I first heard about CBD oil a few years ago. My friend's son, who I'd known as a healthy child, suddenly took a bad turn and ended up in the hospital with seizure after seizure. His childhood was essentially on hold, because his seizures were so frequent that he wasn't able to function. The hospital tried giving him so many different medications, but none actually worked for him. And that's when his mom discovered CBD oil. By giving her son regular doses, his seizures stopped, and he was able to have a normal childhood again.
If it sounds like a miracle drug, it pretty much is.
And for good reason.
CBD oil is a very effective treatment for epilepsy, but that is just one of its many benefits.
But what exactly is CBD, where does it come from, and does it get you high?
When you hear people talking about medical marijuana they are talking about products that may have different amounts of the compound THC and CBD. THC is the part of marijuana that makes you high, the main psychoactive part of the marijuana plant, but also has pain relief and anti nausea properties, in addition to other medicinal benefits. CBD oil, though, containing CBD, cannabidiol, comes from a cousin of marijuana, the hemp plant, and doesn't contain any THC, and therefore can't get you high, and is also generally legal in places where medical marijuana or recreational marijuana isn't.
I'd heard about the benefits of CBD on mental health. Specifically, it is supposed to help with all sorts of anxiety related disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, PTSD, social anxiety, OCD, etc... The way it does this is by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system, and that is believed to impact the brain’s CB1 receptors, which are the same receptors that many anxiety medications target, which allows it to lessen anxiety and related issues. The benefits of CBD over prescription medication is that most prescription medications come with a myriad of side effects, many of which are very unpleasant. (I'm lucky in that my meds only make me gain weight and need more sleep, nothing I can't handle.) It also can help with depression, by reducing activity related to neuroendocrine stress while increasing serotonergic and noradrenergic transmission – like what standard anti depressants do, just without the side effects.
Because of this, when I went to see my psychiatrist, I asked him what he thought about using CBD to help with my mental health issues. He said that it definitely would be beneficial for me, and probably would work well. However, his concern was that because of its nature, it wouldn't be as regulated and the dosages you get would vary from time to time, something you don't get in prescription drugs. However, if you buy from a trusted CBD seller such as Diamond CBD, you can be assured that each dose will give you the same amount of the CBD compound, and then this issue then would be eliminated.
CBD oil can be used for pain relief and inflammation. There are many people who live with chronic pain, whether from fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS previously known as RSD or reflex sympathetic dystrophy), and other neuropathic pain. Typical medication given for these are often opioids and other narcotics, which as contributed to the opioid crisis because of their addictive properties. CBD is not addictive, and works by targeting and activating glycine receptors in the central nervous system, in the brain and spinal cord. These help reduce chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Inflammatory properties such as prostaglandins shut down these receptors, increasing the sensation of pain; CBD can reactivate those receptors and reduce pain hypersensitivity.
Fibromyalgia sufferers also deal with fatigue, memory problems, mood changes, and more, all which CBD can help heal.
CBD is also being used to help stop opioid addiction, if someone already is addicted, often because of their chronic pain. CBD oil is said to help people quit smoking. It has anti addictive properties because of the receptors it targets, as well as helping to regulate the neural pathways which cause withdrawal and drug cravings.
CBD is used in cancer patients to decrease nausea, increase appetite, and reduce pain, but there's a possibility that it can actually help in fighting the cancer itself, not just its side effects. Recent studies have demonstrated that CBD may enable “antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic effects” that reduces the ability of cancer cells to grow, to attach to various structures, prevents migration to other organs, and possibly even shrink tumors.
There currently are studies being done on CBD and its affect on the inflammation in the pancreas, in mice, which show a possibility in it helping in type 1 diabetes. Human studies haven't shown that yet, but they have shown that CBD can reduce the amount of insulin a patient needs.
CBD's anti inflammatory properties have helped decrease the effects of acne, eczema and psroriasis, in addition to lowering the production of the specific sebum that causes acne.
CBD works as an effective anti nausea, which can help with women with hyperemisis, people with stomach issues,
Multiple studies have shown that CBD may be useful in reducing the pain in those with multiple sclerosis, reduce muscle stiffness and extremity spasms, and reduce bowel and bladder dysfunction found commonly in those with MS.
Research by the NIH hypothesizes that CBD may help prevent cardiovascular disease, even in patients that are high risk, by working directly on isolated arteries, promoting relaxation and reducing negative cardiovascular responses to stress which may cause damage over time. Other studies show that CBD is promising in reducing cardiac arrythmias, reducing the risk of dying after a cardiac event, reduce the risk of repeat heart attacks, possibly regulate high blood pressure, reduce immediate death rates among patients with heart failure, reduce cell death in diabetic cardiomyopathy, etc... And this is in addition to its benefit in targeting other health issues that are risk factors for cardiac issues.
CBD has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and it even shows promising results against drug resistant superbugs like MRSA.
People with insomnia can use CBD oil to help. This is likely because the endocannabinoid system helps regulate sleep. When one uses CBD, it helps sufferers have longer periods of sleep, and helps insomnia sufferers reach REM sleep.
I suffer from stomach issues, and fortunately going on a special diet has eliminated most of the issues, but many people with IBD and other chronic stomach issues successfully use CBD to help manage their symptoms. A study found a link between IBS sufferers and clinical endocannabinoid deficiency, and then when they used CBD, sufferers of IBS saw significant symptom improvement. There's also a connection between the nervous and immune systems in IBS, and CBD helps regulate the gliosis in the nervous system, reducing IBS side effects.
I have ADHD and it definitely makes my life more challenging. CBD can help people focus, in addition to reducing anxiety, which may help with ADHD, but that is still in the early stages of study.
Arthritis can be treated with CBD, reducing inflammation and reducing pain, and decreasing or preventing nerve damage.
I know, I know, can something really be a wonder drug and treat this many different things? Listen, you don't have to take my word for it. Here's a source I used. Yes, some of these studies are still in early stages, but CBD research is taking the world by a storm.
Nothing, however, is completely without side effects. So if you are intrigued by CBD and the benefits it can have, speak to your doctor about potentially adding it to your wellness routine.
See my disclaimer.
