CBD is a cannabis-derived element. It has recently become popular for its therapeutic effects and potential uses in medicine. However, there are many misconceptions about CBD that can make it difficult to understand what it does or whether you should try it yourself. Cannabis is a member of the Cannabaceae family of plants that includes over 80 biologically active chemical components. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are the most well-known chemicals (CBD). THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that causes the “high.” CBD has sparked a lot of attention because of its possible health advantages.
Marijuana is not the same as CBD. CBD is a single component found in the cannabis plant, whereas marijuana is a kind of cannabis plant or plant material that contains a wide range of naturally occurring compounds, including CBD and THC. The following post will explore this topic in detail, giving readers an understanding of what CBD is (and isn’t), and how it works.
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What is CBD?
The next question that may arise in one’s mind is that “what does CBD stand for?” well CBD is short of Cannabidiol and it is extracted from the Cannabis plant. It is also effectively used for treating seizures. Though CBD is extracted from Cannabis plants, it is free from the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol or commonly known as THC. THC is that chemical in marijuana that is known to make people “high” as it is a psychoactive chemical.
As CBD is free from THC, it is safe to say that CBD does not make you high. Given all of its properties, CBD has been observed to be effective for several problems such as insomnia, anxiety, and the onset of seizures as it helps people relax and fall asleep easily in most cases. CBD also has other benefits as well such as a treatment of skin problems. CBD can act in various forms, commonly known as its functions to treat anxiety and seizures but CBD is also used as an anticonvulsant, sedative, and antipsychotic.
How Does It Work?
For starters, CBD products indirectly influence the Endocannabinoid system of human body. Whenever you take a Cannabidiol product, it reacts with CB1 as well as CB2 receptors. This process eventually helps the body to cope with any physical or mental ailments. CB1 receptors usually deal with appetite, thinking ability, bodily coordination, etc. On the other hand, CB2 receptors are responsible for guiding the immune system and inflammation.
Cannabidiol products inhibit the influence of FAAH in your body. As a result, the concentration of Anandamide molecule increases, which generates motivation and pleasure. Moreover, Cannabidiol also binds with TRVP-1 that plays a significant role in fixing inflammation and regulating pain.
Different Types of CBD
There are three types of CBD exist. The first type of CBD is CBD isolate, it only has pure CBD in it and no other compound such as THC. CBD isolate is taken from the Cannabis plant and it is made sure it has no other compound in it. In this way, there is only the effect of CBD and no other compound meddles with the effect such as the “high” produced by THC.
The second type is broad-spectrum CBD. This has other compounds in it that are obtained from the Cannabis plant. These compounds usually tend to include CBN, CBC, limonene, myrcene, terpenes, and pinene. There is also an absence of THC in broad-spectrum CBD which means that there is no production of a high and you remain in your senses. However, the other compounds tend to show their properties as well.
The third type of CBD is full-spectrum CBD. It has the same compounds as mentioned in broad-spectrum, however, with the addition of THC. The amount of THC is less than 0.3%, which is the allowed, legal amount. This amount does not make people high.
The Endocannabinoid System
The Endocannabinoid System is a system in the body that regulates a few functions. This system indicates the presence of cannabinoids in the body. The processes that are controlled by the Endocannabinoid System are a person’s mood, appetite, sleep patterns, memory, reproduction, and fertility. Even if a person is not using cannabis, this system is still active in their bodies. However, it doesn’t end here, after years of research scientists have found that the Endocannabinoid System has some role to play in other processes as well.
These processes include metabolism of the body, digestion, motor controls, sleep, muscle formation, liver function, stress, skin and nerve function. The use of CBD could be more or less regulate these functions, so these could be seen as CBD benefits. The system has a role to play in homeostasis, which is a correction process if something goes wrong in your body. For instance, if you suffer an injury or a wound, your homeostasis would kick in and mend everything that is damaged in your body.
CBD, however, reacts in a much different way. Although it too is a cannabinoid, it reacts very differently than THC does. For one, CBD does not have any negative impacts on the body and it does not result in you getting high. Experts are not entirely sure on how CBD reacts with the body as it is entirely different than THC but they know for sure that it does not bind with the receptors which THC bind. CBD is also known to help with pain and nausea and may be used to regulate a person’s sleep pattern. It is through the Endocannabinoid system that the THC can react with the receptors in the brain that result in excessive production of the “happy chemical”, dopamine. When the dopamine level is unusually high, a person feels happier than ever. This is the “high” that the person experiences or it could also be called the psychedelic effect.
Due to its relaxing properties, CBD has a lot of positive effects on the body. It can help manage many problems in the body. There are quite a lot of ailments and problems that can be managed using not just CBD but THC as well, which include disorders such as Glaucoma, Pain, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and sleep difficulties.
Epilepsy Management
CBD is used for effective treatment of epilepsy. People tend to use CBD when there is an onset of seizures and CBD helps avoid these seizures. In the case of CBD, there is a purified form of CBD that is used for epilepsy. This medicine is called Epidiolex and is used by children who either have Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome which are two forms of epilepsy in children.
Pain Relief
As CBD is known to have a relaxing effect, there has been an increasing trend where it is seen that people tend to take CBD for the treatment of pain as well. It is known as an effective method of pain relief. The types of pain that are treated with CBD include chronic pains such as back pain, arthritis, and sometimes even cancer pains. All these experiments for the treatment of pain have been carried out on rats and mice and it was seen that rats that had effects of inflammation had reduced inflammation when they were given CBD oil. There were also little to no side effects. In rats, it was also seen that CBD tends to reduce the size of cancer tumors but this is yet to be tested on humans as humans react entirely differently.
CBD also has a soothing effect on people who suffer from migraines. All the studies that have been carried out until now include the combination of both CBD and THC used together. It has been observed that by the use of CBD, people have experienced a much less intensity of pain than when people did not use CBD.
Relief from Anxiety and Depression
There are some mixed views on whether or not CBD helps with mental health and emotions. Many people say that it does affect positively while many say that they did not feel any difference after using CBD. It is said that CBD helps with anxiety, depression, and even PTSD. It has been observed that CBD helps reduce nervousness in people, especially when it comes to dealing with the public such as public speaking and so on. It is currently being decided whether or not war veterans should be given CBD for the treatment of their PTSD, because their trauma could be triggered by any event or even any person.
Many people have trouble sleeping at night as well, they stay up late hours and cannot figure out how to sleep. They spend the night tossing and turning and their sleep schedule is severely affected. The use of CBD helps induce sleep as well and helps people who usually have trouble sleeping at night. As CBD continues to relax the mind, it helps induce sleep that one may have difficulty achieving. With steady use of CBD, a person can regulate their sleep pattern which would be perfect for their health.
Cannabis has been used for a number of health benefits for thousands of years. CBD oil has been a popular product which has many potential benefits and used for issues ranging from pain and stress to sleep and more.
CBD and Its Legality
One may wonder “Is CBD legal?” CBD and THC are both derived from cannabis or commonly known as marijuana. According to the federal law of the United States, THC and marijuana are deemed illegal, meaning possessing marijuana is illegal.
CBD, on the other hand, is legal in most states of the United States. Hemp-derived CBD products (with less than 0.3 percent THC) on a federal level are legal but are illegal under some state laws. The CBD you purchase should not have more than 0.3% of THC. Otherwise, it would either start affecting your brain or it might be considered illegal. You should also ensure that the CBD you buy is certified and pure.
Final Thoughts
To answer the question of what is CBD and is it worth of use? Well, yes. It is safe to say that one can use CBD for their well-being. It is known to treat a lot of problems, many of which are mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. It can help you sleep better and can even make your skin look fresher and attractive! It works brilliantly as a painkiller and can effectively improve your general mood and health conditions.
However, it is suggested that one should use CBD instead of THC so you don’t fall prey to addiction and it doesn’t harm your brain because, at the end of the day, CBD doesn’t make you high!
