which has been approved for being able to treat two types of epilepsy.
Outside of the US in other parts of the world, the prescriptive drug Sativex is approved for being used for managing muscle spasticity that is associated with multiple sclerosis and also for cancer pain.
Although cannabis and CBD use is a topic which is rising in popularity, both among the general public as well as medical experts, its uses and long term effects of use are still being researched. Always do your own research before thinking about using products with active compounds that we are still researching and do not fully understand yet.
I think that CBD has shown to be potentially useful in improving the lives of people with epilepsy, PTSD and multiple sclerosis as well as for general pain management, although relying on CBD alone for these conditions is likely not recommend (at least currently).
But who knows what findings further research will bring on this topic?
Thank you for reading this weeks topic, it means a lot to me.
