CBD (short for cannabidiol) is one of over 200 chemical substances classified as cannabinoids present in cannabis. It is the second most common active compound present in cannabis, after THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is a cannabis compound with psychoactive effects and elevated levels of population.
Cannabis is a herb and it has two primary varieties, Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa. Both hemp and CBD oil may be obtained from both forms, but hemp is derived only from Cannabis Sativa. By statute, hemp must produce no more than 0.3 percent THC (a high-quality weed oil) to be labelled hemp, or farmers are at risk of indictment under federal law. Hemp is a fantastic choice for producing 100% biodegradable, environmentally sustainable items such as clothes, containers, biofuels, construction materials and paper.
Hemp-derived CBD comprises no more than 0.3 percent THC and is lawfully nationally but also illegal under certain state regulations. Cannabis-derived CBD drugs, on the other hand, are federally yet technically prohibited under certain state regulations.
Unlike THC, CBD does not have any psychoactive properties and will not give you a “high.” There is no indication that it has the capacity for misuse or dependency and to date, there is no evidence that it is linked with any significant side effects, according to the World Health Organisation.
Instead, CBD has been credited with alleviating a variety of psychiatric problems, such as epilepsy, anxiety, inflammation, insomnia, and discomfort. While “credited” does not indicate that it has been confirmed. Owing to the historical legal landscape, there are barely any well-established trials supporting these arguments, while testing is likely to intensify now that the laws differentiate between hemp and marijuana.
We look at nine medical conditions where CBD can or has already shown to be helpful.
Epilepsy
CBD has also been studied for usage of other types of treatment-resistant epilepsy, typically in comparison to traditional epilepsy medicines.
CBD may interfere with other drugs used for epilepsy, and some significant side effects have been documented, including a decline in liver function when offered to people already taking valproate.
Pain relief
Animal tests have demonstrated that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties and acts on pain-relieving endocannabinoid and pain-relieving mechanisms.
Unfortunately, there are few human experiments exploring the usage of CBD as a specific pain-relieving drug, most of which use a mixture of CBD and THC to alleviate pain. Notably, Health Canada has licenced a combination treatment combining both THC and CBD at a 1:1 ratio to alleviate central nervous-related pain in multiple sclerosis and cancer pain that is not sensitive to tailored opioid therapy.
A retrospective analysis of CBD therapy showed an increase in self-reported quality of life for people with non-cancer-related pain, although there was no statistically meaningful improvement in those with cancer-related pain or neurological symptoms.
Animal tests have demonstrated that CBD has a beneficial impact on brain serotonin and serotonin levels. Low amounts of serotonin are believed to play a central role in both mood and pain.
Other study (both animal and human) has shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties and can alleviate pain by this process.
CBD can interfere with other medicines used to treat heart conditions or immunosuppressants, so you should always speak to your doctor before taking CBD.
Arthritis:
Animal trials have demonstrated that topical CBD applications alleviate discomfort and irritation associated with arthritis with little side effects. The topical treatment of CBD is useful since CBD is not well absorbed as taken by the mouth and may induce gastrointestinal side effects.
Anxiety:
Pretreatment with 300 mg CBD effectively relieved fear in 57 stable males who underwent a virtual public speaking exercise. However, doses of 150 mg CBD and 600 mg CBD did not make any difference to men’s anxiety levels.
Anxiety levels declined in a significant percentage of 72 patients, with 57 patients (79.2 percent) showing a drop in scores in the first month after CBD therapy.
Depression
Animal tests have indicated some impact of CBD on depressive relief, likely due to its intense anti-stress effect following either acute or repetitive administration.
Animal tests have demonstrated that CBD has a beneficial impact on brain serotonin and serotonin levels. Low amounts of serotonin are believed to play a central role in both mood and pain.
Disorders in sleep
31% of people taking CBD for other problems such as anxiety or non-cancer-related pain indicated increased sleep with CBD.
In a significant number of 72 cases, 48 patients (66.7%) recorded an increase in sleep ratings in the first month, although these fluctuated over time.
Acne
A laboratory study showed that CBD stopped human sebocytes from producing so much sebum in addition to providing an anti-inflammatory influence, preventing the activation of inflammatory cytokines. Since excessive sebum and inflammation are typical of acne, topical CBD can be an effective cure for acne and may avoid or mitigate further breakouts.
Parkinson’s Disease
Several limited trials have explored the usage of CBD to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, with generally promising findings. In certain trials, there were no discrepancies between groups with respect to movement-related outcomes; nevertheless, groups treated with CBD 300 mg/day had dramatically increased well-being and quality of life as assessed by the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire.
Nausea and vomiting
Most experiments exploring whether CBD is effective in alleviating nausea or vomiting have used a mixture of CBD and THC rather than either CBD alone. The 2016 analysis showed that the formulation was either more successful or equally effective as placebo.
More current evidence indicates that THC is more effective than CBD in preventing nausea and vomiting.
Conclusion
People use CBD oil and other CBD-based items for a number of purposes, including pain relief, anxiety regulation and epilepsy management.
While studies note few side effects with the use of CBD, more study is required for its efficacy in different medical conditions.
Some people use CBD oil for medical problems that have not yet been rigorously tested by experts. People who use CBD oil should talk to a specialist to verify that the medication is secure and that CBD is more efficient than most traditional medicines.