In 2015 a group of researchers led by Esther Blessing, PhD, of New York University, investigated the potential of CBD for treating anxiety. In a review of 49 studies, they found promising results and the need for more study. Last year the World Health Organization, acknowledging the explosion in “unsanctioned” medical uses of CBD, reviewed the evidence for its safety and effectiveness. The WHO report concluded that “CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile.” Any adverse effects could be a result of interactions between CBD and a patient’s existing medications, the WHO noted. Products may contain things other than CBD, and they could be harmful.
Additionally, much of the damage that occurs from a stroke is the result of the inflammatory response to the initial event. CBD may help combat some of that inflammation and lead to better outcomes for stroke victims. CBD is now at the center of hundreds of clinical trials that span a wide variety of disease areas, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even approved the oral CBD drug, Epidiolex, for use in the treatment of certain types of epilepsy.
It’s surging in popularity, with sellers touting a variety of wellness benefits. As more research efforts are focused on how exactly CBD affects our brains and bodies, it will become clearer why people report experiencing positive effects when taking CBD. It should also become easier to determine the best ways to use the substance to achieve desired outcomes and address specific ailments. Antioxidants are compounds that fight the damaging oxidative stress that our cells often undergo as a result of a variety of factors including environmental free radicals. Research on CBD has shown that it acts as an antioxidant and that its antioxidant properties seem to provide protection for the brain.
The episode seems to exemplify endocannabinoids’ importance to our sense of well-being and the difficulty of manipulating them therapeutically. Attempts to increase native cannabinoids with synthetic drugs have fared no better. In 2016, French scientists halted a study of a drug designed to boost endocannabinoids. For reasons that remain unclear, six patients who took the medicine, meant to treat pain, were hospitalized. Endocannabinoids help regulate immune activity, appetite and memory formation, among many other functions.
Both are part of the Cannabis plant family with the difference between the two being the level of another cannabinoid compound, THC. This is the most famous cannabinoid out of the 60 different types – it’s basically the Beyonce of cannabinoids.
The first one being, of course, there are still some legal issues around it. Although the law is often confusing for people what does CBD oil stand for and somewhat up for interpretation, CBD may still be considered as an illegal substance in many parts of the country. CBD mechanically acts similar to another natural substance if mixed with certain medications — grapefruit. Both prevent certain chemicals in the intestine from breaking down certain drugs in the body (like the aforementioned warfarin).