Multiple Uses and Benefits of CBD Oil: Could CBD Minimize the Need for Your Prescription Medicine Cabinet?

 

Using CBD oil could reduce the number of prescription medications you require and eliminate some of the side effects that come with them. 

Before you say hasta la vista to your plastic weekly pill box or stop making those expensive runs to the pharmacy to pick up your meds, find out if the multiple benefits and uses of CBD oil can help your pocket and your health; but also, talk to your doctor.

Imagine this (or maybe you don’t have to): Tomorrow you’ve got a big presentation at work; feeling pretty nervous about it, as well as wiped out from a day of preparation, you have a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. 

Later on, you can’t sleep because that wine was a big interrupter, so you take a sleeping pill. 

In the morning, you wake up with a headache, but also feeling foggy from that sleeper, so you down some coffee and take a painkiller. Nervous about your upcoming meeting at work, you also take an anti-anxiety pill to calm your nerves. 

In addition to the substances you’re taking to relax, get those much needed ZZZs, and wake up enough to face the day, you’re also taking medication for hypertension. 

What if you could take a dosage of CBD oil that eases your headache, reduces anxiety, naturally lowers your blood pressure, and helps you get a good night’s rest, essentially reducing your medications from four to one without all the risky side effects? 

Read through this informative overview of the myths, benefits, and dosages of what some people are calling the “medicine cabinet replacement oil”.  

Setting the record straight on CBD.

You may have decided by now that there is no way that you can take CBD oil because that same stressful job you have requires a drug test.  Or, perhaps you’ve heard good things about CBD, but think that it can cause dependency, make you high, give you the munchies, or cause you to laugh inappropriately at your conservative neighbors.  

CBD is not psychoactive. CBD oil is also available in different forms; full spectrum cbd oil does contain trace amounts of THC (less than .03%), but broad spectrum CBD oil is also available which is completely THC free, but still contains other cannabis constituents that are beneficial. Finally, CBD extract, which is pure cbd and does not contain any other cannabis constituent, is also available from some CBD manufacturers.

If drug testing is a concern for you, taking broad spectrum CBD with no THC could be the answer if you feel that CBD oil is the right choice for you. Many CBD products on the market do not contain any detectable traces of THC. CBD oils produced from approved hemp distributors can be used legally across the United States as a therapeutic medicine. 

In fact, in 2018  the FDA approved two drugs derived from cannabis strains to help with epilepsy in children. Hemp, also a species of Cannabis sativa, contains less than .3% of THC and is approved for general consumption nearly everywhere. 

CBD oil is not a drug, does not alter your perception, and is not habit forming. Actually, CBD can be used to mitigate the paranoid effects associated with THC use or reduce psychotic symptoms in people suffering from disorders like schizophrenia. 

If you are looking to be intoxicated, CBD oil will be a big disappointment. If you are looking for an alternative ‘medicine’ to use that is safe and effective and does not have severe side effects…move over bottled pills. 

Benefits of CBD oil. 

There are a lot of lists out there showing the benefits and uses of CBD to treat, prevent or reduce symptoms of various health issues. CBD products can be used for: 

• Schizophrenia
• Epilepsy
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Cancer Symptoms
• Pain Alleviation
• Arthritis
• Acne
• Addiction Withdrawal
• Suppression of Cancer Growth
• Alzheimer’s Prevention and Treatment
• Glaucoma
• Heart Ailments (like high blood pressure)
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Insomnia
• Type 1 diabetes
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Pet Anxiety, Aggression and Digestion

The benefits and uses of CBD are growing steadily. Extended scientific research on CBD benefits and uses as a legitimate medication is ongoing. 

As handy as a quick list might be of all the reported benefits and uses of CBD, understanding why it is so versatile can provide some assurance that these claims are not just a placebo effect or an urban legend. 

To be clear, just like any other medication, CBD oil interacts with each  individual differently. Knowing your body well is the best way to assure that you are choosing the right potency and dosage of CBD oil. Since CBD is very safe, you can afford some experimentation to find what works for you. As is  always recommended with the use of cannabis medicine, start low and go slow. 

How does CBD work?

Humans produce their own cannabinoids which are handled by receptors in the brain that play an important role in immune system function, inflammation, appetite, coordination and movement, sleep, pain management, mood, emotions, memories, and many other functions.

Each person differs in their own internal cannabinoid production and the efficiency with which the receptors in their brain can utilize what is available. Some individuals can utilize their own cannabinoid production more efficiently than others, which means they may not need as high of a dose of CBD oil to treat their condition. 

Due to chemical imbalances in our bodies, degradation of cellular function over time, traumatic events, and invasive diseases, our bodies can become overwhelmed and imbalanced. This can result in an endocannabinoid system that requires support in the form of medications to help block or turn on receptors that effect specific functions in the body. 

Genetically we may also be prone to produce fewer enzymes that help us to break down and absorb the use of cannabinoids in our system. 

Researchers first thought that CBD products increased the availability of cannabinoids that attach directly to receptors in the brain. However, more recent research suggests that ingested CBD acts as an agent that encourages our bodies to use the cannabinoids that we are already naturally producing. This is good news because, rather than suppressing our immune system or other natural functions of our bodies like many medications do, CBD oil can facilitate our body to find its own natural homeostasis.  

Just like any other medicine derived from natural plants, non-psychoactive cannabinoids are extracted and selectively isolated from other plant material compounds to produce a desired product. The result is a wide range of CBD products that vary from tinctures, chewables, patches, oils, skin creams, capsules, and sprays.  

To make oils, cannabidiol compounds are placed into a carrier oil like coconut or hemp seed oil. Some CBD products are designed to target issues like inflammation while others are better for treating anxiety.

How much CBD oil is needed?

The uses and benefits of CBD oils depend greatly on the type and concentration of terpenes present in the product, how the CBD is produced and processed, and the dosage and potency. 

For individuals who have never used CBD products, it is recommended that you start with a low dosage and slowly increase the dosage until you experience relief. CBD oil has a bell shaped curve in relation to dosage. This means that ingested CBD is beneficial to a certain point, but if you take too much you can aggravate symptoms or not experience any relief. If you start with a high potency or dosage you may not experience any benefits and assume it is because CBD oil is ineffective. 

Once again, potency and dosage depends on your body type, your age, overall health, your reason for taking CBD, and other medications you are taking. Most products come with recommended dosages, but you should not trust this blindly. It is better for you to start slow and to work with a naturopath or CBD expert to make sure that you can get the best benefits for your specific issue and needs. 

CBD oil is contraindicated with some medications. For example, if you are already taking medication for hypertension, also taking CBD could be dangerous as it could lower your blood pressure too much.   

If you are on other medications, you need to consult a doctor about how CBD could interfere with the medications you are using or how CBD use could be ineffective because of the interference of your current medications. 

The side effects of CBD are very rare, and if they occur, relatively mild. Side effects are usually due to improper dosage or potency and tend to resolve in 2-4 hours. Some reported side effects include changes in appetite, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, vomiting, anxiety, dry mouth, and drowsiness. 

If you are looking for an alternative natural product that can replace the pharmacopoeia of products in your medicine cabinet, CBD is worth exploring. 

Although a bottle of high quality CBD oil might seem expensive at first, start to calculate how much money you are spending on your current medical regimen and see if CBD oil can replace your medicine cabinet for something that is safer, highly effective, and easier on your pocket.