CBD Oil: Hope or Just Hype?
By Space Coast Daily // May 28, 2019
Not long ago, most people would not have been able to tell what the acronym ‘CDB’ meant, let alone its uses and benefits. Cannabidiol or CBD is majorly extracted from hemp. Also, it can come from marijuana (cannabis), a reason it is sometimes confused with HTC, its trippy chemical cousin. Unlike CBD, HTC results in ‘high’ effect when eaten or consumed.
Today, we are all living in a cannabidiol world, with ointments, tinctures, and numerous vaping oils popping up nearly everywhere. Besides, celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Willie Nelson believe in the cbd flower. And if you frequent some coffee shops, there is a good chance you will get a shot of CBD in your latte.
Hope or hype?
According to the Brightfield Group, a CBD market research organization, CBD sales are expected to hit $22 billion by 2022. The passage of 2018 farm bill amended the term ‘marijuana’ to exempt hemp as a controlled substance if it doesn’t contain over 0.3% HTC. This is a bright spot for CBD enthusiasts, and farmers now have a crop with outstanding medical potential.
Once a niche field with minimal scientific interest, cannabis research has been expanding rapidly over the last half a decade. Much of this research focuses on cannabinoids instead of the entire, unprocessed plant. The support for this research has its deep roots from empirical scientific research and the proven health benefits of CBD oil.
The already known functions of a human body’s endogenous cannabinoids and the well-known endocannabinoid receptors have revealed possible therapeutic targets for CBD or medical marijuana. These receptors have been associated with the regulation of sleep, motor functions, reward-driven neurocircuitry, memory, intraocular pressure, gastrointestinal motility, nausea, and tumor growth.
CB1, a specific type of endocannabinoid receptor, stimulates appetite, and overall ingestive behavior. It is responsible for the ‘munchies’ or snacking behavior linked to the consumption of recreational marijuana. Besides, it is the primary reason CBD is medically used to boost appetite in patients battling with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy.
The appetite-stimulating effects of cannabis facilitate the treatment of age-induced anorexia common in older adults, particularly individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. CBD can also slow the impact of Alzheimer’s disease by easing and preventing inflammatory challenges caused by beta-amyloid disposition associated with this health condition.
In multiple studies, endocannabinoid receptors have been found to reduce pain associated with different causes. The analgesic impact of acetaminophen can be stopped and prevented by entirely blocking particular cannabinoid receptors. The combination of CBD and low level of HTC has proved very effective when it comes to reducing neuropathic and chronic pain.
Most patients with multiple sclerosis who use CBD have reported a significant drop in symptoms such as pain extremities, bowel dysfunction, muscle spasticity, walking or balance dysfunction, and tremor. Medical scientists believe that this is closely linked to the CBD’s role in pain management, motor control, and gastrointestinal motility.
The Charlotte’s Web
It is now over six years since the popular story of Charlotte’s Web strain of cannabis sativa broke into the international media. This particular strain was named after Charlotte Figi, a girl who struggled with pediatric epilepsy until she consumed some oil extracted from marijuana, which contained a higher content of CBD compared to HTC.
Her father watched an online video of a kid from California who had been battling with seizures being treated with marijuana successfully. As it turns out, CBD was the active component that helped Charlotte and not HTC. The good news is that in 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a drug with CBD extract, for the treatment of epilepsy in children that may not have responded to other treatments.
Wrap up
Medical marijuana is legal in a large number of states across the country. CBD can be extracted from this plant, and its therapeutic uses are vast. It can be used in the treatment of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), different types of cancer, multiple sclerosis, treatment-resistant epilepsy, and more.
Generally, there is strong evidence that CBD is packed with many health benefits. As medical scientists continue to uncover more and more health benefits of CBD through research and successful medical experiments, there is the hope of beating some of the worst health conditions like cancer, epilepsy, and more.
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