The CBD market is booming, with more and more people trying it for the first time and those who can finally use it without any restrictions.
However, there are many stigmas around this product, and some wonder if it is truly safe or something they should be trying to improve their lives as many people argue it does.
If you have never tried or dabbled in this world, it is completely normal to have your questions since even people who have been using it for years haven’t taken the time to learn everything there’s to know about the product but mainly its components.
This is crucial, and we’re actually happy you decided to get informed before you start using it.
Don’t worry; we will cover the most relevant aspects and factors to consider about the product and help you answer questions that include what it is, how to use it, medical benefits, and risks associated with CBD so you can make an informed decision about whether you should use it in your situation or not.
What Is Cannabidiol?
CBD is an oil extract derived from cannabis or marijuana, which means it is a compound of the main plant.
It contains cannabidiol, a compound with no psychoactive effects and cannot get you high. Therefore, this answers one of the most common myths: Will CBD get you high? Not at all.
Cannabidiol can be taken in different ways: sublingually (under the tongue), topically on skin or hair, ingested orally with food, inhaled through vaporizing CBD hemp oil, and even in capsules.
The main difference between the usual marijuana you know and CBD is the fact that the latter is legal due to the levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) it contains and a component of the first, so it cannot be considered legal cannabis but rather a variation.
However, people get confused because when it comes to cannabis, it can be classified or known as hemp or marijuana, and this entirely depends on the level of THC they contain.
How does this translate into CBD? The product comes from legal hemp plants that farmers do their best to grow and provide to pharmaceuticals and labs.
You might be familiar with the fact that hemp plants will be legal as long as they contain less than 0.3% of THC. Well, this is correct and something you must keep in mind all the time.
How Does It Work?
If it doesn’t get you high, what’s the point in using it? This is what many people wonder.
Plants are medicinal and can provide great benefits. This is universal knowledge, and cannabis isn’t in the group of no use. Instead, it is quite beneficial when used correctly and under the proper doses.
The fact that it doesn’t get you high is thanks to how the products around CBD are manufactured, leaving the benefits of the hemp intact but without adding what we could denominate as a drug in the formula.
The CBD is able to work since our body has cannabinoid receptors that are divided into two groups:
- The first is involved with the brain and the parts involved with pain, emotion, mood, appetite, memories, movement, and similar functions.
- The second is in the immune system and influences inflammation and pain in the body.
While THC will attach to the body, causing the usual dependence and effects we all know from drugs and high levels. The CBD level added in oils and other products stimulates our receptors, causing them to produce more cannabinoids on their own.
This is why the products help with pain, emotions, and the usual conditions we know about because our body is being stimulated and “treated” thanks to CBD.
Depending on the presentation or how you’re taking CBD, you will have more effective results with your pain, emotions, or other functions.
Oil is usually the most common one because it helps the body overall. You get your receptors to help with the pain you might be feeling but also relax you in the process.
However, if you use CBD in ointment or similar presentations, you will be dealing with the focal point or area affected, usually by pain.
Smoking helps many people to relax with the simple process of taking CBD in this way.
Benefits & Risks of CBD: Should You Use It?
This is probably the million question right now since you were already wondering if you should be using it.
First, remember there are other options available in the market that don’t cause dependence. Even if they do, professionals consider it healthier than using CDB as a first or second option.
However, the truth is it depends on you as well and the results you want to obtain with it. After all, the product does have many benefits, or else people wouldn’t be using it and requesting a legal way to use it.
Since CBD became legal in some states in the USA and other countries to a certain extent, people have been using it more frequently, and truth be told, some numbers have improved since then.
People have felt much better with using inhalers containing CBD instead of the traditional nicotine when it comes to smoking. In fact, some studies have shown they have stopped craving for it over 50% of the time.
The previous benefit is thanks to the relaxing effect it causes in people, while nicotine is more of a “placebo” when achieving tranquility or serenity. The latter is more of an addiction than anything else.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should be smoking marijuana without restrictions, but using inhalers and products that help and provide other benefits is a great alternative that can take people out of the cigarettes and improve statistics.
Other benefits we can mention (and you might know) about CBD include:
- If you’re suffering from an acute injury, CBD helps reduce pain and inflammation.
- CBD could also help with mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety because it can cause a release of serotonin.
- A product called “Epidiolex” based on CBD has been approved to be used for epilepsy due to the great results it has shown for people with this condition.
- It can help slow the onset and progress of Alzheimer’s disease since it has been proved that it helps retain people’s faces in the memory.
- Other psychiatric diseases have been included on the list of using CBD as treatment.
- Anxiety disorders (overall) can be more controlled with CBD. This includes some like PTSD, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety.
On another note, it is clear that CBD offers many benefits due to its natural properties and how it acts in the body.
While THC is forbidden for all the previous patients, CBD has proven to be a great solution for those who have lost hope with pain and other diseases. At least, symptomatic hope.
However, people tend to be blinded by how good something is and forgot to look at the risks.
Of course, it is usually about pros and cons in the medical field and which ones have more to determine if it is worth taking risks and acting. The same happens with people who decide to use CBD even when it can bring many risks for their specific cases.
Regardless of what happens or what you decide, it is pertinent to be well-informed about the good and the bad, which is why we have included risks:
- Potential side effects like dry mouth, dizziness, lethargy, drowsiness, fatigue, and nausea.
- The FDA does not regulate CBD oils (the products in specific), so there’s no guarantee on what they contain or how safe they are to use since some manufacturers add additional components to make their products unique.
- Even if your disease or condition is included in what CBD is good for, you don’t know if it can produce the opposite result you want to achieve.
- Liver damage.
- Some males present reduced fertility.
- Instead of improving your mood, it can cause irritability and irritation.
- Gastrointestinal problems and loss of appetite.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, a government authority) always recommends not using CBD above conventional medical care. Instead, you should rely on other treatments before ending up with this one.
How to Use CBD
It is not enough to know what CBD is and its benefits. You also need to know how to use it!
If you’re reading this, we assume that you want the best result, and for it, you will have to visit a doctor or professional that can guide you in the process.
However, we can give you a head-up since CBD comes in different types of products (as we have mentioned before), which means not all of them are used in the same way, and although the benefits are the same, it depends on the specific presentation.
When it comes to oils, some will tell you to place a few drops under your tongue and leave them for a few moments before you drink them, but if this doesn’t work or you don’t love the taste, you can also mix CBD with food or drinks.
Some alternatives include a spray that can be used to place CBD under your tongue, while similar ones allow you to put enough of it in an area where you are feeling a lot of pain, like your knees, legs, or any other.
If none of them appeal to you, you can rely on capsules and work around it in the usual way you choose for conventional medicine.
This is an overall look of how you can use it and probably the most popular ones since they were traditional. However, we can include some recommendations:
- If someone suffers from anxiety or depression, a vape pen with CBD oil would be a perfect choice, especially if you like smoking and look forward to quitting it.
- You can have gummies with CBD that also contain vitamins B12 and D3 (or others depending on the manufacturer) to add some complements.
- CBD soft gels help with joint health and pain, which can be a better alternative than consuming the product if no other benefit is required.
- CBD salve exists as well and can be used for muscle pain.
We can summarize the use of CBD based on your specific needs (thus, why it is important to visit a doctor) and the different products available. You can keep in mind, more easily, that options like topicals, gummies, capsules, and oils or tinctures can be acquired.
Don’t Be Afraid but Neither Reckless
CBD is a hot topic in the news, but not everyone knows what it is. By reading this article, we hope that you have learned a bit more than the basics and can support you in continuing to consider its use or maybe drop the idea.
If you’re interested in trying out CBD for yourself, we recommend consulting with your doctor first before making any purchases of your own.
There’s no need to be afraid of the product, but like any other medicine, it should be used while being well-informed and conscious of what it does and how your body is reacting.
Thus, don’t be reckless and take your time to assess the alternatives, read a bit more from medical sites and papers, and finally, visit the professional to see which option or CBD product is the best (or if you should give something else a try).
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