CBD Benefits

CBD – The potential health effects 

You might have noticed that there are a lot of media coverage on CBD recently, and might have wondered if there is really any credibility around it. The truth is, the health effects of  CBD is still a growing field that is showing a lot of promise. But what exactly is CBD? Let’s go over that and the potential benefits. 

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound that is found in cannabis plants. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it is not psychoactive. This means that it does cause feelings of euphoria or any high effects. So how exactly does CBD work?

The human body has a system called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS for short. The ECS is involved in regulating body functions that include pain, sleep, appetite and others (1). The body produces endocannabinoids which are neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors in your nervous system. A study has shown that how CBD may help reduce chronic pain is by impacting the endocannabinoid receptor activity, thereby reducing inflammation (2). 

Did we lose you? It’s all a bit confusing for us as well. Let’s go over the potential health effects of CBD based on recent studies:

The benefits of CBD

1. Alleviate pain (Studies have shown that CBD may help reduce chronic pain by impacting endocannabinoid receptor activity, reducing inflammation and interacting with neurotransmitters (3).
2. Could reduce anxiety and depression In one study, 24 people with social anxiety disorder received either 600 mg of CBD or a placebo before a public speaking test.

The group that received the CBD had significantly less anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort in their speech performance, compared to the placebo group (4).

CBD oil has even been used to safely treat insomnia and anxiety in children with post-traumatic stress disorder (5).

1. Alleviate cancer related symptoms (A study of 16 people undergoing chemotherapy found that a one-to-one combination of CBD and THC administered via mouth spray reduced chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting better than standard treatment alone (6).

Some test-tube and animal studies have even shown that CBD may have anticancer properties. For example, one test-tube study found that concentrated CBD induced cell death in human breast cancer cells (7).

1. May treat acne (growing field) but CBD may have beneficial effects on acne due to its anti-inflammatory qualities and its ability to control the overproduction of sebum from the sebaceous glands. 
2. And so on!

Let’s also not forget what CBD has done for those affected by seizures. CBD is definitely an exciting field of study. Although still in its early stages, the potential upside of CBD is huge. More studies need to be done, however, before we can really say for certain. 

The potential benefits of CBD is just way too big to ignore! There are many ways to consume CBD. We have CBD oils, creams, gummies, and vape pens to name a few. Have questions? Feel free to reach out!

• Leah, Kush Station