All You Need to Know About CBD for Your Health & Wellness
Many highly respected health care professionals clear across the world are beginning to join the Cannabidiol (CBD) bandwagon. Opinions about the Cannabis plant among so many people have quickly changed, as they discover this all-natural source of relief from a large number of chronic health conditions. Neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent at CNN, even did an entire segment on the incredible health benefits of CBD.
With news articles appearing in Forbes Magazine, The New York Times and other prominent national publications, CBD is quickly gaining the support of the medical community at large. As the word continues to spread, CBD is on its way to becoming one of the most widely used natural health remedies in the world.
Although CBD use is certainly gaining in popularity, it is still an industry in its infancy. Therefore, many users have no real understanding of what CBD is exactly, what effects it has on the body, and how it might help them.
If you happen to be in the dark on CBD, like so many others – this tutorial will provide you with all the pertinent information on the powers of this Cannabinoid!
Let’s begin with the fundamentals.
Where Does CBD Come From and What Does it Do Exactly?
CBD comes from the Cannabis plant and can be used a variety of ways. Some people prefer vaping, while others enjoy the benefits of ingesting CBD in edibles. There are also CBD oils, tinctures and even capsules.
Unlike Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is also derivative of the Cannabis plant, CBD does not cause an intoxicating effect. This makes it possible for all of us to receive the miraculous health benefits of Cannabis without the adverse side effects. Bottom line – you can’t get high on CBD!
This is what has lead to the increasing popularity among those who prefer natural remedies for treating certain conditions, like PTSD, chronic pain, seizure disorders like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), and other serious maladies.
In the beginning, people and especially the medical community tended to be very skeptical about the ability of a natural compound to treat so many different health conditions effectively. The fact that it was derived from the Cannabis plant, made CBD even more questionable. But, as medical research continued and the real-life stories of so many people began accumulating, reaching into the tens of thousands, it became impossible to deny the truth that CBD does actually work.
How CBD Works
Because CBD is a derivative of Cannabis, it naturally possesses many of the same medicinal qualities: it is a natural anxiolytic, which means it reduces anxiety. It’s also has anti-inflammatory properties. This means that CBD offers an all-natural treatment alternative for people who are stressed out, suffering from anxiety, and/or dealing with chronic pain.
Why it is such an effective treatment for so many health conditions and in maintaining the overall health and wellness of those using CBD is no longer a secret. It is due to the way in which the cannabinoids in CBD affect the neuronal receptors located throughout the body.
This involves the Endocannabinoid System.
What is the Endocannabinoid System?
In 1988 medical researchers discovered receptors in a rat’s brain that specifically reacted to THC. These newly found cannabinoid receptors were primarily located in the regions responsible for mental process like advanced cognition, memory and emotion. Cannabinoid receptors were also found in areas of that rat’s brain that controlled motor coordination.
The second cannabinoid receptor was discovered in 1993. It was found in the central nervous and immune systems of rodents. This when medical researchers began to figure out that this might be significant. But, since these receptors seemed to only be in rodents, was this really an important discovery? Well, in 1995 these receptors (now called CB1 and CB2 receptors) were finally found to exist in many thousands of species, not just rats, and these included humans.
Due to fairly recent technological advancements and the knowledge gained from a huge number of clinical trials, medical researchers found a way to reverse engineer their discoveries. They successfully traced back the different metabolic pathways of a variety of cannabinoids to find a previously unknown communication system that sends signals between our CB1 and CB2 receptors and the receptors in various Cannabis compounds referred to as “endocannabinoids.”
The official name of this elaborate signaling system is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
As medical researchers continued to study ECS, they found how important this system is in helping the body to maintain homeostasis, a healthy equilibrium between various interdependent elements and physiological processes in the body.
One example of how our ECS helps regulate homeostasis would be when we get stressed out; the hormone cortisol is released throughout our nervous system. Cortisol is also released when we sense danger and puts us on high alert so that we can react to protect ourselves if need be. This is commonly referred to as the “fight or flight” response. However, when too much cortisol is released it can disrupt the natural equilibrium or homeostasis that exists between our body and mind. Needless to say, this can lead to serious health concerns.
There are specific endocannabinoids that can, one way or another be introduced into our bodies to relieve stress. They can also help us regulate how we perceive what may be causing us stress. We are then able to view the situation or circumstances more clearly and hopefully handle it more productively.
I hope I haven’t confused you with the scientific explanation above. Just in case, let me try to clarify things a bit. Researchers discovered that certain systems in our bodies are completely dependent on how well they interact with cannabinoids. These systems are critical to the healthy functioning of our minds and bodies.
The truth is, our bodies actually function better when cannabinoids are introduced and many now believe that they are an essential aspect of optimum health and an overall sense of well-being. We at 420CBDeals are helping many people live healthier, happier, more productive lives.
The Legalities of CBD Use
New users often question the legalities of using CBD and they are right to be concerned about this as no one wants to intentionally break the law. Unfortunately, the laws on CBD use are still playing “catch up” in most jurisdictions.
Throughout the last half-century, governmental bodies across the world largely prosecuted people using Cannabis due to its psychoactive effects. Cannabis was labeled a “gateway drug” that made people more prone to hard drug use. As a result, most people around the world formed a negative impression of Cannabis and everything associated with it.
Fortunately, the consensus is beginning to change for the positive. Many people are far more open minded about the health benefits that Cannabis can provide. However, much of society has not caught up with the research and still has a negative opinion of Cannabis, and the laws largely reflect this.
Each country is in charge of establishing its own laws and this includes their laws on Cannabis and the compounds derived from it. The United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet legalized the use of CBD. However, each state has its own set of laws governing CBD, which does complicate matters.
CBD use may be totally legal in one state and a crime in the next state over. In some states there are different laws regarding CBD, having to do with whether it’s been derived from medical marijuana or hemp oil.
This means there is no one answer to the question of whether or not using CBD is legal.
The U.S. federal government and most states have 100% legalized CBD derived from hemp. This is great because most CBD products fall into this category. We’ve seen progress being made on the laws related to CBD derived from marijuana in that they’ve started to become less strict. We strongly recommend that you research the laws governing CBD in your state so that you don’t get into any trouble.
We hope you gained the information you were seeking on CBD and all its benefits. For more information please contact us. We would love to hear from you.