1. CBD is an important part of the cannabis plant
You may hear a lot about THC but it is the CBD in cannabis that also contributes a myriad of strengths to the plants medical properties. Its extensive list of uses can be seen in the chart above.
CBD is found in varying amounts in cannabis, often very small percentages but has recently been bred up to higher amounts to create strains with stronger medical effects.
2. CBD can be used to treat osteoarthritis
In the US you can now get CBD gummies from companies like Every Day Optimal CBD edibles. A dose of CBD in a sweet. This is what one person had to say about their efficacy:
“I have frozen shoulder in my left arm as well as osteoarthritis in both knees, which means I am constantly in pain. I hate taking pills and a friend of mine suggested that I try these instead. After a few days, I noticed a marked improvement.
I am not going to say that it is totally eliminated, BUT this has to be the best solution I found so far. The fact that they taste good is an added bonus. My husband has back pain quite often because he works in construction and he loves them too. They are good enough for the whole family!”
3. CBD can be used to treat your pet
Animals too have endocannabinoid systems so can be treated although some vets do advise against it. Each animal has their own cannabinoid receptors and most animals produce endocannabinoids.
These receptors can also be found in all non human mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and also invertebrates, lots of animals do react to cannabis.
Speaking about giving cannabis to her cancer ridden cat Monkey in the Guardian, Amanda Reiman said:
“It brought her energy back, she was eating and playing – she was actually acting healthier than she had been before she was diagnosed with cancer… I knew it wasn’t a cure for her, and in the end she passed away several months later. But I really do feel it gave her a quality of life at the end; instead of just fading away, she stayed strong right up until the end.”
4. CBD has been scientifically proved to kill cancer cells
“Gallily et al. [44] provided first evidence of a possible exploitation of CBD in the treatment of lymphoblastic diseases. They demonstrated that CBD treatment induced apoptosis, through caspase-3 activation in human acute myeloid leukaemia HL-60 cell line, whereas it had no effect on human monocytes from normal individuals.”
CBD has also showed promise in the treatment of breast cancer.
5. CBD can be used in cooking
As CBD is fat soluble (like all cannabis) you can simply add it to whatever fat or oil you are using for cooking. It works really well with coconut oil for example.
It’s best added to the type of food which can easily be split into portions so you can regulate the dose you are taking to some extent. It doesn’t taste great on its own but like this you won’t taste the CBD at all. Try not to let temperatures get above 180C/356F or the oil may vaporise.
Check out this book for some yummy desert ideas.
6. CBD is a powerful anti psychotic
A recent study in the UK suggests that CBD could represent a whole new class of treatment for psychosis that does not carry any major side effects.
More info here:
“Although it is still unclear exactly how CBD works, it acts in a different way to antipsychotic medication, and thus could represent a new class of treatment. The study indicated that CBD may be effective in psychosis: patients treated with CBD showed a significant reduction in symptoms, and their treating psychiatrists rated them as having improved overall…Moreover, CBD was not associated with significant side effects. This is also potentially important, as patients may be reluctant to take antipsychotic medication because of concerns about side effects.”
With zero side effects and reports like this you can see why some large corporate interests may have wanted to keep cannabis out of our hands for so long.
7. CBD is very effective against epilepsy
In this touching documentary Sanjay Gupta covers the amazing story of Charlotte Figi, a little girl in the US who has seen her life turned around by CBD. She suffers from a severe cause of epilepsy known as Dravets Syndrome, causing several hundred seizures a week, all life threatening.
The CBD took her down to just one seizure a week and completely transformed Charlotte’s health.
Official confirmation of this can be found here. In the UK the wheels of care seem to turn more slowly.
Charlotte’s Mother said:
“[Charlotte] is consistently eating and drinking on her own for the first time in years. She sleeps soundly through the night. Her severe autism-like behaviors of self-injury, stimming, crying, violence, no eye contact, zero sleep, lack of social contact … are a thing of the past. She is clear-headed, focused, has no attention deficit. Charlotte rides horses, skis, paints, dances, hikes. She even has friends for the first time. Her brain is healing. She is healthy. She is happy.”
8. CBD does not make you feel ‘stoned’
THC is the cannabinoid that can make you feel ‘stoned’ when you consumer your cannabis. CBD does not affect you in the same way as THC does.
For example smoking a joint of Mr Nices Mango Haze CBD makes you feel relaxed and kills pain but does not make you feel ‘stoned’ in any sense of the word. It actually gives you an energy boost.
9. CBD has been shown to improve brain functions
CBD has demonstrated the function of supporting normal cellular function as well as immune response. It also helps people to grow old in a healthy way by offering mitochondrial support.
There is also emerging evidence that CBD helps the brain to repair itself and can even help to damage brain tissue following a stroke.
10. CBD can help you recover from an addiction
“CBD has been shown to be an agonist of 5-HT1a serotoninergic receptors and to regulate stress response and compulsive behaviors.” More here.
These links to studies show how CBD has been helpful in treating a whole host of addictions, including withdrawal from opioids and other dangerous pharmaceuticals.
