When someone asks us, “What is CBD good for?” wow, do we get excited! We jump up and down and yell at the top of our lungs.
Once we calm down and assure the other person that we’re not actually crazy, we then proceed to talk shop about CBD and extol the virtues of this exciting cannabinoid.
Since we can’t physically do this face-to-face as we’d like to, we’ll settle for writing about it (plus, we’re still in our jammies right now and haven’t brushed our teeth). In this article, we explain what CBD is good for and describe why it might just be the perfect solution for what ails ya.
What Is CBD Good For? All Kinds Of Things!
1) Promotes Bone Growth
Osteodegenerative diseases (e.g., osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and others) can affect people of all ages and result in pain, broken bones, limited mobility, paralysis, and other health complications.
Calcium and exercise can help, but tests have shown that CBD can actually reverse the debilitating effects of these disorders and promote bone growth in some individuals.
2) Acts As A Neuroprotective
CBD contains antioxidant properties that can affect both the body and the mind.
You’re probably familiar with the importance of antioxidants in preventing cancer and other physical disorders, but antioxidants also contribute to the health of your brain.
Harmful molecules called free radicals can, over time, build up in your brain and cause neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia. CBD counteracts the effects of free radicals in your brain and acts as a neuroprotective.
3) Reduces Blood Sugar Levels
Diabetes is a condition in which your body does not properly process food for use as energy. More specifically, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood.
Because processed foods make up a large portion of the modern diet, diabetes is a growing epidemic in many countries that can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.
Studies show that CBD, taken in the right quantities and coupled with a healthy diet and exercise, can reduce blood sugar levels and help control the negative effects of diabetes.
4) Counteracts The Effects Of THC
One of the many unique and wonderful things about CBD is that it counteracts the effects of THC.
THC is well-known for its psychedelic properties that can get you well and truly high. Sure, that’s the fun of recreational marijuana, but too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a bad trip.
The purpose of CBD is to keep THC from running amok in your system and wreaking all kinds of psychoactive havoc.
So if you’re on the verge of a downward spiral or you’re feeling way too high, pop a CBD pill or dribble a bit of CBD tincture under your tongue and you’ll feel right as rain in no time.
5) Relieves Pain And Reduces Swelling
Chronic pain and swelling can turn even the simplest everyday activities into a nightmare of effort and exertion.
In many cases, doctors can’t identify the cause of the pain and swelling, so patients are forced to either simply deal with it or turn to addictive painkillers.
CBD can relieve chronic pain and reduce swelling without the risk of serious side effects and addiction that come with opioids and other medications.
6) Inhibits Cancer-Cell Growth
Recent studies indicate that CBD is a promising alternative to chemotherapy and radiation for halting the growth and spread of cancer cells.
Other evidence suggests that CBD may even induce tumor-cell death — which is much different (and better) than just curtailing the spread and growth. Either way, it’s hopeful news for those looking for alternatives to traditional cancer treatments.
7) Mediates Psychotic Disorders
As the legality of medicinal and recreational marijuana continues to spread, more and more people are seeing the benefits of CBD as an antipsychotic.
One recent study compared CBD with a traditional antipsychotic (amisulpride) and discovered that, while they both led to improvements overall, CBD had the best side-effect profile.
So if you were faced with a treatment that cured your symptoms but caused heart problems or liver failure and another treatment that cured your symptoms but only caused dry mouth, which would you choose?
That’s the beauty of CBD for mediating psychotic disorders.
8) Suppresses Seizure Activity
Seizures result from disruptions of the electrical activity in your brain. Because of this, they can be extremely difficult to treat.
The chemistry of CBD (and other cannabinoids) and the way it interacts with your brain means that it can be an effective anticonvulsant and lead to significant decreases in seizure frequency.
9) Combats Anxiety And Depression
When you introduce CBD into your body, it eventually travels to your brain, where it activates two important types of receptors: the adenosine receptors and the serotonin receptors.
When the adenosine receptors work properly, they decrease the anxious, paranoid feelings associated with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and other cognitive impairments.
Similarly, when CBD activates the serotonin receptors, it produces an antidepressant effect that lifts your mood and makes you feel better about life.
10) Stimulates Appetite And Eases Nausea
Some diseases, medicines, and treatments decrease appetite and increase nausea. Those who suffer from this issue don’t want to eat, which, in turn, can prevent their body from healing correctly.
CBD stimulates appetite (although it doesn’t go so far as to cause the munchies like THC), eases nausea, and actually regulates your body’s drive to eat.
Why CBD Might Be The Perfect Solution
Versatility
As you can see in the section “What Is CBD Good For?” it’s a very versatile molecule. You can use it to treat a wide variety of issues, including:
- Schizophrenia
- Epilepsy
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Lupus
- Diabetes
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Chronic and neuropathic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Anorexia
- Glaucoma
- PTSD
- Multiple sclerosis
The list goes on and on.
Variety
You can certainly get your CBD the traditional ways — joint, blunt, spliff, bong, or edible. But if those don’t appeal to you, there are plenty of other options out there.
Here are just a few of the many forms of CBD available on the market today:
- Cavi cones
- Cannabis coffee
- CBD water
- Hemp milk
- Cream
- Patches
- Isolate
- CBD oil
- Tincture
- Dissolvable strips
- Dabs
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When you factor in edibles (you can put CBD in pretty much anything) and other novel products, there’s something for everyone.
No Psychoactive High
With CBD products, there’s absolutely no risk of getting high. No foggy brain. No altered perceptions. That’s not what CBD does.
If you do find yourself feeling high from a CBD product, it means there was THC in the mix. Be sure to read the label thoroughly before taking a CBD product so you know what to expect.
Negligible Side Effects
As we’ve touched on in other sections, CBD has very few side effects.
These include:
- Dry mouth
- Preventing your liver from processing other medications
- Biphasic properties
For many, dry mouth isn’t even an issue because the CBD relieves their pain or prevents seizures. It’s a very small price to pay to feel better and lead a normal life.
The second side effect — interfering with other medications — isn’t much of a problem either if you coordinate your dosage with your doctor first.
Finally, CBD does exhibit biphasic properties. That just means that at certain levels, CBD will produce one set of effects, while at higher levels, it will produce other effects.
Try It For Yourself
The first step toward trying CBD for yourself is to talk to your doctor. This is especially important since CBD can interfere with the effects of other medications. You don’t want to take CBD to combat depression only to have it cancel out the beneficial effects of your heart medication.
The second step toward trying CBD for yourself is to visit your local dispensary and consult with the budtenders there. They can help you find the CBD product that’s right for you.
And if you’re worried about taking a new medication — or taking too much of a new medication — don’t be. Remember, CBD has very few side effects.
As for the fear of taking too much of a CBD product, there’s really nothing to be concerned about. It’s extremely difficult to overdose on CBD. You’d have to ingest somewhere in the neighborhood of 33 tablespoons of pure CBD to approach “too much” territory.
To put that in perspective, a typical dose for an adult male is ⅛ teaspoon. That’s a far cry from 33 tablespoons. Plus, most products aren’t pure CBD anyway. Yes, they might be concentrated extracts, but they’ll contain other ingredients (e.g., carrier oils, flavorings, etc.) as well.
So there’s really very little to worry about when taking a CBD product. Just be sure to buy from a reputable source, start with a small dose, and increase slowly over time.
Soon, you’ll be the one jumping up and down and screaming at the top of your lungs in excitement when someone asks you, “What is CBD good for?”
For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.