What Is Cbd?

Cbd is the natural nonintoxicating compound found in cannabis.  Cbd happens to be one of over a hundred phytocannabinoids, compounds unique to the cannabis plant which also give it its many therapeutic properties.  Although CBD & THC do share some properties the major difference between CBD and THC is CBD’s lack of any psychoactive effect meaning CBD can be used for purely therapeutic and medicinal uses without the user getting high or experiencing any of the effects commonly associated with marijuana as well as its increased therapeutic and medicinal properties.  This is why Cbd is commonly used for a wide range of medical treatments and also very common in dietary and nutritional supplements.  CBD is more and more commonly being recommended for not only mild to moderate ailments like anxiety, nausea, inflammation, and moderate pain but also increasingly for Elipsy, Parkinson’s, Multiple sclerosis and a host of other serious life-threating conditions that can drastically the lower quality of life for many.   Cbd is widely known to be a miracle worker for seizures and severe headaches for many patients lowering incidents from multiple times a day to only a handful a month drastically improving they’re quality of life.

How does it work?

The way Cbd interacts with both the body and brain are complicated & scientists have discovered many mechanisms of CBD that affect the body.  One of the many and most potent ways Cbd interacts with the body is via the endocannabinoid system by mimicking and changing effects of naturally occurring compounds in the body called endogenous cannabinoids.   The endocannabinoid system plays a major roll in many of the bodies critical and physiological processes and effect or daily health and quality of life from mood, energy, gastrointestinal function, immune health,  blood pressure, pain, anxiety and so much more.   When the endocannabinoid system is not properly functioning we commonly run into disease and ailments as well as various mental and psychological issues that can occur from imbalance.   Cbd interacts with a wide number of body and nervous system proteins that are a part of the network of the endocannabinoid system, CBD can bind to both the cbd1 and cbd2 receptors found in the brain as well as the GPR 3&6 receptors and TRPV 1&2 receptors in a way that is not intoxicating or “ High “ like yet also activates many anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects via these connections.   Cbd also interacts with the brains serotonin receptors lending it very affective to treating anxiety and depression and also seems to halt or slow cancer cell growth and shows great promise to treat various degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s making the compound in many eyes a potential & natural miracle drug deserving of further study and trials.

Medical Applications

In recent years there has been huge excitement over CBD for its medicinal and healing properties making it  a lifesaver for people with seizures , neuropathic pain and other brain and mental disorders leaving many to either obtain CBD rich medicine either illegally or having to travel long distances if they have the misfortune of living in a state where both THC and CBD are both illegal to possess.  Although this has been a common theme for many people trying to improve they’re quality of life but have had to face the reality of needing to either break the law or relocate to obtain consistent treatment lately there has been a wide adoption and acknowledgment of CBD’s amazing healing properties and in 2018 the FDA finally recognized CBD as a real medicine by approving Epidiolex,  a nearly pure pharmaceutical CBD formula used in treating multiple severe pediatric seizures & disorders.  Cbd is proving to be a potential medicinal treatment for a wide variety of health and wellness issues and as of 2018 there were more than 50 ongoing clinical trials examining the potential effectiveness of CBD for diseases and mental problems ranging from Chronic pain, Ptsd, depression & addiction to MS, ALS, Schizophrenia, Epilepsy and so many physical and mental afflictions plaguing so many worldwide.  The FDA also removed pharmaceutical CBD from a schedule 1 drug ( A illicit classification of the highest nature stating that a drug is dangerous and has 0 medicinal value )  to schedule 5 which is the least dangerous designation under the controlled substance Act so while progress can feel slow and overdue fortunately progress is indeed being made in the overall battle to change public and government perception of cannabis and its many cannabinoids from an evil mind-altering plant to a medicinal and therapeutic natural wonder drug.

CBD Products

With the rise of overall adoption of both cannabis and especially CBD as potentially life-saving therapeutic and health wellness options there has been an influx in different CBD rich health products and medicines in recent years from CBD heavy cannabis flower strains to isolates, infusions, concentrates, tinctures and formulations.  Cbd Oil is one of the most common and effective forms of obtaining CBD rich formulations especially for those that cannot access pharmaceutical-grade CBD, you may have seen these products sold anywhere from online shops and market places, coffee shops, health clubs, gas stations and anywhere else health products are commonly sold.  Cbd products also come in  Thc/Cbd mixtures from vape juices, cannabis flower strains, concentrates, pills, oils as well as ingestible infusions and edibles.   Like most supplements and health products Cbd is, for the most part, unregulated and as of 2019 is considered completely legal as long as it was derived from hemp and not marijuana and contains less than 0.3% overall THC content,  marijuana CBD is still considered technically a schedule 1 substance after the 2018 agriculture improvement act that reclassified hemp and thus its derivatives an agriculture commodity while leaving marijuana CBD and derivatives still in schedule 1 limbo and illicit classification unless you happen to reside in a legal marijuana state where marijuana-derived Cbd would be legal as well in most cases.   Due to heightened public interest and the overall movement toward total legality and acceptance of cannabis-related health products hemp-derived Cbd has reinvigorated the US hemp industry which was in a rather of a dormant state during the past years due to Drug war politics and laws , after the 2018 farm bill Hemp cultivation has exploded and so has the availability of CBD rich health products which can now be typically obtained with the ease of a few mouse clicks or a local visit to most health shops.  While this is an amazing time for people suffering and looking to CBD products for help with they’re health afflictions or those simply looking for a potent preventative, natural regular supplement to add to their curriculum , we would also like to warn that all Cbd products, mixtures, levels, and potency are not the same and those looking to use these products should exercise caution , be sure to google and research the manufacturer company , look for genuine buyer experiences and reviews on neutral platforms such as Reddit or forums to make an educated and informed purchase of only the purest products and responsible manufacturers as unregulated health products can often be a danger when considering the potential for varying quality, purity, and potency.