What is CBD? How does it affect you?

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol, or CBD in short, is one of the cannabinoid molecules that comes from
cannabis and is the chemical compound that has both cannabis licensed producers and pharmaceuticals trailblazing to research and employ its medical properties for numerous medical symptoms and conditions, and non-medical purposes.

CBD is naturally produced from marijuana and used in cannabis products as oils and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm. How? The simple answer, the cannabinoids are known for
their ability to interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, thus stimulating and affecting the receptors to deliver its effects.

You will find that CBS is also the mainstream wellness solution that everyone and their mother are starting to weave and integrate into their products. In Vancouver, you can find coffee shops that sell CBD lattes, spas offering CBD facials and massages, alcohol and beer companies infusing with their liquor, beauty companies pumping lotions with CBD or hemp oils, etc.

The best part and a major differentiator is that unlike its THC cousin (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD is not psychoactive or hallucinogenic. CBD has gained major momentum and attention recently because it is a wide range and non-intoxicating potential.

What does CBD do to the brain and body?

The potential for CBD in the numerous applications is almost unlimited today if you speak with marijuana doctor specialists. However, scientific research is still to be performed, albeit the consensus and collective intelligence of the public on how it helped them for various medical symptoms and conditions becomes more and more mainstream.

Because CBD interacts with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain to stimulate the receptors, the therapeutic effect it can have on medical applications as helping with seizures, pain (ex. aches, soreness, etc.) inflammation, and anxiety, are among just a few symptoms CBD is known to help.

So how does CBD affect the brain differently than THC?

CBD effect on the brain does not interact with the two primary cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and
CB2). CBD impacts signaling indirectly instead. This is part of the reason why CBD does not have intoxicating or hallucinating effects. CBD also increases levels of the body’s natural cannabinoids by inhibiting the enzymes that break them down.

It’s a two-sided coin when it comes to CBD. The other effect CBD has on the brain is that it also influences non-cannabinoid receptor systems in your brain. These include opioid receptors, which have a role in pain regulation, and dopamine receptors, which regulate behavior and cognition.

This suggests that CBD can influence drug craving and withdrawal symptoms, which makes it a good candidate for helping with addiction treatment. But remember, it’s still early days in the scientific research and clinical trials to definitively report back why and how CBD helps, so stay tuned as more research is performed to cement these conclusions.

Will CBD get me high? No.

CBD comes from marijuana or cannabis plants, and these marijuana plants contain two primary chemical characteristics; CBD and THC.  THC is the psychoactive cousin of CBD that gets you ‘high’. CBD, on the other hand, is the non-psychoactive cousin, which means you won’t get that euphoric effect that THC delivers. Why?

The CBI receptor in the brain is activated by THC but not by CBD. And, CBD can prevent THC from activating the receptor. That’s why when you go shopping for cannabis products such as edibles or oils, it’s crucial to look at the ratio of THC and CBD.

Because CBD is more therapeutic, and THC is more euphoric, you can see why the applications of marijuana where THC is popular among the recreational crowd, and CBD is popular among the medical or therapeutic crowd who seek natural alternatives than pharmaceutical chemical products and FDA-approved medicines that just don’t address the medical symptom or condition as well as natural CBD.

Buuuut, there are always exceptions.

Some people will react differently to CBD. Today is a small population of users who may feel some altered effect after taking CBD, but usually, these are the same people who feel effects from your over the counter Tylenol.

It’s important to remember, you never know how your body will react to any new supplement. When taking CBD (or THC), it’s always recommended to do so safely under watch, and small doses.

Remember too, because the FDA doesn’t regulate CBD today, it is possible to buy a CBD product such as CBD oil that is more or less potent than advertised or could contain a small dosage of THC.

What medical conditions does CBD help with?

CBD has a wide range of potential medical applications from helping manage seizures, inflammation, anxiety, pain management, and many other therapeutic uses. Some people will use CBD oils to help with chronic pain, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, sleep disorders, glaucoma and more.

The medical effects of CBD

One of the most amazing things about CBD is the way it can help people. If you haven’t watched the CNN documentary on Charlottes Web, where medical marijuana is used to treat seizure disorders, it’s a recommended watch. CBD has different applications with different levels of evidence ranging from clinical trials to animal studies, each study it’s own strengths and weaknesses.

CBD potential therapeutic benefits

CBD is best known because it can treat resistant forms of childhood epilepsy. There are many trials currently underway examining the effects of CBD on this type of epilepsy. CBD may also have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and pain-relieving effects, which is probably why you see more and more professional athletes in the NBA and NFL adopting CBD for its medical therapeutic benefits. It also has the potential for treating motivational disorders like addiction, anxiety, and depression. This is because CBD has the ability to impact a wide range of receptors in the body and brain.

In summary, having a better understanding of the neurological impacts CBD delivers is complex because of its influence on so many receptors in our brains. The silver lining though is that it also means it may unlock major discoveries as a therapeutic agent when dealing with complex medical conditions and symptoms as seizures, epilepsy, addiction, anxiety and other disorders. Do you have a story to share how your CBD experience has helped you? Comment below to share with others, or browse POW to explore the growing market of CBD products as oils, edibles and more.