The booming CBD industry is projected to reach $16 billion in the United States by 2025. The plant extract is already being added to a variety of goods ranging from coffee, soda, and other beverages to bath bombs and topical creams. According to a survey conducted by The Brightfield Group, a cannabis market research firm, over 60% of the 5,000 surveyed CBD users have taken it for anxiety. CBD was also reported to treat chronic pain, insomnia, and depression by respondents in the survey. Even celebrities like Kim Kardashian West and Martha Stewart have openly talked about using CBD personally or for their pets.
What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol. While CBD is an essential component of medical marijuana, it is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a close relative of the marijuana plant but less rich in the psychoactive ingredient, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Cannabidiol and THC are just two of the plant’s more than 100 cannabinoids.
Because CBD supplements are different than medical marijuana in that they contain less than 0.3% THC, CBD is legally available in New York State without requiring a medical marijuana card.
Does CBD make you high?
While CBD is a component of marijuana (one of hundreds), it alone does not cause a “high”. According to a report from the World Health Organization, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…to date, there is no evidence of public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
What is CBD used for?
“It’s promising in a lot of different therapeutic avenues because it’s relatively safe,” said James MacKillop, co-director of McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research in Canada in an interview with the New York Times.
CBD has been widely publicized for a variety of health issues, but the most significant scientific evidence supports its effectiveness in treating some of the most severe childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which are usually unresponsive to antiseizure medications. Several studies show that CBD was able to decrease the number of seizures, and in some cases, stop them altogether.
As the Brightfield Group study indicates, CBD is commonly used to address anxiety. Additional studies suggest that CBD may help patients who suffer through the misery of insomnia fall and stay asleep throughout the night.
CBD may offer an option for treating different types of chronic pain. Using an animal model, a study from the European Journal of Pain showed that CBD applied on the skin could help lower pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Another study revealed the process by which CBD deters inflammatory and neuropathic pain, two of the most difficult types of chronic pain to treat. The Arthritis Foundation has openly supported the use of CBD for arthritic conditions. While there are no established clinical guidelines for CBD use, the medical experts who worked in partnership with the Arthritis Foundation agree that CBD may help with arthritis-related symptoms, such as pain, insomnia, and anxiety.
The bottom line on cannabidiol
More research is necessary, but CBD may be a viable option for managing anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain. If you decide to try CBD, talk with your doctor to make sure it won’t affect other medications you are taking. CBD products should be purchased at a reputable company, such as Your CBD Store, that provides products batch-tested for purity, potency, and safety by an independent laboratory with a certificate of analysis. Your CBD Store, SunMed products are the only ones approved by FDA to begin CBD clinical studies. Your CBD Store offers 100% USDA Organic CBD products in six locations in the Capital Region and over 700 locations worldwide.
Learn more about CBD uses and Your CBD Store: https://linktr.ee/CapitalRegionYCBDS
