One of the most remarkable turns in modern medicine in recent years has been the use of cannabis extracts such as cannabidiol (more commonly known as CBD oil) to treat mental and physical illnesses. With more and more individuals using products such as CBD oil to treat illnesses than ever before, the future will undoubtedly be a more positive place for persons seeking relief from some of the world’s most critical medical conditions.
So why has CBD oil made so many headlines in the past year? Part of the attention from major press outlets comes down to the panacea-like advantages of cannabinoids like CBD: Tourette’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and osteoporosis are said to be just some of the many illnesses that respond positively to treatment with cannabinoids such as CBD.
- Despite a steady trickle of newspaper stories on the benefits of cannabinoids, however, many people are still in the dark about the many positive uses of CBD oil to treat illnesses. Below are just three facts about CBD oil that most people don’t know, and why understanding CBD might be a real lifesaver.
CDB Oil is Not a Psychoactive Medication
Before experiencing the benefits of CBD, many people ask whether they will become intoxicated after taking the oil. The thinking goes that an intoxicating effect following ingestion of the oil would either leave a person incapacitated or otherwise unable to complete their tasks throughout the day.
- Because it does not contain the active psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis (THC), however, CBD oil will not make its users feel “high,” unless the maker has intentionally included THC within their oil, in which case that information will be printed on the product’s label.
- Unfortunately, few people realize that despite coming from the same plant. CBD and THC are two very different substances; whether they do not like the experience of a THC “high” due to paranoia or anxiety or want to avoid taking an intoxicating substance for personal reasons, some persons who would otherwise benefit from CBD avoid the oil due to misconceptions about marijuana use.
- Users can rest assured that no such effect will occur after ingesting CBD oil unless they choose to purchase an oil that is created to convey such an impact.
- Contrary to many misconceptions about the relationship between CBD and THC, it is now understood that CBD actually “cancels out” the effects of THC, one reason that strains of high-CBD strains of marijuana are popular among users who are treating conditions such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Moreover, the fact that CBD oil is not on. Its own a psychoactive substance means that more individuals can be helped by the product, particularly as more and more states within the US and countries such as Canada legalize marijuana and an increasing number of countries such as the United Kingdom push legislation to recognize the numerous health benefits of the plant.
CBD Oil Can Help Treat an Enormous Variety of Mental and Physical Illnesses
While the reasons as to why CBD oil appears to have the qualities of a true wonder-drug are still being explored, it may be years before scientists fully understand why the marijuana plant and its derivatives work so well to treat a truly enormous variety of mental and physical health conditions ranging from Parkinson’s Disease to epilepsy.
- One thing is for sure, however: For many people who suffer from a mental or physical illness, CBD oil can feel like a real godsend and one that helps in ways that other medications simply can’t.
- Indeed, unlike the types of medications usually prescribed to treat illnesses such as antidepressants or painkillers, CBD has few side effects and is non-addictive, qualities that make the oil cherished among people who have been burned in the past by the adverse effects of Big Pharma medications.
- Often treated with potent opioids, for example, chronic pain has left many sufferers sidelined with debilitating pain and addictions to medications such as Oxycontin, a medication crisis that has left America reeling in recent years.
- Even though medications such as CBD oil have many of the same benefits of such painkillers without the extremely dire side-effects central to opioids such as addiction or death by overdose, the illegality of prescribing CBD oil in many states have left doctors’ hands tied on the issue.
Many people who have experienced the benefits of CBD also find that oil helps them to achieve better sleep and a better appetite. For persons with conditions such as PTSD or many types of cancer, CBD oil is often the medication that helps the most with reducing nightmares or stopping feelings of nausea, putting it miles ahead of big-name pharmaceuticals.
There is Still a Long Way to Go to Fight the Stigma Against Marijuana-Based Medications
- While the benefits of marijuana-based products such as CBD oil offer safer and healthier alternatives to mass-marketed medications found in any pharmacy in the US and UK, the social stigma around marijuana continues to buoy myths about the substance and bar truly draconian laws about marijuana possession from being overturned.
- Whether due to the anti-drug hysteria and moral panic about marijuana that has swept the US for over a century or a simple misunderstanding about the effects of marijuana on the brain, it is still an uphill battle for many legislators and supporters of marijuana legalization to increase public awareness about the many benefits of the plant.
The good news is that public opinion does appear to be leaning more and more towards universal legalization of marijuana in the wake of broad medical support for marijuana use as a viable medical treatment for serious illnesses.
Even apart from health benefits to those suffering from severe medical conditions, there is much to be gained from marijuana legalization. Tax revenue in states that have legalized marijuana use such as Colorado has seen billions of dollars flow into public coffers, while the voiding of extremely punitive laws around drug possession is slowly ending a cycle of needless imprisonment of many citizens.
For these reasons, few products have quite the benefits to both individuals suffering from an illness and society at large. Real help for those in need, CBD oil looks like it is here to stay for the foreseeable future. For many people, that means the ability to live a better life. What could be better?