You may have recently heard of cannabidiol (CBD) oil and its amazing health benefits. CBD is one of over 60 cannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa (marijuana) plant. These compounds are responsible for the health benefits of cannabis, with CBD being the second-most abundant cannabinoid after tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
The most exciting feature of CBD is that it has similar health benefits to THC without any of the psychoactive effects. This means it does not make you high, allowing people to reap all the health benefits of cannabis without any of the intoxication.
Thanks to this, the use of CBD for treating everything from chronic pain to anxiety has been steadily increasing. In this article, we are going to look at five interesting facts about this beneficial natural compound.
CBD Is Remarkably Safe
Considering its numerous health benefits, it’s remarkable that CBD has little to no side effects. Although some people may experience minor issues such as sleepiness, dry mouth, or dizziness, by and large CBD is completely safe.
In fact, research studies have not uncovered any serious side effects even at daily dosages as high as 1500 mg. In addition to this, CBD has been demonstrated to counteract the side effects of THC such as increased anxiety.
CBD Can Be Taken In Many Forms
Another interesting feature of CBD is that you can take in a variety of ways. CBD can be taken as oil under the tongue; ingested in capsules or edibles; inhaled with a vape; or applied on the skin as a cream. Although most people opt for oil for its ease of usage and potent effects, each of these CBD forms have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Individuals seeking instant pain relief, for example, would benefit most from vaping CBD because its effects are felt almost immediately. On the other hand, those looking for a subtle effect throughout the day would prefer capsules or edibles.
Different ways of taking CBD have different effect times, duration, and absorption
| Route | Absorption | Onset of Action | Duration (Hours) |
| Sublingual | Medium | 10– 30 minutes | 1 – 6 |
| Oral | Low | 30 – 60 minutes | 4+ |
| Inhalation | Medium-High | Seconds | 1 – 3 |
| Topical | Low-Medium | 20-60 minutes | 2+ |
CBD Can Help Fight Difficult-to-Treat Disorders
Much like whole marijuana, research suggests CBD has potential to fight a myriad of difficult-to-treat conditions, such as arthritis, depression, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, and migraines.
In particular, it has shown remarkable efficacy for treatment-resistant epilepsy — a type of epilepsy that does not respond to standard medication. In fact, it is so effective that many U.S. states have recently enacted special legislation allowing for the medical use of CBD specifically for treatment-resistant epilepsy.
CBD Works Better With Other Cannabinoids
In what scientists have dubbed the “entourage effect,” a cannabinoid seems to works better when administered together with other compounds found in cannabis such as other cannabinoids and terpenes. This means that whole cannabis and products that include other cannabis compounds CBD — commonly known as “whole spectrum” products — are more effective than isolated CBD.
This effect was demonstrated by a study in mice, where whole plant CBD extract was significantly more effective at reducing inflammation and pain in mice than CBD isolate (pure CBD).
CBD Can Help With Drug Addiction
One of the most interesting uses of CBD is to fight drug addiction. Early research suggests that CBD can help people quit smoking, opioids, and potentially even alcohol.
This is especially relevant today because of the growing opioid epidemic in the United States. Also known as the opioid crisis, this issue refers to the sharp increase in hospitalizations and deaths cased by prescription and illicit opioid drug use. In 2017 alone, opioid overdoses caused nearly 50,000 deaths.
Summing Up
Cannabidiol is an interesting substance with amazing potential to benefit human health. Although debates about its legality continue, so far science has proven it to be perfectly safe, and an increasing number of health experts are supporting its use. Hopefully, more people will be able to access it in the future.