By now, you’ve heard a thousand rumors about cannabis. It seems like everyone has a different opinion, so what should you believe?
The fact is that most of what you hear is true, both good and bad. Cannabis can be used recreationally to have fun and chill out, but it can also help with a lot of medical issues.
Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is a natural plant extract that works with your body’s systems. When it’s used right, it balances your immune and endocannabinoid systems. This lets them do what they’re supposed to do before unhealthy life habits and environmental influences hit them.
If your goal is to improve your health, you may find that CBD is an incredible way to do it. This guide gives you an overview of how cannabis can be used for medicinal purposes, as well as as a relaxant.
1. CBD is Not THC
If your concern about using CBD is that you’ll “get high”, you can relax.
THC is the component that creates the euphoric feeling. CBD is the non-psychoactive form of marijuana, so as long as your product is less than 0.1% THC, you won’t notice the “high.” For more detailed information about the difference between CBD and THC, read this article by Veriheal.
As a cannabinoid, CBD interacts with your endocannabinoid system. This is the lesser-known part of your body that controls its homeostasis, or natural, balanced internal environment.
When your body is exposed to stress, the endocannabinoid system kicks in. But with too much stress and not enough balance, it becomes harder to handle the changes.
That’s where CBD helps. The cannabinoids work with your immune and other systems to adjust your body back to its natural, balanced state.
2. CBD Helps Physical Conditions
Researchers all over the world have jumped on board the CBD train now that most governments have given it the green light. With more studies performed, we’ve learned that CBD and THC have significant medicinal benefits.
For instance, CBD oil is a natural painkiller. It modulates the neurons in your body that stimulate your pain sensors, essentially toning them down or shutting them off. By switching to CBD or medical marijuana, many people with chronic pain have been able to stop taking dangerous prescription medications.
CBD has also been used with cancer patients with promising results. Chemotherapy comes with nasty side effects, like nausea and vomiting. Using CBD before and after treatment often reduces the frequency and intensity of these symptoms.
And if you or a loved one has seizures, there’s an FDA-approved CBD medication that could help, called Epidiolex.
3. Your Mental Health is Better With CBD
In a similar way that it helps you physically, CBD can balance your mental health, too.
Stress shows up in everyone differently, but there are some characteristics that are common. If you’re always worried or anxious about the future, or you feel overwhelmed often, your body’s internal system is out of balance.
Other signs of too much stress include trouble focusing, mood swings or irritability, and depression. When your body is under too much stress, it’s difficult for your brain to respond to more stimuli in a controlled way.
The natural components of CBD help calm your mind, putting you at that natural homeostasis we’re supposed to have. When stressors that come from anxiety, stress, or PTSD hit you, the CBD compounds tell your brain to relax.
You don’t have to use cannabis products with THC to get this “chill” result, but they are more potent for severe cases. Since CBD comes in multiple varieties, you can try all of them slowly until you find the one that works best for you.
4. CBD is Legal in the Most States
While THC is still illegal in many states, CBD is legal in most of them. This is because CBD has no psychoactive effects. However, checking your local laws is essential as some states have additional regulations.
For example, according to Texas cannabis laws, CBD products can only be sold by dispensaries while in other states, they are available for purchase in stores and online. On the other hand, marijuana-derived products are only legal in states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. So, before purchasing any CBD product, be sure to check your local laws.
Bonus: How to Recognize Good CBD Oil
Finding CBD oil is no longer a problem; there are a big number of online shops where you can make an order with a couple of clicks. However, finding a good quality CBD is a bit more difficult. Because of that, you need to pay attention to a couple of details before you spend your money.
The first thing you need to check out is the extraction process that the producer of the CBD oil is using. There are many of them, but the one that brings the best results is extraction by supercritical CO2. This is a safe solvent that will not negatively influence the properties that a CBD oil has and you will manage to enjoy the benefits to the fullest.
Another thing you need to have in mind is the price. We understand that people often have the desire to save money because they are not ready to spend a lot. However, too cheap CBD oils usually lack quality. There are many reasons why a product can be cheap – the materials it is made of are not quite good, the extraction method the seller uses is too cheap and lacks quality, etc.
All these things are something you can read online and check out on your own. However, the most important thing you will need to look for when you find a CBD store is a certificate. Every CBD product that you can find online needs to go through the process of independent third-party lab testing. The experts need to check if everything associated with the quality and security of the products you want to buy is legit. CBD shops are proud of this document and they will publish it on their website. If you don’t see it there, that should be a red flag for you.
Conclusion
The confusion behind whether cannabis is helpful or not medicinally is mostly because of the THC versus CBD issue. When it’s used with THC, the psychoactive properties are the main effect. But as a CBD product without the THC component, CBD can be used to improve your health.
The bottom line is that as long as it’s legal in your state, you can try any cannabis product you want to and see if it helps you. It’s your body. Using a natural plant compound like cannabis is almost always a better choice than a synthetic alternative.
