There is a huge misconception that CBD oil does not have any psychoactive properties. In reality, it’s often referred to as non-intoxicating because THC isn’t the only compound in marijuana with mind-altering effects. While most people take CBD for its medicinal benefits and reported anti-inflammatory or anxiety-reducing qualities, there are plenty of side effects like increased heart rate and feelings of paranoia depending on your body chemistry!
Psychoactive chemicals such as CBD impact the nervous system and cause consciousness, behavior, or perception changes. One of these effects is a change in mood; therefore, CBD oil has some psychoactive properties. In this article, you will explore some common feelings people experience from using it.
Your ECS (endocannabinoid system) consists of neurotransmitters that connect to the body receptors throughout your central nervous system and PNS (peripheral nervous systems). Your ECS assists in regulating many different means in the body, such as pain response, memory, stress levels, and appetite.
Cannabis is a plant that has over one hundred and ten (110) cannabinoids. There are two major receptors in the ECS, CB2 and CB1. Both bind with the cannabinoid to regulate different functions like pain, mood, appetite, etc., but primarily affect inflammation or reduce it [pain].
THC mimics a natural cannabinoid called Anandamide which is known as the bliss molecule. It binds to CB1 receptors, responsible for THC’s psychoactive effects like euphoria, and inhibits neurotransmitters that result in these feelings.
CBD in Review
CBD is not as potent. It only loosely binds to the CB1 body receptors and blocks them, mitigating THC’s psychoactive body effects. CBD also increases anandamide levels by inhibiting its degradation, which leads to stronger anti-inflammatory properties in your body that don’t get you high.
Cannabis affects each person differently depending on previous drug use and genetic make up because it binds with cannabinoid receptors similar to how keys fit into locks – one key does not work for all locks!
You can imagine how inhaling cannabis smoke is similar to inserting a key into a lock. When you take in cannabinoids through this process, they bind with receptors and affect different parts of your brain depending on factors like previous drug use or genetic make-up. CBD has many distinctive ways that it impacts the human body; let’s explore five specific examples:
Five Ways CBD Can Affects your Brain Function
- CBD Reduces/Decreases Blood Flow to the brain
A study by Crippa et al. looked at some of the effects of CBD in subjects with SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder). The results revealed that participants felt good, and it helped change how their brains reacted to anxiety-traditionally experienced by SAD patients. What’s fascinating is these brain scans indicate changes in the body’s blood flow to areas linked with traditional anxiety responses typically seen among individuals living with this disorder.
- CBD Works to Control pain
Chronic pain sufferers are using CBD because they believe it can help manage their symptoms. It modifies the ability of CB2 receptors to bind endocannabinoids or prevents them from binding too many of these natural cannabinoids for more of them to be produced by your bodies.
CBD works similarly to opioid painkillers by binding to the specific brain and nervous system receptors, explaining why it can reduce inflammation. Researchers are not entirely sure how CBD reduces pain. Still, this compound also affects how opioids bind with these same receptor sites, so you might be able to use less of an opioid drug while getting better relief from your chronic or acute pain.
- CBD Decreases Oxidative Damage in Your Body
As a natural process, oxidative stress happens at the cellular level. When your cells generate energy, they produce free radicals as waste products, and these can also be produced by smog exposure.
Oxidative stress is important because it helps folks to fight off infections in their bodies. Still, too much of it leads to damage, which may further lead to illnesses like cancer. So its production should be limited. This can be by following a lifestyle that causes this type of strain on the body while engaging in activities or eating things that will help support good cell function and regeneration throughout people’s lives.
It is important to produce enough antioxidants when everything else in the cell becomes a waste product created from free radicals. If not, then your cells can begin stealing DNA particles as they create these wastes, and this could result in conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or atherosclerosis.
CBD, the cannabinoid found in cannabis plants with antioxidant properties, is believed to possess similar abilities as Vitamins C and E. Researchers have determined that CBD reduces oxidative damage protecting cells from free radicals like those present during neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s Disease (1).
CBD could prevent Alzheimer’s patients from developing social recognition memory deficits. CBD has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects in both human and mouse brains, according to a 2014 study published by Cheng et al., which was also featured on the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease website and other reputable news sources such as Medical News Today The Telegraph.
- The Degree/Rate of Excitation in Brain Cells are Lowered by CBD
When your brain becomes overactive due to excessive stimulation, excitotoxicity occurs. A person’s cognition, if they have experienced a traumatic head injury or stroke, is damaged. They also experience hearing loss affecting their auditory system, similar to an ear infection that reduces sound frequencies, making them unable to hear certain tones when people speak. Neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s affect one’s mobility throughout life.
Research is increasing for CBD, a neuro-protective compound that reduces the glutamate levels in ASD brains. This change occurs because of its ability to reduce glutamine-dependent excitotoxicity, which can be found across many age-related diseases and brain disorders like epilepsy.
In a paper published earlier this year, Pretzsch et al. revealed that CBD could “shift” levels of Glx & GABA plus metabolites. These chemicals play a major role in regulating excitatory neurotransmission and inhibition between autistic brains compared with typical ones. The authors did not come out with any definitive conclusions at present, but they do note their findings warrant further investigation into how cannabidiol can benefit those on the autism spectrum or who suffer from epilepsy, for example (Pretzsch).
The author summarizes information about brain chemistry changes upon the use of CBD oil by using an analogy comparing it to a car shifting gears when traveling uphill – where one gear may be better suited than another, and it depends on some factors
- CBD Antipsychotic Properties Effects
CBD’s beneficial effects on Anandamide can help improve mood while also potentially reducing pain sensitivity. Science discovered Anandamide in the 1990s. This is a neurotransmitter that works to improve mood and reduce pain sensitivity.
The bliss molecule anandamide is broken down by FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase). On the other hand, CBD inhibits FAAH enzyme activity and thus enhances how long a bliss effect remains in one’s system.
The endocannabinoid system includes enzymes that break down Anandamide, which contributes to mood control. These are called Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases or FAAH for short. However, it has recently been discovered that cannabidiol (CBD) blocks this enzymatic process which means less of the active ingredient ends up being used, making it more potent and longer-lasting!
CBD may have antipsychotic effects because it helps your body produce more Anandamide—a bliss molecule that reduces psychotic symptoms. In a study published in Translational Psychiatry, Leweke et al. looked into how CBD affects the production of Anandamide. It observed that this cannabinoid boosts its activity by altering gene expression for enzymes called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). They metabolize the endocannabinoid known as Anandamide or AEA.
This study found that cannabidiol, a cannabinoid compound naturally present in the human body and brain (endocannabinoid), alleviates psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. The team hypothesized that this might be due to anandamide levels being influenced by CBD modulation. An elevation of anandamide signals correlates with improvement in psychosis, whereas its depletion leads to worsened symptoms.
Conclusion
CBD has become increasingly popular today, with consumers turning to CBD products for managing symptoms such as migraines, brain fog, anxiety, and depression as more people turn to these supplements and accounts of their efficacy increase along with scientific studies on them.
Despite the potential of cannabidiol to alleviate a range of ailments, you need more research before making any conclusions about its effects. This article recommends avoiding all companies who claim that it can cure everything because there is not enough evidence at this time.
CBD has been shown to have therapeutic properties with psychiatric disorders and may be beneficial for treatment-resistant conditions like schizophrenia by improving brain activity networks relevant for these diseases. Future studies should consider replication of findings and include patients who are being treated long-term while also assessing them using neuroimaging tests during acute episodes and after they receive their treatments so you can better understand how this works on different levels before concluding its effects.