If you’re familiar with the cannabis plant, then chances are you’re more familiar with THC rather than CBD. But if you happen to a complete newbie on the matter, then chances are you have no idea what CBD is.
To put things into perspective, the cannabis plant has many compounds that affect us differently. The most notorious and famous one is THC. THC is essentially the compound in cannabis that gives you the high when smoking it. It is by far the compound that people are most familiar with, and with good reasons.
As cannabis is slowly becoming legal in literary every US state, the popularity of another compound has risen sky-high. The compound in question is CBD.
Cannabidiol (the formal name of CBD) is a very different compound than THC. The main thing you should know is that you’ve definitely experienced it if you’ve previously smoked cannabis.
Apart from being lesser-known, CBD is also less commonly understood how it works and why it works that way. We will dwell deeper into this article as to what cannabidiol can do for us, but first, let’s talk some basics.
CBD is well-known throughout history and has been used to mostly treat pain. Ancient civilizations used cannabidiol to reduce inflammation, treat various illnesses, arthritis, and even diabetes. Although, this isn’t the only use for as nowadays it is majorly used to treat anxiety, depression, and epilepsy.
But how can CBD treat all this? Is there a secret ingredient within it that makes everything a possibility? The subject of its healing properties is debated a lot nowadays. Many advocates for its usage, while others don’t believe in them.
But to help shed some light, we are going to try and explain the 5 things you should know as to how CBD works.
Without further ado, let’s start.
1. CBD Isn’t Capable of Altering Your State of Mind
We mentioned at the begging of the article that THC is responsible for giving you the high. You’ve also probably heard the healing effects of the marijuana plant.
Well, the compound responsible for that is CBD. The molecular structure of the compound is vastly different than that of THC. THC is responsible for the high, while cannabidiol is responsible for all the health benefits. But, with more than 80 active substances found in the plant, it is not entirely sure as to how accurate the reports are.
What we can safely say is that this compound doesn’t possess the mind-altering properties of THC.
2. It Works in Congestion With THC
Although both are completely different, they work quite nicely with one another.
Cannabidiol and THC complement each other; although it seems that the latter needs the former more. CBD can make the effects of THC last longer than originally intended. This is a very staggering find, as medical researchers can potentially make other medicines more potent through its usage.
And while our body has two different pathways for each compound, its shared usage can potentially bolster the health benefits. Some even believe that the two compounds even share the same health benefits, but this is a theory that is very likely to be true.
3. It Can be Taken Differently
Like THC, CBD can also be taken in various different ways. The most common one comes in the form of oil. Truthfully speaking, CBD oil is the most popular product on the free market in its category.
And while you can always smoke the same way you would take THC, the compound works better if applied topically, vaporized, and even taken in the form of pills and capsules.
It is truly the latter two that are seeing a surge in popularity lately, but oil still remains the most popular product. If you happen to be looking into the best cannabidiol oils out there, then make sure to visit here for a full list.
Apart from applying it to your skin, smoking it, and orally digesting them in the form of capsules, there is another fun way to take CBD.
Namely, recently, a very popular product emerged on the market in the form of edibles. Edibles are nothing new when it comes to marijuana products, but it is the first time we’re seeing them full of cannabidiol instead of THC.
The most popular edibles out there include gummy bears. The popularity stems from the fact that you don’t have to expose your lungs to harmful smoke, nor have to apply it on your skin or taken orally in the form of pills & capsules.
Everyone loves gummy bears, and everyone loves taking CBD gummy bears.
4. Any Side Effects?
The general consensus is that this herbal compound doesn’t impact anyone negatively.
Although, since we’re talking about Mother Nature, this isn’t always the case from a person to person perspective.
You might be allergic to some of the ingredients of CBD, although there hasn’t been a case of it so far. Furthermore, if side effects are to arise, first we need to determine the effects.
Since CBD can help with pain relief, anti-inflammation, treating cancer, insomnia, anxiety, depression, etc, we need to determine if there could be any adverse effects in treating these problems.
As of currently, there have been no reported negative effects from the usage of cannabidiol.
5. We Are Still Researching It
The bottom line in all of this is that we can’t say for certain how it works.
The compound has been labeled as a “critical area” in medical research, and more funds are needed to truly understand how it does what it does.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the healing effects are quite visible but the science behind them isn’t understood completely.
It seems that the best course of research for it remains through observing patients using it. But, we know that it is completely safe to use with both THC and on its own. That is why more and more US states are making it legal.
Also, the compound features quite regularly in coffee shops (marijuana dispensaries). Even conservatives are begging to appreciate its medical usage and healing effects.
But further research still remains a top priority if we are to understand how it works.
