One of the most interesting things about CBD is that it is so versatile. This is why an article like this should be written. The versatility of CBD not only comes through in different uses but also through different products. In general, there is a lot of diversity in the new-old world of holistic/natural health and so adding CBD as a part of that seems fitting. CBD, like many other natural wellness products, is still in its infancy and needs quite a bit of research before there can be a lot of claims made. In this article we will help you begin your journey with CBD the right way. We can do this by helping explain what CBD is and what we know research-wise. We will also help debunk some misconceptions that you may have regarding CBD and where it comes from. Then, of course, we will show you the interesting and diverse ways in which CBD is used.
Let’s begin.
There are around 113 known chemical compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plants. These chemical compounds are what we call cannabinoids. Every type of Cannabis sativa plant contains all of these cannabinoids, but they are found in different percentages. Two of the main and most well-known cannabinoids are CBD (or cannabidiol) and THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol). These cannabinoids are often confused to be one another. Although these two are found together often, they are simply not the same. Let’s start with THC, THC is the cannabinoid that you are most familiar with. THC is the chemical compound that has the psychoactive effect when used. This cannabinoid is what has made the Cannabis sativa family member, marijuana so famous. In the past cannabis in general had a bad wrap because of this, but now that we understand the ins and outs of cannabis in general, we understand that only THC can give a ‘high’ effect. The hemp plant is another version of the cannabis plant and it contains at or lower than 0.3% of THC. This small amount of THC cannot give the psychoactive effect. Because of this fact, CBD and hemp have become quite popular. Some places have legalized the use of THC and marijuana for recreational use and most places have legalized the use of hemp/CBD for a plethora of different reasons. The most important thing to take out of this is that CBD and hemp cannot get users ‘high’ as this is a common misconception.
CBD uses
Like we stated before, CBD has a versatility that many are unaware of, but this is what makes it so interesting. There are many CBD uses that you may be aware of or perhaps you have no idea why people choose to use CBD. Well, here is a list of some researched reasons that folks have chosen to use CBD:
Potentially kills bacteria: Some research has been coming out of the potential antibacterial properties of CBD. This study shows that CBD may have the capability to kill certain types of bacteria. Not all bacteria can be killed by a CBD so if a product claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria and the only ingredient is CBD, this is a false claim.
Medication: There are a few different FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved medications that uses CBD as a key ingredient. Epidiolex is the most well-known because it gained popularity because of the effects it had. It assists those with two severe types of epilepsy. These syndromes cause harsh seizures, and they are called Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome. There are also a few other medications that assist those going through cancer treatments and the nausea that medication causes often. These are called Marinol, Syndros, and Cesamet. It is important to know that these medications can only be prescribed by a doctor or health care professional after diagnosis.
Could calm anxiety: Let’s be honest, it is hard to find a person that does not suffer from some type of anxiety every now and then, so why not find a natural way to soothe it? In this study, they used images of brains of folks who have SAD (social anxiety disorder). This is a disorder that gives people anxiety in social situations like speaking in public or large gatherings. The folks who received the CBD showed a decrease in their social anxiety disorder during certain tests that looked at the effects of the disorder. Those folks who didn’t receive the CBD did not see a decrease and or remained the same. CBD may not be the end all be all of anxiety, but it could help calm your nerves.
Caring for the skin: Skincare is something that we are all generally taught about when we hit puberty. And it is something that we ideally maintain. So, what does that have to do with CBD? CBD may help enhance the care of your skin. In this study they asked people who had scarring from skin conditions to use a CBD ointment to test how scars react with CBD. They used the ointment twice a day for three months. After those three months the study showed that the look and feel of the subject’s scars were less noticeable. You don’t need to have a skin condition to use CBD topicals. These can be used daily for potential enhanced skincare. They are best used often and in the same area.
Anti-inflammatory benefits: CBD has been looked at for the potential of some anti-inflammatory benefits. During this study, dog owners were asked to administer CBD to their furry pals who had osteoarthritis. They were to administer CBD two times a day for four consecutive weeks. Osteoarthritis causes inflamed joints and therefore may make it hard to be very mobile. The dog owners took a weekly test to show if anything had gotten worse, improved or any other effects happened to ensure a quality test. At the end of the four weeks they explained that their dogs were more able to move around. Although this research is done on dogs, we can infer that the CBD use would be useful to humans as well.
With so many different top notch CBD uses, which will you begin with? You could even look into CBD MCT oil as an alternative!