Within just a few years, CBD oil has transformed marijuana from a recreational drug to an alternative option to traditional medicine. CBD Oil has been known to help people with seizures, depression, sleeplessness and inflammation!
First, it is important to understand how CBD affects our bodies. Cannabinoids are chemicals in marijuana, these chemicals are very similar to chemicals in our own bodies that regulate appetite, memory, movement and pain. Our bodies have two receptors for cannabinoids, CB1 and CB2. Scientists believe that CBD oil does not attach to either receptor but rather, directs the body to use more of its own cannabinoids.
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is a non-intoxicating extract of marijuana. Marijuana advocates are pushing the medicinal benefits of CBD oil and it’s even gained FDA approval for some ailments. As interest groups try to advocate the benefits of CBD, their toughest assignment is differentiating the differences between CBD and THC the intoxicating component. Under a microscope, CBD and THC are nearly identical. They both share a molecular formula of C21H30O2. In addition, they both have almost exact molecular masses of 314.469 g/mol and 314.464 g/mol.
Every article in High Times Magazine, might be about the numerous benefits of CBD. However, as of now, the only disorder that the FDA approves CBD oil for is epilepsy. In fact, even the US Food and Drug Administrator Deputy Commissioner Anna K. Abram recognized the benefits CBD.
FDA approves cannabis-based drug CBD for epilepsy – NBC News
How Does CBD Oil Affect the Brain & Depression?
According to the World Health Organization, depression is the main cause of disability around the world. It is estimated that 16.2 million Americans suffer from depression! CBD oil has proven to be effective in reducing mental disorders, like anxiety, insomnia, and depression. There have been numerous studies evaluating the benefits of CBD. In 2010, a study concluded that cannabidiol reduces social anxiety in patients who had social anxiety disorder (SAD). Brain scans of participants in this 2010 study revealed a difference in blood flow to portions of the brain that regulated anxiety.
These studies prove that CBD oil does in fact affect the anxiety regions of the brain. Despite all of the medicinal benefits of CBD, the public needs to understand that the oil will not cure depression. Don’t expect CBD to eliminate depression, however, CBD is effective by interacting with the endocannabinoid system in our brains, the same area that controls appetite, mood, pain and pleasure. One study demonstrated how CBD oil could treat insomnia and anxiety in children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Several studies have proven a CBD stimulus on cognitive disorders. In 2015, for example, a study in Neurotherapeutics, found that CBD “shows promise” in the treatment of several mental disorders. Another study, involving 24 people with social anxiety disorder, gave 600 milligrams of CBD to half of the subjects and a placebo to the other half. A short time after the administration of these drugs, the subjects gave a public speaking test. Results from the studies showed that the subjects administered CBD performed their speeches noticeably better than those who had not taken CBD.
The FDA has already started to approve CBD oil as a treatment to some diseases – will depression be next? Countless studies, determining what other ailments CBD can cure, are being conducted as you read this.
