For the previous year or two, there has been a huge rise in the popularity of using CBD oil for several different reasons. Regardless of why you use CBD oil, you don’t have to look very hard for it. These products can be found at drug stores, dispensaries, convenience stores, even local bars and taverns now offer CBD oil.
CBD oil comes in many different forms. It can be rubbed into the skin as a lotion, eaten, drank, it can now even be used through vaping products. There’s one thing all of these methods have in common. Regardless of how you use CBD oil, you are not going to get high from the substance. Yes, this oil comes from the same exact plants harvested to produce a pot. However, the compound that is extracted from the pant for CBD oil is used for healing rather than getting a buzz.
CBD is now a business worth more than a billion dollars because there are plenty of enthusiasts claiming the oil eases pain, helps with sleep, calms anxiety, helps with severe acne, and many more benefits. There’s a theory that many people believe and find very promising behind exactly how and why CBD oil works. In case you are wondering, CBD is short for cannabidiol.
This is a compound that is found in cannabis plants. This compound has many similarities naturally produced by the human body called endocannabinoids. These compounds help with how an individual sleeps, their memory, immunity, regulating stress, inflammation, and metabolism. Many people believe CBD oil is able to produce great results for people who have issues in these areas due to the similarities of CBD and these molecules that naturally happen in the human body.
That being said, there is always a catch. There has yet to be any evidence scientifically proving exactly how CBD oil works in the human body. Actually, science has yet to prove that CBD oil helps with these situations at all. This is made clear by Mark Wallace, a professor of anesthesiology and a doctor who has been studying medical cannabis for over 20 years.
He makes sure people are fully aware of the fact that while there are many theories supporting how productive the use of CBD oil is, there’s yet to be anything scientifically proven. Wallace says one of the key reasons for this is the fact that CBD oil hasn’t been legal on the federal level long enough for the proper research and study. CBD wasn’t legalized federally until 2018.
Without scientific proof of the effectiveness of CBD oil, regardless of the reason, it isn’t available, many people are left wondering, does this stuff really work or is someone simply very good at producing marketing schemes? Before you make the decision to try CBD oil for yourself, there are a few things you need to know.
For starters, when we say CBD is a compound found in cannabis, this refers to the entire plant, not simply marijuana or hemp. Marijuana is a cannabis plant with high THC levels and CBD levels that will vary. No, using CBD oil will not get you high. Hemp is a cannabis plant containing low levels of THC but higher levels of CBD. Unlike hemp, CBD is not used to make textiles, rope, or milk. The molecules that naturally occur in a cannabis plant are known as cannabinoids. There are over 100 types of cannabinoids, CBD is just one of them. Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, is the cannabinoid used to smoke and get high. Again, THC is not used in CBD oil.
How CBD oil may be able to work
We have already stated the fact that scientific research is still being done to prove exactly how CBD works. That being said, when it comes to theories, the best one is that the endocannabinoid system is impacted by CBD. This system is believed to regulate several different functions within the body including memory, sleep, the release of hormones, immunity, digestion, and stress.
Some basic information about the endocannabinoid system: Your body has cannabinoid receptors all throughout it. While their primary location is the brain and central nervous system (CB1 receptors), there are also CB2 receptors found in inflammatory cells and the immune system.
There are billions of natural chemicals produced by your body known as endocannabinoids. These chemicals will bind to these receptors helping you remember things, eat, sleep, and heal injuries throughout your body. Enzymes will destroy these endocannabinoids once they have accomplished their purpose.
These endocannabinoids take on the role of neurotransmitters in the human brain. This means they carry a message from one neuron to the next. Instead of sending these messages with things to do and directives, the signaling of the brain is slowed down by them, according to Mohini Ranganathan, a CBD researcher and associate professor at Yale University. This would explain why so many people claim to receive relief for both inflammatory and anxiety effects.
What can CBD help?
With the following, we have listed a few of the medical conditions that commonly lead people to use CBD oil. Also, we have included what science says about the issue. Keep in mind, this is by no means a complete list of the reasons for using CBD. This is simply some of the most common.
Pain Relief
There was an article published in the European Journal of pain based on an animal study that found applying CBD would limit both inflammation and pain caused by arthritis. There was another study completed with rodents that discovered injections of CBD would prevent nerve and inflammatory pain. Still, the evidence is slim.
There were over 100 studies performed by Australian researchers. There were more than 10,000 patients through the studies. The results showed that under 30 percent of the patients experienced over a 27 percent pain reduction following the use of CBD. Around only 26 percent experienced the same level of relief by the use of a placebo.
Help with anxiety
When it comes to anxiety relief, there aren’t many studies that have been completed demonstrating the effectiveness of CBD oil. That being said, as recently as 2019, there was a study performed on 72 adults suffering from both poor sleep and anxiety. The participants were able to confidently report that within a month, they were able to sleep better and the anxiety attacks weren’t nearly severe with the use of CBD.
There was another study that worked with 60 adult men and women who were taking clonazepam for treatment concerning panic disorders. It was found that this medication lowered anxiety more effectively than both placebo and CBD. Also, the results showed that 300 mg of CBD significantly reduced anxiety levels compared to the results of placebo. Still, there is much more research to complete in regards to exactly how and why this works.
Treat Schizophrenia
Many people know the majority of antipsychotic drugs used to reduce schizophrenia have some horrific side effects. There has been some research completed that shows using CBD oil is able to reduce some of the symptoms of schizophrenia without the effects many of these drugs produce. While there are several studies showing CBD can be beneficial here, there are also studies saying CBD didn’t produce any effect, negative or positive. Again, there is still plenty of research that needs to be completed.
Controlling epileptic seizures
While there are several illnesses and disorders CBD may be able to help with, there is one treatment with strong enough evidence using CBD that has been given the stamp of approval from the FDA. When it comes to treating epileptic seizures in children, CBD oil has been very effective, especially with cases where the child will not respond to anti-seizure medications.
There have been many studies proving administering pure CBD orally through an oil reduces the number of how many seizures happen over a period of time and often stop the seizures from happening altogether.
CBD side effects
In case you’re wondering, yes, there have been some minor side effects with using CBD you need to be aware of. While these effects are nothing major or serious, you will want to know what they are. There’s a possibility of experiencing a dry mouth, lightheadedness, and drowsiness. Also, if you are a woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding a child, it’s strongly advised by the FDA that you do not use CBD in any form. The FDA also wants people to be advised liver injury can occur while using CBD and there have been cases of negative interaction with other medications. If you are someone who uses CBD, you need to make sure your doctor knows this before receiving a prescription for medicine.
The rest of this article will discuss a few reasons why you may not be experiencing positive results from using CBD.
Every once and a while, you hear of someone who isn’t having positive results with using CBD. Be careful with that statement. These people are by no means saying they are having negative results. They simply don’t use CBD and experience the benefits thousands of other people are having. Many of them will go as far as to say while nothing bad happened from using CBD, they simply think all the hype is a great marketing scam.
If you are one of the people who made the decision to give CBD a chance and are unhappy with the results, you are not alone. However, this doesn’t mean the CBD oil is a scam or that it doesn’t work.
You don’t have to look very hard to find someone who has experienced great results using CBD. Regardless if they’re seeking relief from inflammation, pain, insomnia, seizures, or anxiety, people are finding in CBD what they are unable to experience with anything else. Keep in mind, it’s important that you seek medical advice from a doctor before using CBD yourself. This is especially true if you are taking any other medications. Regardless if it’s a prescription or something purchased over-the-counter, there could be negative effects if used with CBD.
If you and a doctor have decided using CBD is a safe option for you and you haven’t had the results you hear about, there are a few reasons why. This doesn’t exactly mean CBD doesn’t work. Spend some time going over these reasons before deciding everyone else is wrong and CBD doesn’t work.
Product isn’t from a reputable source
If you make the decision to start using CBD oil, where you buy it makes a huge difference. Now that CBD is growing more and more popular, it seems like it can be found just about everywhere. Everywhere from coffee shops, drug stores, and online businesses are pushing the products. There are several places where you can even try a free sample to test what they have to offer without spending any money.
Because of the high number of retailers, not all of these products are going to be the same. Many of them will not have as high of quality CBD. There have yet to be any CBD products without a prescription approved by the FDA. Because of this, it’s very easy for a scammer to take advantage of an unsuspecting person. Because CBD is not being regulated by the FDA, these scammers are able to use false labels on products that are of lower quality. There was currently a group of investigators that analyzed over 80 CBD products. There were only 31 percent (1) of these products containing the CBD amount that was being advertised on the label.
The next time you are purchasing a CBD product, here are three tips you need to remember.
Make sure the product has been tested by a third party.
Spend time going over consumer reviews of the product.
Make sure you are picking from a brand that is well established.
CBD needs to build up in your system
It can be difficult learning exactly what dosage of CBD is right for you and your needs. For each person, this amount will be different. This is because every person has a different body. Because each person has a different biology, it’s only natural to expect different reactions with each person. All this being said, just exactly how can you discover the amount that is right for your body?
When you begin using CBD, start with a very low amount. You don’t want to increase the amount every day. Give the CBD time to build up in your system, increasing the amount once or twice a week until you find the amount right for your body and the results you are looking for.
It may be a good idea to either take notes or keep a journal with information in regards to the amount you are using, how often, and what days you are increasing the amount.
Keep in mind, like many other chemicals and drugs, it is possible to build a tolerance with CBD. Once you have been using it for a while, if the results begin to decline, it may be a good idea to go a few days without a dose instead of simply increasing the amount.
Method of using CBD
If you are looking in the right place, you will hear about a new way of using CBD on almost a weekly basis. There’s everything from CBD bath salts, lube, even coffee. Here are a few of the most common forms of using CBD:
- Topical creams
- Suppositories or capsules
- Edible treats
- Vape oils
- Tinctures
If you have been using one of these delivery systems and are unable to experience the results you are looking for, it may simply mean that you need to try another form. The amount of CBD that is actually able to enter your bloodstream will play a huge role in the effectiveness of the product. Also, depending on the results you are looking for, some methods may not be as effective as the others.