CBD has exploded in popularity over the last 10 years or so. As a compound, it has been known about for quite some time and we long ago established that CBD is responsible for mediating many of the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant. Better still, we know that CBD doesn’t cause the recreational psychoactive effects that THC does, making it much more useful for treating medical conditions.
But a lot of the time, the positive noise we hear about CBD is coming from those who have a vested interest in selling it to you. So, what does our old, impartial, friend science think about it?
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Pain Relief
With the US gripped by the opioid epidemic, patients and doctors alike are now searching for new ways of treating their conditions that won’t expose them to addiction and other issues. CBD has been shown to be an effective painkiller and a compound that can be taken regularly and for extended periods without harming the user’s health. Anyone who has struggled with chronic pain can attest to how debilitating it can be and how limited the treatment options are.
CBD is non-addictive and has no known overdose level. This means that it can be taken even at high doses and for extended periods, without causing issues for the user.
Combat Epilepsy
The severity of epilepsy will vary from sufferer to sufferer but, even in the least severe cases, epilepsy has the potential to seriously complicate a sufferer’s life. There are now numerous videos online demonstrating the medicinal power of CBD by showing how it affects epileptic children. In some cases, children with debilitating epilepsy have been able to live normal lives, thanks to CBD.
In some cases, techniques such as fractional distillation allow for the production of more concentrated CBD products. For epilepsy sufferers who require large doses of CBD, these large doses can be delivered using a relatively small amount of oil.
Reduce Depression and Anxiety
The physical components to depression and anxiety are still not very well understood. We know that both anxiety and depression can impact people’s lives in a very serious way, especially if left untreated. CBD offers a potential treatment that doesn’t come with the usual side effects of antidepressants.
Similarly, CBD can reduce both the physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety. Given the myriad problems we face when we prescribe benzodiazepines to anxiety patients, the therapeutic potential of CBD is very exciting.
Treating Nausea
The jury is still out on whether cannabis or specific extracts made from it are effective at fighting cancer. We know that in artificial laboratory settings, CBD does show promise as an anticarcinogenic, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that ingesting it is going to achieve the same effect. However, we do know that CBD is an effective painkiller and is also effective as an antiemetic.
Patients who are suffering from nausea because of cancer treatments will find CBD an effective means of combatting this side effect, while also helping to reduce the amount of pain they feel.
We still have a lot to learn when it comes to CBD. Many of the claims made about its health benefits are valid, but some are perhaps a little overoptimistic. Make sure to do as much of your own research as possible before you commit to any CBD product.
