In the United States, the federal government recognizes two forms of Cannabis sativa plant: hemp and marijuana. Hemp is the least processed form of the cannabis plant and contains high levels of cannabidiol, or CBD – the compound in cannabis known for its medicinal properties and traces of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis that causes a “high.”
Marijuana, on the other hand, is increasingly being bred to contain higher levels of THC, sometimes even more than 30% while CBD levels remains low (average less than 0.2%), according to research.
In 2018, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (also known as the Farm Bill) legalized CBD that is derived from hemp and contains no more than 0.3% THC (by dry weight). CBD from the marijuana plant remains illegal under the Controlled Substances Act since the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug. In DEA parlance, that means the administration believes it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
However, many states have disputed the stand of the Federal Government concerning the use of CBD and Cannabis products. Several uses of these products have supported their decisions so far, and we are going to see quite a few of them in this post.
Since the legal consumption of marijuana for medicinal purposes has become prevalent in the United States, researchers have started studying various compounds found in the hemp plant, including CBD. Often praised as a “miracle medicine”, CBD has been used to treat health conditions like anxiety, depression, epilepsy, or even cancer. Recently, CBD or free oil enthusiasts are now lending hefty support to hemp-derived productsas they noticed almost immediate health results when they are given to epileptic individuals. But one would want to ask, how does CBD work to produce these effects in the body?
How does CBD Oil Work?
Researchers around the world have studied cannabinoids for several decades. Several clinical and pre-clinical testings of these substances have been carried out over the years with varying results documented. For instance, clinical testing in the 1980s revealed that a THC compound helped reduce nausea associated with the after-effects of chemotherapy.
However, researches are still limited when it comes to CBD, majorly because it is a new compound in the market. But the latest research has revealed that cannabinoids (CBD) effectively work with two receptors in the body; one on the B cells of the immune system, and the other in the human brain.
Cannabinoid compounds may associate with these receptors to produce various effects in the body. They may help reduce stress, anxiety, nausea symptoms, and/or chronic pain and can be beneficial to individuals dealing with any of these health issues.
For chronic health conditions, like those mentioned above, CBD may be incorporated in healthy forms into one’s lifestyle and diet. For instance, solei free oil, a smoke-free CBD in oil form can easily be used with any food you want to eat. Additionally, integrating free oil into your regular diet may have some incredible health benefits.
Benefits of CBD Oil That Have Made It Gain Popularity
Research has also revealed that the human body produces its cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids, which naturally play a significant role in pain modulation, mood control, movement coordination, memory, and inflammatory processes.
All of these have made the use of cannabinoids (CBDs) gain significant popularity over the years. Let’s briefly talk about the following benefits of CBD Oil that have made it gain such popularity:
- Anxiety and Insomnia
- Epilepsy
- Chronic Pain
Anxiety and Insomnia
This is one of the most common areas where multiple individuals have testified of the health benefits of CBD extracts. Anxiety and insomnia have also been shown to have effective results in patients suffering from the symptoms of depression and PTSD.
Epilepsy
Specifically, individuals dealing with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome, find CBD oil helpful in reducing the epileptic symptoms of these disorders. Clinical evidencelends support to the use of CBD oil for these problems, such that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first-ever cannabis-based medicine (Epidiolex) for this particular problem.
Chronic Pain
Several individuals and studies believe that cannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory properties can easily give you relief from chronic pain conditions. Since cannabinoids help relax the mind, they distract the mind from pain and allow the consumer to rest or sleep better. They can also have some direct blocking effects on peripheral nerve pain in experimental animals.
Conclusion
There are many other benefits that may have made CBD gain so much popularity in recent times. However, these are the few I could spell out for you in this post. There are also numerous studies supporting the therapeutic value of CBD oil. This has made more researchers and health experts become even more interested in this natural product and help people live better lives.
