Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the numerous cannabinoid products gaining popularity. This is in part due to an increasing acceptance of cannabis-related products. Technically, most of the CBD used in products like tinctures is derived from hemp—a plant in the cannabis family. However, this is mainly because hemp has a higher concentration of CBD compared to other cannabinoids like THC, which is largely responsible for the banned status of marijuana in many jurisdictions. For instance, if you visit smokepost.com, you’ll find many high-quality CBD products, many of which are sourced from hemp.
While some people seek CBD products for recreational purposes, many do so for medicinal reasons. Research continues to shed more light on some health benefits of CBD. These include:
1)Protection Against Neurological Diseases
Studies have so far demonstrated the efficacy of CBD in the protection of nerve cells against some neurological conditions. Many neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease are Alzheimer’s and are the result of neurological degeneration of some sort. While many cases are hereditary, a significant number of sufferers develop the condition past middle age. CBD helps to ward off these conditions because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS), harmful chemical molecules that damage human cells and predispose an individual to pathologies, including neurological ones.
2) Dealing With Anxiety and Depression
This is one of the main reasons people seek out CBD products. Experiments using placeboes and CBD-containing substances have demonstrated that the latter can help ward off extreme anxiety. For instance, someone with anxiety about public speaking can feel calmer after a 300-milligram dose of CBD. CBD is thought to act similarly to imipramine—an antidepressant used to calm people’s nerves in instances of depression.
3) Pain Management
CBD is helpful in the management of chronic pain. For instance, many cancers cause severe, prolonged pain that may not respond to over-the-counter painkillers. While stronger pain medications like opioid derivatives do exist, they come with side effects like addiction. As such, many people resort to more natural ways of dealing with such pain. CBD enables a significant reduction in pain. Unlike many regular pharmaceutical pain medications, CBD has been shown to act best in localized pain. For instance, topical CBD is more effective for relieving pain symptoms in one area of the body instead of systemically. In addition to cancers, CBD also helps to relieve neuropathic pain due to nerve damage.
4) Helping the Body Process Sugars
Diabetes is a serious medical condition in which an individual’s body is unable to utilize sugar as it should, resulting in the kind of metabolic derangement that can become a life-threatening emergency if not addressed promptly. While research is still ongoing, preliminary trials indicate that CBD helps to reduce the body’s resistance to insulin. Insulin is the chemical in the body responsible for enabling cells to utilize sugar properly. When body cells develop a resistance to it, sugar uptake and metabolism by cells are severely compromised, leading to diabetes. Diabetes, if not managed well, can progress to more serious conditions that could be fatal. By reducing the cells’ resistance to insulin, CBD helps to regulate body sugar, hence warding off diabetes progression and complications.
5) Treatment of Epilepsy
In 2018, the drug Epidiolex was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the treatment of seizures. This was after intense research proved that CBD—the dominant ingredient in Epidiolex—helps to control seizures. The drug is approved for use in the management of Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome—two very rare forms of epilepsy in infants. This has led some people with a history of seizures to incorporate CBD products like oils and tinctures into their daily routines to preempt seizure episodes.
6) Managing Opioid Addictions
Withdrawal symptoms after using many opiates are a serious thing, causing shivers and general malaise. Many CBD users have reported easing their withdrawal symptoms. Clinical research continues into the full extent of how CBD helps with withdrawal symptoms, but patient trials have thus far produced encouraging results. For instance, CBD helps to alleviate the cue-induced cravings experienced by many addicts, including excessive salivation, insomnia, and an accelerated heart rate.
All in all, researchers continue to find new ways in which CBD can confer health benefits on individuals. That’s why in many jurisdictions in which general marijuana use is still illegal, medical marijuana cards are now available to enable individuals to purchase CBD products for medical reasons. This development is a result of the authorities coming to the realization that CBD can be beneficial to the community.