A Comprehensive Guide to CBD

Explore This Comprehensive Guide to CBD 
 
 

Many individuals have been wondering what CBD (cannabidiol) can do to alleviate their chronic pain. Cannabidiols are natural compounds that manufacturers extract from Cannabis Sativa plants. Despite coming from a weed plant, the compound lacks the ‘high’ feeling, as it doesn’t produce similar psychotropic effects as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Studies reveal that this compound is effective in complementing pain care plans. Several research studies reveal that more than 62% of CBD users consider it to alleviate a certain medical condition. These medical conditions range from arthritis, joint pains, and anxiety to chronic pain.

CBD has few side effects, zero addiction, and a low-risk profile. Nevertheless, before you ingest an oil or get gummy, it’ll be vital to understand the following details.

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What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) originates from marijuana plants. Despite being a marijuana component, CBD can’t make you high. Most manufacturers in the US predominantly derive legal CBD products from the hemp plant, a species of the Cannabis Sativa. The main difference from the other marijuana plants is that hemp contains less than 0.3% of THC cannabinoids.

Federal law allows the legal use of CBD, but some states may have varying restrictions on the possession and use of CBD.

When about CBD, the major topic aim is understanding the CBD products, like ingestible oils and topical creams. Manufacturers create these products by extracting CBD components from the hemp plant. Despite some CBD products containing small THC amounts, they don’t cause a ‘high’ feeling.

Studies show CBD as:

Anti-inflammatory - essential in reducing joint pains resulting from arthritis.

Anti-oxidative helps reduce systematic inflammation by dealing with or fighting oxidative stress and decreasing adverse autoimmune symptoms like lupus.

Anti-emetic - can help to reduce vomiting and nausea resulting from cancer treatments or therapies

Anti-psychotic - makes it easy to ease post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety symptoms

Neuroprotective - essential to slow down progressions of various neurological disorders, like Multiple Sclerosis

Additionally, these marijuana components can also help alleviate the following specific conditions:

● Cancer

● Anxiety

● Fibromyalgia

● Migraine

● Irritable Bowel Syndrome

● Neuropathic Pain

● Osteoarthritis

● Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

● Rheumatoid Arthritis

● Post-Traumatized Stress Disorder (PTSD)

● Systematic inflammation

● Seizures

Difference Between Medical Marijuana and Hemp

CBD sometimes gets complicated as individuals may wonder if it’s hemp, marijuana, or both. Below is a guideline on the differences:

CBD is an essential cannabinoid originating from marijuana plants. Unlike THC, this component has numerous benefits, with zero psychotropic effects.

Manufacturers can derive this component from various marijuana varieties, including Indica and Sativa.

Hemp is a unique marijuana Sativa species with several unique features. These features include:

● It doesn’t lead to a ‘high’ feeling

● Contains less than 0.3% THC

● manufacturer s use it to make textiles and clothes

● Most stores and online vendors sell them legally

The federal law legalizes CBD originating from hemp. However, the federal authorities recognize CBD from non-hemp as illegal, but some states consider it legal.

CBD originating from hemp may lack particular compounds, which come with various medicinal benefits. The absence hinders the entourage effect.

How Legal is CBD?

In 2018, the US Farm Bill legalized the cultivation and sale of hemp-derived products, making the federal government legalize this marijuana component at the federal level. Studies show that hemp is an essential and distinct marijuana plant species, having less than 0.3% THC. Thus, you’ll be fully abiding by the law if you purchase CBD products originations from a hemp plant having less than 0.3% CBD and the farmers cultivated in line with the Farm Bill regulation. Furthermore, you must be living in a state that has legalized CBD.

The authorities still classify the CBD compound as a Schedule I drug, together with heroin and LSD. However, federal law considers CBD products from non-hemp cannabis illegal. Remember to find out at the medical cannabis dispensary if your chosen product originates from non-hemp marijuana.

Many local health food stores, supermarkets, and online vendors offer these products, so most users wonder if they originate from the hemp marijuana plant. The CBD market has exploded in the past several years, making it completely unregulated. The unregulated feature makes it hard to differentiate products from hemp or non-hemp sources.

Ultimately, the federal law considers CBD products from hemp plants (having less than o.3% THC) legal across the states. However, the federal government considers CBD products from non-hemp plants (having more than 0.3% THC) illegal. The legality will depend on your locality, as some states approve these products.

The Science Behind How CBD Works to Relieve Pain and Pain-Related Symptoms

CBD works to alleviate pain and pain-related symptoms, as the natural body endocannabinoid system supports its functioning.

The natural body endocannabinoid system has three major components. These components include:

Cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2 CB1 cannabinoid receptors are predominant in the CNS system, which includes the CNS, nerves attaching around the brain, and the spinal cord. These receptors are responsible for emotional and cognitive marijuana effects and pain perception. Furthermore, the CB2 receptors dominate the peripheral nervous system, which includes the PNS, outer nerves beyond the brain and those in the libs and arms.

Enzymes facilitate cannabinoid breakdown and usage.

Endogenous cannabinoids, which the body produces

The body’s natural endocannabinoids work on demand, which means that the body releases endocannabinoids upon sensing inflammation. The endocannabinoid release returns the body to a stable balance or homeostasis by binding to the cannabinoid receptors.

Remember, CBD doesn’t bind to the receptors but works by inducing the other cannabinoid system components.

With the interactions and binding properties, CBD exerts numerous effects on the immune peripheral, and central nervous systems. This element works in conjunction with the body’s endocannabinoid systems providing antioxidant capacity, acting as a pain reliever or analgesic, and decreasing inflammation.

The Body Chemistry Matters

CBD bioavailability is a core factor in your response to the endocannabinoid functioning or working system. Bioavailability is the amount or quantity of a substance in the body that gets into the bloodstream successfully to produce a positive effect. The amount of CBD the body absorbs after taking CBD products works similarly and depends on:

The form you consider

For instance, the body absorbs CBD edibles better when you take them with meals, especially fatty foods.

Your body weight and cannabis history

Like supplements and medications, it’ll be wise to take CBD products considering your weight. Nevertheless, two individuals of the same weight and gender may get different effects from the same CBD dosages. The differences are due to cannabis use history, body composition, and metabolism. Thus, it’ll be vital to begin with, in small doses, like 2 mg, and increase to 5 mg as time goes on. Remember, the products you choose will also affect the absorption rate.

Your habits

Whether you’ve had enough sleep, food, or stress levels will affect how the body will respond to CBD.

Potential CBD Benefits

CBD is lipophilic and hydrophobic, making it easy for them to dissolve in fats. The easy dissolution of fats allows the circulatory system to carry them across the blood-brain barrier and affects the CNS. After affecting the CNS, you can now enjoy the numerous positive effects on your pain symptoms. The different positive effects on pain include:

Reducing Pain signals

Studies show that CBD is responsible for modulating pain sensations by stimulating adenosine, neurotransmitter reuptake. Furthermore, CBD blocks pain signals from moving to the brain’s processing centers by binding to the TRPV1, a receptor responsible for inflammation and pain.

Increasing immune response

Taking CBD can also modulate your body’s immune response by reducing the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and inhibiting T cell proliferation, which indicates systemic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.

Reducing inflammation

CBD also effectively reduces systemic inflammation and oxidative stress due to its antioxidant properties. Thus, it helps decrease inflammation levels by preventing the reductions in vital microelements, such as Selenium and Zinc. These micro elements are essential to enhance a balanced immune response and help reduce neuropathic pain, like back pain or fibromyalgia, by countering the abnormal heightening of pain response (hyperalgesia).

Improving sleep and moods

Severe pain can disrupt your routine life, mental health, work, and relationships. When battling depression, insomnia, anxiety, and fatigue, CBD can be the best remedy to help you have a restful sleep or relax.

CBD

Studies show that CBD is vital in alleviating various conditions due to its different properties. These conditions include:

Osteoarthritis

It’s a painful joint complication that has a slight relation to CBD. Some studies reveal that CBD works as an antagonist to debilitate or block the GPR55 receptor. The blocking helps to slow the osteoarthritis pains by enhancing the bone reabsorption process.

Type 2 diabetes

CBD has different properties that enhance activations of the PPAR-gamma receptor. This receptor increases insulin sensitivity, a vital step in enhancing type 2 diabetes and reducing the risk of developing diabetes-related neuropathic pain.

Alzheimer’s and cancer

Through the debilitation of the body’s GPR55 receptors and the activating of the PPAR-gamma receptor, CBD can result in or cause an anti-cancer effect. Besides the anti-cancer effect, this process also degrades the amyloid-beta plague, which experts link to Alzheimer's disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Researchers are continuing with studies on CBD’s autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Besides these conditions, we’ve got continuous studies on lupus and cannabinoids.

Multiple sclerosis

Studies provide mixed outcomes for using CBD and THC to reduce MS-related discomfort and spasticity.

Anxiety

Earlier surveys show that using CBD will help ease anxiety resulting from severe pain or its cause. Taking cannabinoids provides a short or long-term remedy.

Despite CBD's numerous benefits, you shouldn’t use it as a cure-all or alternative to pain-relieving therapies or treatments. However, you should consider CBD as a complementary treatment or addition to your pain management options.

How to Use CBD to Alleviate Pain and Which are the Best Products

Numerous illegalities surround medical cannabis and CBD, making choosing the appropriate products for your needs confusing and hectic. However, when searching for the right product, below are things you need to find out:

Understanding the CBD full spectrum, broad and isolate products

Scientists continue to discover different ways CBD effectively fights different diseases and alleviates pain or pain-related symptoms. The primary aim of these studies is to understand CBD functionality as an isolated compound compared to a whole plant. For instance, you may see different product descriptions, like Broad Spectrum CBD, Full Spectrum CBD, and CBD Isolate.

Despite the continuous debate on the efficacy of the above products, below is a quick cheat sheet:

CBD Isolate is a product having CBD compounds alone, and manufacturers extract it from the cannabis plant. Manufacturers can also extract these components from the non-hemp or hemp marijuana species. Remember, these products can only be legal under federal laws if they come from hemp marijuana species.

Full Spectrum CBD products contain a full cannabis plant profile. Apart from CBD, these products contain different cannabinoid varieties, such as CBN, CBG, CBDa, THC, terpenes, and other compounds like esters, sterols, proteins, and flavonoids. The full spectrum CBD products contain less than 0.3% THC if manufacturers derive them from hemp marijuana species. Nevertheless, the products may have a wide terpene and cannabinoid profile from non-hemp cannabis species.

The Broad Spectrum marijuana products have a whole marijuana plant profile; however, these products lack THC.

Understand the Entourage Effect

Most full-spectrum marijuana proponents refer to a process called the entourage effect. This effect is the process by which the different marijuana compounds work together or cooperatively.

Nevertheless, the entourage effect is not simple, as studies show that CBD decreases THC’s psychotropic effects. A decrease in the THC psychotropic effects means that full spectrum extract will have a great THC: CBD ratio, meaning you won't get so high. However, individuals respond differently to cannabis, making it vital to have trial and error.

Despite CBD having proper tolerance, THC usually decreases CBD’s potential side effects. Furthermore, THC is also essential in enhancing CBD’s pain-relieving effects by helping in the endocannabinoid system influences.

Experts also reveal that the entourage effects also affect terpenes. The terpenes' effects differ between the marijuana strains and cause different effects. Recent research points that these compounds have beneficial effects.

Additionally, the effect further results in benefits that CBD Isolates products can’t bring. Nonetheless, CBD isolates still have numerous medical benefits, especially when you use them as topicals to alleviate pain.

If you still require further information, you can read the article to understand the different CBD products and the conditions or symptoms they alleviate.

Experts reveal that you must choose the products that fit your needs to get optimal results.

The choice of CBD product will depend on:

● Your discomfort or pain

● Personal administration preferences

● The effect you expect, like how fast the products’ effects will take after applying or using the products or the duration the effects last.

You can get these products from numerous dispensary pharmacists (budtenders) or an MMJ physician prescription. Below is a quick overview:

Topicals

These products include CBD lotions, ointments, salves, and creams. Topicals effectively treat localized nerve, arthritic or neuropathic pain. You have to apply it directly on the skins, making them the best alternative, as they don’t cause psychotropic effects.

Oral products

Studies show that ingesting CBD is more beneficial for individuals suffering from systemic inflammatory conditions (like Multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis), full body pain, autoimmune conditions, and neurological conditions such as cancer pain and fibromyalgia.

CBD dissolves in fats, making it essential to combine it with products having healthy oils to enhance the rate of absoption.

Oral ingestion also comes in different forms, like:

CBD Isolate oral sprays, which you take by placing them under your tongue, and the circulatory system absorbs them into the bloodstream. You can easily control your dosage when using tinctures and oral sprays.

Capsules are CBD pill-form; you can take them in combinations of healthy fats to enhance their bioavailability.

Oils come in different products and combine plant-based oil and CBD extract. You can take the oils under the tongue or mix them with other food products.

Marijuana edibles come like other food, allowing you to consume them like other foods. These marijuana products commonly come as snacks, gummies, or brownies. Despite the unpredictable effects of edibles, due to their passage through the digestive tract, the products usually have immunosuppressive benefits for individuals having MS or other autoimmune issues.

Vaping

It’s becoming a popular CBD form. Unlike a joint, vaping uses a CBD oil cartridge you insert into the vaping pen to take in.

Vaping a full spectrum CBD product will likely enhance a ‘high’ feeling despite using a strain having THC traces.

Remember that vaping a broad spectrum oil or CBD isolate doesn’t induce the ‘high’ feeling.

How to Purchase a CBD Product

When purchasing CBD products, you first need to consider the source. Studies point out that regular CBD consumption is safe and brings numerous benefits. Nevertheless, due to CBD’s complicated status, federal law still considers this compound illegal.

What is the process of understanding that you’re getting the appropriate CBD packages? Below are some effective ways you can use to ensure you’re getting the appropriate products:

● Purchase the products directly from the manufacturer (in the physical store or online)

● Check for brands in states that legalized marijuana earlier, like Oregon, Washington, and Colorado.

● Consider organic sourcing.

The above tips provide a guide to get the real CBD deal, but the guidelines won't provide full proof. Requesting third-party testing is the best way to ensure you get what you need. Some brands come with QR codes on their packaging to link the products to the third-party testing proof.

With the legalization of marijuana, you can buy these products anywhere, but visiting a medical cannabis dispensary offers the best alternative. Before you visit the medical dispensary:

● Have a specific list of your pain symptoms or share the source of discomfort.

● Have an estimate of the amount of THC you require for the product. Remember the THC: CBD is a major determinant of the ‘highness’ the CBD product will cause. Furthermore, it determines the functions of the products.

● Understand that using CBD will require more touch and finding the benefits.

● Learn about the different strains and products

Additional information to Expect when Consuming CBD

After understanding that taking CBD won’t make you ‘high,’ consuming enough doses enhances a calming effect. Furthermore, it has few side effects, such as tiredness, nausea, or drowsiness. However, it’s unlikely that the negative effects will impact your cognitive ability or mood, making CBD safer and the best choice for most individuals.

But, it’ll be vital to be cautious when consuming the products with other substances.

Experts and professionals advise that you be very careful when taking these products with medicines thinning the blood, like ibuprofen, warfarin, Hearin, etc., as these components can increase the blood–thinning effects.

Remember CBD may increase alcohol’s depressant effects when taking them together.

Research reveals that using CBD for pain and pain-related symptoms doesn’t have scientific backing; you have to try different methods and brands to get the relieving effects. Fortunately, studies show that CBD is not physically addictive, as there is no record of an overdose. Thus, having a little trial and error doesn’t have adverse effects.

Having Hard Conversation on CBD Use

Despite manufacturers deriving this product from marijuana plants, CBD is not cannabis. However, the entourage effects make some individuals consider CBD products with some THC to get optimal results. It’s usually difficult for many individuals to benefit from CBD's medicinal effects due to myths and stigma surrounding the use of marijuana. Nevertheless, having a proper and honest talk with family members about the science, history, and benefits of medical cannabis will be a good start.

What Can You Do Right Now?

Check the products your state has legalized. Consider the CBD Awareness Project for different state-by-state initiatives and laws, while NORML lists regulations.

Think of the CBD types you can take, edibles, oil, topical, etc.

Check the local dispensary and book an appointment with your physician to discuss the appropriate CBD products for your needs.

CBD has low overall risks but quite promising rewards. But, it’s still essential to have more research to understand all CBD effects. Remember, medical cannabis treatment is a personal choice.

Frequently Asked Question

How can CBD alleviate pain?

CBD can alleviate your pain by working on different body biological systems, as it works as an analgesic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, it reduces anxiety in people with severe pain.

What is the appropriate CBD oil for discomfort?

Experts reveal that there is a specific oil best for pain. The oil you choose will depend on your pain, body chemistry, and CBD consumption. However, consider whether it’s a broad spectrum, full spectrum, or CBD isolate.

How long does CBD oil take to alleviate joint pain

CBD oil's duration to work on joint pain depends on the oil. The American Arthritis Foundation reveals that it may take 15 to 45 minutes.

What is the appropriate amount of CBD that will work for pain?

CBD dosage for your pain will depend on the CBD percentage or amount in the products, consumption method, body weight, and chemistry. It’ll be wise to consult your physician or budtender to help you choose the appropriate dosage. If you lack a doctor’s recommendation, it’ll be wise to start small and increase the dose gradually until you get the desired effects.

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