Education
Understanding CBD
So what exactly is CBD? From projectcbd.org, Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in the resinous flower of cannabis, a plant with a rich history as a medicine going back thousands of years. Today the therapeutic properties of CBD are being tested and confirmed by scientists and doctors around the world. A safe, non-addictive substance, CBD is one of more than a hundred “phytocannabinoids,” which are unique to cannabis and endow the plant with its robust therapeutic profile.
CBD is closely related to another important medicinally active phytocannabinoid: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that causes the high that cannabis is famous for. These are the two components of cannabis that have been most studied by scientists.
Both CBD and THC have significant therapeutic attributes. But unlike THC, CBD does not make a person feel “stoned” or intoxicated. That’s because CBD and THC act in different ways on different receptors in the brain and body.
CBD can actually lessen or neutralize the psychoactive effects of THC, depending on how much of each compound is consumed. Many people want the health benefits of cannabis without the high – or with less of a high.
The fact that CBD is therapeutically potent as well as non-intoxicating, and easy to take as a CBD oil, makes it an appealing treatment option for those who are cautious about trying cannabis for the first time.
What Can CBD Be Used For?
Many people are seeking alternatives to pharmaceuticals with harsh side effects – medicine more in synch with natural processes. By tapping into how we function biologically on a deep level, CBD can provide relief for chronic pain, anxiety, inflammation, depression and many other conditions.
Extensive scientific research – much of it sponsored by the U.S. government – and mounting anecdotal accounts from patients and physicians highlight CBD’s potential as a treatment for a wide range of maladies, including (but not limited to):
- Autoimmune diseases (inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis)
- Neurological conditions (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Huntington’s chorea, stroke, traumatic brain injury)
- Metabolic syndrome (diabetes, obesity)
- Neuropsychiatric illness (autism, ADHD, PTSD, alcoholism)
- Gut disorders (colitis, Crohn’s)
- Cardiovascular dysfunction (atherosclerosis, arrhythmia)
- Skin disease (acne, dermatitis, psoriasis)
CBD has proven neuroprotective effects and its anti-cancer properties are being investigated at several academic research centers in the United States and elsewhere. A 2010 brain cancer study by California scientists found that CBD “enhances the inhibitory effects of THC on human glioblastoma cell proliferation and survival.” This means that CBD makes THC even more potent as an anticancer substance. Also in 2010, German researchers reported that CBD stimulates neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells, in adult mammals.
What Do Doctors Have To Say About CBD?
So What About CBG?
While many are now familiar with CDB, you may not be familiar with CBG. CBG is a lessor know cannabinoid, but also has many potential benefits. For more information on CBG’s benefits, click here: https://farma.health/cbg/
Recommended Books
Cannabis is Medicine
Bonnie Goldstien, MD
As medical cannabis laws continue to evolve, it is more vital than ever for struggling patients to understand the benefits of this plant from an honest, medicine-based perspective. Educational, practical, and thorough, Cannabis Is Medicine empowers patients to make informed decisions about this natural medicine and improve the quality of their lives. Bonni Goldstien explains the current state of research on how cannabis interacts with human physiology
Cannabis for Health: Become a Coach
Elisabeth Mack, RN, BSN, MBA
Elisabeth Mack is the Founder & CEO of Holistic Caring. In her book, Cannabis for Health: Become a Coach, she and health coaches, holistic healers, nurses, and their patients will try different cannabis products to discover the health benefits of cannabis as a medicine. This handbook of cannabis will help health coaches and patients understand the research and applications of healing the Endocannabinoid System.
Hemp: A Short History of the Most Misunderstood Plant and Its Uses and Abuses
Mark Bourrie
A factual look at a controversial subject. In 1935, Popular Science magazine hailed hemp as the new Billion Dollar Crop. Two years later, it was banned. Hemp is the world’s strongest natural fiber and has been cultivated for its practical uses for over 10,000 years.It was the main cash crop of New France (now Canada) since one naval warship required up to 60 tons of hemp rope for its rigging, including the 25-inch thick anchor cable. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp, and Benjamin Franklin owned a hemp mill. Later, in the 19th century, Levi Strauss built a legend thanks to durable jeans made from hemp fiber. Things have changed and today hemp is grown for food, used to make insulation in clothes and buildings, burned as fuel, made into medicine and distilled into hemp oil for use in lotions, soaps, and cosmetics. Hemp is a lively, engaging book that explores the history of this controversial plant, including the ongoing struggle for reclaiming its legitimacy.
More Than A Smoke: A Global Medical, Economical and Spiritual History of Hemp and Cannabis
Olatokunboh M. Obasi M.S
Olatokunboh is the owner of Well of Indigenous Wisdom, an herbal and wellness company she established over 10 years ago. Her view on herbal medicine is that there are many definitions and practices of herbal medicine. She has no judgment on any. What is most important to her is that what she does works, heals and makes a difference. She believes herbal medicines gracefully heal us the way they have always healed our ancestors. To Olatokunboh, plants are both food and medicine. They “know” what we need because we have evolved together. Influenced by her upbringing, she respects the lifestyle of traditional cultures because traditional cultures across the globe respect, appreciate and accept the potent attributes of plants as medicine for body, mind and spirit, creating harmony. She writes this book as an initial step to call people to reconnect with nature because it is nature we were born and nature we shall leave, nature is the eggshell of our existence.
