Have You Tried CBD Oil?

Reading through my daily wellness articles, its guaranteed I will come across more than one article highlighting the benefits of CBD oil. There is now plenty of research and personal testimony praising the healing effects of this wonderful oil. Whether it be serious illness such as cancer to someone wanting to destress, CBD seems to be more effective than pharmaceuticals. Years ago, the therapeutic properties of CBD were brought to light when a little girl, Charlotte, went from having hundreds of seizures a week to virtually none after dosing with the substance. It's since gained a cult following, with thousands of parents taking medical tourism trips to Colorado to experiment with the plant's healing powers. You may have heard of the more prominent CBD oil company CW Hemp, named after Charlotte, Charlotte’s Web, now available online.

The basics are simple enough: CBD is derived from hemp and marijuana plants, but unlike THC, it's completely non-psychoactive (meaning it won't make you high).

Marijuana is a slur or slang term referring to a cannabis plant containing high levels of THC. Cannabis with less than 0.3% THC is legally considered hemp. In addition to THC, the cannabis plant can produce over 100 unique chemicals called cannabinoids, one of which is CBD. While marijuana causes intoxication, CBD by itself does not. Any type of cannabis, whether high-THC or low-THC, can be bred to produce high levels of CBD. Hemp and CBD are also legal federally, while marijuana is legal only in certain states.

What are the physiological health benefits of CBD?

CBD will generally act to promote balance, situationally reducing inflammation, decreasing blood pressure (if it is too high), "killing" cancer cells through various apoptotic and anti-angiogenic mechanisms, just to name a few examples. One of the most common uses of CBD is for anxiety and insomnia.

Although CBD is not intoxicating, it can positively affect mood, acting on serotonin receptors, regulating GABA (involved in anxiety) and glutamate (an excitatory neurotransmitter), and more! CBD has, again, a plethora of psychological benefits; research has revealed antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and general mood-regulating effects.

Thus far, the safety/toxicity profile for CBD appears to be more in line with everyday foods and vitamins rather than being accompanied by the daunting side effects of many conventional drugs.

How can someone tell if they have high-quality CBD? Is there a particular dosage or amount of active compounds to look for?

The only way to verify you have quality CBD is if your product is third-party tested for contaminants and active ingredients. There should be a batch report available detailing each category. It is best to get CBD extracted from therapeutic (cannabinoid-rich) hemp, as opposed to cannabinoid-deficient industrial hemp, because it will be less likely to contain contaminants. It is also best if the product is manufactured in a registered lab that follows cGMP standards and AHPA guidelines. The Realm of Caring has a resource that covers all of the quality concerns that a customer should have such as the effects a person can expect upon immediately taking CBD and what effects could they expect after a week, a month, or a year?

Each person is different and will have a unique response to any new botanical supplement. It is important for people to be objective in observing the effects in order to find the right individual dose and whether CBD can be helpful.

It is important to use caution with any new product that you have not used before.

Resources: CW Hemp, Realm of Caring