Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the biggest holistic trends out there right now. But many people do not even really know what CBD is or what positive effects it may cause. Here at Panacea Life Sciences, we are dedicated to education, as well as providing people with high quality CBD products. We want people to properly understand what CBD is, what benefits it may offer, and what it will not do. Let’s start with the basics.
Let’s talk about what exactly CBD is
It is best to understand what CBD is, before we talk about what effects it could have. This information could help you understand these effects and why it is so popular.
Cannabis plants, like marijuana and hemp, contain a class of chemical compounds, known as cannabinoids. There are many cannabinoids in each plant. In fact, scientists so far have discovered over 113 different cannabinoids, and will discover more as time goes on. These 113 different cannabinoids include CBD.
You may be thinking that CBD is the only cannabinoid that you have ever heard of. However, that is very unlikely to be true. There is one other cannabinoid that is more well-known than CBD. It is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is much more famous than CBD, because of its effect on people. It has an effect that is known as psychoactive. That means that it creates the inebriating high that is commonly associated with cannabis plants. It is a common misconception that CBD and THC are the same in virtually every way. But there is a major difference between them. CBD is not psychoactive. It does not create the high that THC does. We will get into what it may actually do below.
While CBD is found in both variations of cannabis (hemp and marijuana), it is normally extracted from hemp. There are a couple of reasons for this. One of the reasons is the level of CBD and other cannabinoids in each of the variations. Marijuana has high levels of THC and varying levels of CBD. This makes the extraction of CBD from marijuana complicated. Hemp, on the other hand, has high levels of CBD and low levels of THC (less than 0.3%, to be exact). This, as you can imagine, makes the extraction that much easier.
Another reason why CBD manufacturers normally choose hemp over marijuana is a matter of legality. Marijuana is federally illegal in the United States. There are some states that have legalized it (whether for medical or general use), but as of the writing of this article, there are only a handful. Hemp is a different story. In 2018, a new version of the Farm Bill was passed. This is a bill that is reviewed and passed again ever five years. It controls all things agricultural, including what farmers can and cannot grow and sell. That year the bill included a provision that officially legalized hemp across the country (though it is worth noting that some states have their own restrictions on this cannabis variation).
So, there is your overview of what CBD is. But there is still an important thing that needs to be talked about in regards to CBD. That is, what kind of effects could it have on people? Let’s talk about it.
What effects could CBD have?
Over the past couple of decades there has been a noticeable upswing in the number of studies that have been done on CBD. Many of them have found out some interesting potential benefits. But what exactly have those studies said?
May help promote a sense of calm
This is a particularly popular area of study for researchers interested in CBD. One study wanted to see how CBD interacted with chronically stressed mice. They found that not only does CBD help calm the mice, but it is based on how the CBD interacts with the hippocampus of the brain. This study wanted to look at how people with anxiety could cope using CBD. The researchers had people with social anxiety participate in public speaking. Some of the test subjects were given CBD, while others were given a placebo. Those who were given the CBD did much better than those given the placebo.
May support joint health
Inflammation is a common issue that can make movement difficult, especially when the inflammation is in the joints. Medical researchers have been looking into ways to help fight inflammation for a while. Recently research has been pointing to CBD being a potential help. This study looked at CBD and inflammation caused by oxidative stress. The researchers determined that CBD was able to help a lot with the inflammation. Another study wanted to look at how CBD interacts with collagen-induced arthritis. The researchers concluded that CBD was very useful for helping reduce the discomfort associated with the arthritis.
May help combat neurodegeneration
Neurodegeneration is a very serious issue and finding ways to help fight it is a major focus for many medical researchers. Recent research has suggested that CBD may be able to aid in this fight. This study, for example, found that CBD, when combined with THC, was able to help slow neurodegeneration caused by Huntington’s disease. This other study looked at how CBD fought neurodegeneration in animal models. The researchers concluded that CBD was very helpful in the fight against the death of brain cells.
These are just a handful of examples of the potential effects of CBD. There are many other potential effects that CBD may have. If you are curious about the other effects, a quick search on PubMed will show thousands of studies that have found promising results regarding CBD. There is likely to be more research on the cannabinoid in the future, so there is likely that we will hear more about what CBD may be able to do for you. It is important to remember that the only effect that CBD will definitely not have is one that would create a high.
Does CBD have side effects? Can they be avoided?
While CBD is considered to be safe overall, it does have some negative side effects. They usually consist of things like mild nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. However, these are usually associated with taking too much of the cannabinoid. So, the side effects can be avoided by taking the right amount of CBD for you. But this does raise a question. How much CBD is the right amount?
Well, there is no easy answer to that question. This is because everyone reacts to CBD a little bit differently. Some people require high levels of the cannabinoid to feel any sort of effect. Others only need a little bit before they start noticing some negative side effects. Unfortunately, there is no clear connection between these differences of experiences. Weight, age, and genetics could have an effect, but it is unclear. So, the best way to go about avoiding the side effects, is to start the amount of CBD that you take low and slow. Start out with as small of an amount as possible. Then wait for the CBD to take effect (some CBD products take longer than others to start working). If you do not feel any effects, negative or positive, then you can add on to how much you take. Once you hit the amount that gives you the positive effects that you are looking for, but without any negative side effects, then you know how much is the right amount for you. There is no need to test your limits by taking an increasing amount until you start to experience the negative side effects. You should do your absolute best to avoid them whenever possible.
It is important to note that CBD does not always sit well with all medications. There are some medications that do not work as well in the presence of CBD. Others stop working entirely when taken with CBD. If you are taking prescription medications and would like to start taking CBD as well, you should talk to your healthcare provider first. They should know how the cannabinoid will sit with your medication.
As you can see, there are many potential benefits and effects that CBD may have. It is important to note that a psychoactive effect is not one of those. The only way to really know what CBD may have in store for you, is to try some of it out. So, why not give it a try?
There is a lot to know about CBD. So, if you are curious about what else there is to know, check out the rest of our CBD blogs, here on the Panacea Life Sciences website. On our site you can also find a wide range of CBD products for just about everyone. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us either through our Contact Us page, or by emailing us at [email protected].
