5 Things You Need to Know about Cannabidiol (CBD)
Whether you’ve been using CBD for years or you’re still a skeptic, learning more about cannabidiol, or CBD, can help you decide whether this all-natural product is right for you. Below, you’ll discover five interesting facts about CBD that everyone needs to know.
#1 – It Is a Vital Ingredient in Cannabis
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, contains more than 100 different compounds. Some of these compounds are psychoactive, such as THC, and others are not, such as CBD. These two compounds – THC and CBD – are present in cannabis in the highest concentrations, so they tend to get the most focus. Recreational marijuana often has more THC than CBD, but if you’re using medical marijuana, you’re more likely to find a high-CBD strain.
#2 – CBD Won’t Get You High
Most of the skeptics out there tend to stay away from CBD (and perhaps even advocate against it) because they believe that it’s one of the compounds required to get “high” from marijuana. Numerous studies have found that CBD has no psychoactive properties, which is why it is now legal at the Federal level. CBD and THC act on two very different receptors. While THC acts on CB1 receptors and creates a high, CBD does not.
#3 – Studies Prove its Benefits
Though CBD and THC are two different things, they both have many wonderful uses in medicine that have been documented and studied. For example, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology posted a study in 2013 showing that CBD alone was effective as an antiemetic, analgesic, antioxidant, antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, and much more. The best part is that users can get all of these benefits from CBD alone without concern about the “high” that THC can cause. Though most of these studies are based on animals, the recent legalization of CBD for certain medical purposes has opened new doors for studies.
#4 – CBD Works Well with Other Compounds
Though many states still consider THC-laden products illegal, there is evidence to suggest that CBD may actually work better when consumed in conjunction with THC and other compounds in cannabis, namely terpenes. Studies have shown that the combination of products benefits the user more than any one of the compounds could benefit the user alone, which makes them synergistic.
#5 – CBD Reduces THC Effects
For those who use recreational or medical marijuana, high-CBD strains are quite popular. That’s because CBD reduces some of the negative effects that THC can create, such as anxiety and paranoia. In fact, some recent studies have suggested that large amounts of CBD, when consumed in conjunction with products containing THC, can actually reduce the high significantly. Neither presents any risk of overdose, either.
Of course, these are not all of the important facts surrounding CBD, but they are the ones that skeptics and those who are unsure of CBD should consider. CBD alone cannot cause a high, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest its benefits in the medical world, as well. That’s why so many people are turning to CBD products to ease their pain, anxiety, and even their seizures.
