Health and Wellness Benefits of CBD

For some time now, you’ve probably heard the potential health and wellness benefits of CBD being blasted across the airwaves, in print ads, TV commercials, friends and family members…you get it. If you haven’t taken the time to actually sit down yourself and do some extensive research on the topic (and realistically, who has the time or motivation to do that these days?) then you may be in the same position as a lot of other people. That being the mindset of, “I know what CBD is, but I’m not positive about what exactly it can do”. If that sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place! We’re going to take a look at some of the potential health and wellness benefits of incorporating CBD into your routine.

First Things First…

We love all things THC and CBD just like you, but we’ve got a social responsibility to be transparent with information that we present to the public. There’s a ton of marketing fanfare in the world of CBD these days and understandably so. This naturally occurring compound is quickly taking the research and medical communities by storm because of two things…CBD’s potential benefits and the fact that we still know so little about it. So, for the purpose of this article, we ask that you keep in mind that until further stringent, controlled clinical research has been conducted, we can’t definitively say that CBD absolutely benefits any condition. With that said, early research and data along with anecdotal reports of CBD use in conjunction with a multitude of conditions is nothing short of exciting and promising.

Mental Health Benefits

Mental health awareness is (thankfully) increasing at an astronomical rate. Society has finally grasped the concept that issues like anxiety or depression aren’t things that one can necessarily “snap their fingers” and resolve. Along with mental health issues, comes a litany of modern medication options, much of which also packs a punch in terms of nasty side effects. Wouldn’t it be nice if CBD were able to mitigate some of the symptoms of mental health issues?

Chances are that if you know 10 people who use CBD regularly, someone in that group would tell you that they use it for anxiety. With anxiety and depression oftentimes manifesting as a result of the other’s presence, it certainly makes one consider if CBD could help. This is a fast-paced and quickly evolving arena, but some of the preliminary publications make us hopeful that there really is something to CBD and mental health. For example, in a study published by the British Journal of Pharmacology, researchers found that “CBD induces antidepressant-like effects comparable to those of imipramine.” [1] While this was a test conducted on lab mice, not humans, it certainly justifies further research on the topic, much of which is currently underway.

Aches and Pains

Most humans know aches and pains. From the first time you fell and bruised your knee as a small child until you’re 85 years old and your joints hurt just from changing channels on TV, aches and pains are almost a rite of passage for humans. The medical community has slammed us with an insane number of options to treat our pain, from over-the-counter medications to the dark corner of opioids….but what about our natural buddy, CBD?

Just as there are many options for pain treatment, there are also many classifications of types of pain. Ask anyone who has experience chronic pain and they’ll quickly inform you that, “no…not all pain is created equally”. So, can CBD possibly be the golden ticket to universal pain relief?

If you’ve been around the medical cannabis scene very long, you know that THC is commonly used as a treatment for pain. The only downside is that THC (CBD’s psychoactive cousin) leaves you feeling…well…stoned. CBD, being a non-psychoactive compound, has captured the attention of research labs across the world, and for good reason.

In a study published by the European Journal of Pharmacology, researchers tested CBD on lab mice to determine its potential as an effective compound to relieve chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. [2] Although, this study was once again, conducted on lab mice, their findings are promising and will likely (if they haven’t already) help generate funding for human studies.

Improved Sleep

If you’re sitting here saying “oh…but I’m healthy! I don’t need CBD!”, can you truthfully say that you consistently get a perfect night’s sleep? With more distractions than ever in this crazy world, winding down and getting some quality, uninterrupted shuteye on a consistent basis is becoming exceedingly difficult. Much like the aforementioned mental health issues, society has developed a “just pop a pill for it” mindset….and just like many of the medications for mental health issues, those that induce sleep can oftentimes leave you feeling groggy. Enter CBD.

Sleep issues are oftentimes correlated with anxiety, which is why you will find that many studies exploring CBD as a sleep promoting compound also discuss anxiety relief as the potential rationale. In a 2019 study published in The Permanente Journal, researchers explored CBD applications for their potential to improve sleep quality. This study, which was actually conducted on humans, used CBD oil as the delivery method. The results were astounding. In 66.7% of participants, an increase in sleep scores was observed within the first month. [3] Additionally, 79.2% of participants reported a lower anxiety score within the first month. [3] While this is incredibly promising, the researchers concluded that, “[CBD] may hold benefit for anxiety-related disorders and controlled clinical studies are needed.” [3]

But Will CBD Improve my Patience?

Our point being, it appears that CBD may be one of those “once in a lifetime” compounds for the benefit of the world and our health, but before anyone can go pointing definitive fingers, we have to thoroughly go through all of the data. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to wait until clinical trials are conducted though! If you’re on a solid CBD routine that works for you and you’ve discussed it with your healthcare provider, we say, more power to you! CBD is seemingly working magic on a lot of people who have suffered from various conditions for years. The scientific research community is on the cusp of unearthing hordes of data about CBD and how it affects us, now it is time for us to support their cause and give them some space to assimilate said data.

We want to know though, what do you use CBD for? Have you noticed anything unique since beginning your routine? Drop us a line!