Medical marijuana is a hotly debated issue right now. There are arguments for and against. Marijuana contains several compounds. One of these compounds is Cannabidiol or CBD. It has lately caught the attention of the medical community. The community has reached a consensus that CBD has therapeutic benefits.
Alongside ordinary users who propped this consensus were celebrities known for their CBD consumption habit. They all held that CBD gave them relief from pain and inflammation. If you want to know who these people are, here’s a list.
Cannabis and CBD
Typical bong rippers smoke cannabis only to get high – not because they want to accomplish some productive goals in life. These people are looked down upon. And so is cannabis. But the abhorrence felt towards cannabis is completely unreasonable. Cannabis is beneficial for us, people give it a bad name by abusing it, instead of using.
This needs to change and CBD is changing it. According to recent studies, Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC causes the mind-altering effect that stoners are so fond of. But beyond that, THC has little medical value. CBD, on the other hand, can sort out a wide range of ailments.
We are going to discuss what these ailments are and how CBD functions as a bulwark against them. But first,
What is CBD?
CBD is medically defined as a non-psychoactive marijuana compound. It is found in marijuana as well as in hemp. The two strains of CBD – hemp-derived and cannabis-derived – differ from each other. Even though CBD accounts for up to 40% of cannabis extract, it is not as widely distributed as THC.
CBD’s chemical structure has 21 molecules of carbon, 30 molecules of hydrogen and 2 molecules of oxygen. Its molar mass is 314.464 grams per mole.
How does CBD work?
Human brain is dense with cannabinoid receptors. Aside from the brain, these receptors exist in the immune system.
Cannabinoid receptors fall into two categories – CB1 and CB2 receptors. The first types of receptors are found in the brain and the second types in the immune system.
CBD, unlike other cannabinoids, doesn’t actively stimulate CB1 and CB2 receptors. Instead, it activates the following receptors:
- 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a receptors: Also known as serotonin receptor, 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a receptor or 5HT1a receptor is a subtype of 5HT receptor. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. Its imbalance can cause anxiety and mood swing. CBD stimulates 5HT1a receptor to fix the imbalance and bring a calming feeling.
- GPR55 receptors: GPR55 is found in an area in the brain called cerebellum. These receptors accelerate osteoclast cell function, which ripens into osteoporosis – a disease that weakens the bones and makes them too fragile.
- Nuclear receptors: Each cell has nucleus containing PPRA receptors. These are called nuclear receptors. When these receptors are activated, tumor inhibiting triggers are activated. Aside from that, amyloid-beta plaque starts to reduce. By activating nuclear receptors, CBD fights with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
CBD works on the molecular level. Scientists have studied and confirmed it but till date it’s not clear to them how. They are still trying to explore CBD and hopefully, an explanation of how CBD’s healing effect impacts the molecules, will be offered soon.
Benefits of CBD
As mentioned earlier, CBD can heal a wide range of health issues, including pain, inflammation, tumor, diabetes, seizure, nausea, neurological impairment, oxidative injury, digestive problems, epilepsy, anxiety, schizophrenia and more.
CBD offers natural relief from pain. Those who took CBD to lessen chronic pain, found surprising results. There’s a scientific reason why CBD is so effective in alleviating pain. Chronic inflammation is often neuropathic pain in disguise, especially if the pain lasts after the inflammation heals. CBD can reprogram the neuro pathways and alley the pain.
CBD lowers high insulin level in the blood. It has been found by numerous studies including one conducted by the American Journal of Medicine. The study revealed that marijuana consumption can cause fasting insulin level to go down by a whopping 16%.
In the year 2013, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology cited CBD’s effectiveness in improving cardiovascular health. Through clinical trials, they found CBD can reduce vascular hyperpermeability, which is known commonly as leaky gut.
CBD is very popular among cancer patients. There have been scientific studies as well as anecdotes describing the benefits of CBD in preventing the growth of malignant tumors. Unlike invasive cancer treatment procedures like chemotherapy, which negatively affect non-tumor cells, CBD, owing to its non-toxic nature doesn’t harm those cells.
CBD adoption
Research has been going on since the mid-2000s to understand CBD. The adoption rate, however, increased only lately. And that’s largely because celebrities endorsing CBD is a recent phenomenon. Also, there were not enough sources in the past that could educate us on the benefits of CBD. However, all these are changing now and that’s a good thing.
Concluding remarks
Perception is reality. Perception of CBD is changing and so is the reality around it. I personally won’t be surprised to see it becoming mainstream in the medical world. And you shouldn’t be either.