The use of CBD oil may be associated with uncertainties related to legality and e.g. to its possible intoxicating effect. Although the use of CBD is legal in most parts of the world, there is a strong stigma associated with it, which is based on the classification of hemp as a narcotic drug due to the cannabinoid THC present in it. Both the illegality and the intoxicating effect are both myths, which future generations will certainly have to do to disprove, and this article explains for what purpose people and animals use CBD oil and what experiences they have with it.
Hemp and CBD
Hemp is an ancient plant that has been used e.g. as a medicine for thousands of years. It is special in the sense that, in addition to its medicinal properties, you can actually make everything a person needs in life from it; food, fuel, building material, fabric and rope, paper, plastic, etc.. In addition to these properties, hemp is a very effective land improvement and land purification plant, which binds carbon dioxide from the air many times compared to a growing forest. The icing on the cake is its fast growth rate, because even in Finland, hemp grows to its full size in one summer, and in countries where it is warm all year round, it can grow several crops a year.
Hemp contains a huge number of different compounds, which together or alone form hemp’s possible properties that have a positive effect on health. Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC , more than 120 different types and other compounds such as terpenes are known, flavonoids etc. is more than 450.
Mainly the cannabinoids are what made hemp interesting and still interest both researchers and people suffering from various ailments. Cannabinoids and their effect on humans and animals have been actively studied since the 1940s until today.
How is CBD made?
CBDoccurs naturally in hemp, especially in inflorescences and leaves, from which it can be pressed and extracted into an easily usable form. Extraction using carbon dioxide is the safest and most popular way to make CBD products.
CBD can also be isolated from the plant in laboratory conditions into an almost pure crystal, which is called CBD isolate. Synthetic CBD is also produced, but its use still involves many questions and perhaps even risks, because CBD is not a streamlined cannabinoid that works in the same way for all humans and animals.
Non-intoxicating CBD
CBD oil is non-intoxicating as it is made from plants that do not contain the psychoactive substance called THC cannabinoids. In natural unprocessed hemp or hemp processed for seed and fiber use, THC is present in very small amounts at most. Those strains known to be intoxicating and highly medicinal have been bred to produce a higher amount of THC than strains that have been specifically bred CBD for production or so-called industrial hemp varieties from which CBD oil is most commonly produced.
The use of CBD has been legal in many places even for decades and it has been used with good results for many different diseases and to relieve their symptoms.
CBD use in the world
CBD has been widely used around the world for years, so there has been plenty of experience to support the research results. For example, in Canada, where the use of hemp has been legal since 2002, CBD is used for mental challenges such as stress, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as in the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer.
According to studies and user experiences, CBD has mitigating effects at least on the symptoms of MS, epilepsy and various cancer symptoms, as well as the side effects caused by chemotherapy. Challenges related to sleep and skin, pain and general physical and psychological well-being are also reasons why CBD oil used in the world. Dentists also recommend the use of oral care products containing CBD. In addition, CBD has been proven to have good effects on periodontitis and tartar.
Also, for example, in Israel, North America, Australia and some European countries such as Switzerland, Holland, Spain and the Baltic countries, CBD products are used successfully, although sometimes there may be some restrictions on its use, manufacture or sale.
CBD or hemp as a plant is of course not a cure-all miracle drug and is usually used both for the prevention of diseases and for treating and alleviating their symptoms, not for actual healing. The best effect is obtained from full-spectrum CBD oil , which contains all the active substances of hemp. CBD has been found to work best synergistically, i.e. in such a way that all the compounds are involved in supporting each other’s activity.
CBD oil, according to studies, is a mild but effective support for treating many diseases and it could be recommended in Finland too, e.g. doctors and therapists. As the general atmosphere is still a bit reserved, it is less often recommended to use it. CBD and many products containing it such as CBD candies, CBD cosmetics, CBD oil, CBD capsules and various extracts and tinctures offer the opportunity to find a suitable and pleasant way to enjoy CBD.
The potential benefits of CBD
Various diseases and the effect of CBD on them have been studied in a variety of ways, both with animal and human experiments. CBD oil does not necessarily work directly on the root cause of the disease, but on common side symptoms of various diseases such as insomnia , nausea and it might help the appetite. A few of the most common uses for CBD are listed below.
Symptoms of MS
MS and related side symptoms such as stiffness and tremors have been in the research field of CBD for a long time. According to studies, CBD slows down the progression of the disease, mitigates the side effects caused by drugs and calms the trembling, involuntarily moving body. More about MS and the effect of CBD on its symptoms can read here .
Epilepsy and CBD
The effect of CBD on epilepsy is perhaps one of the oldest and most studied equations. According to research and user experience, CBD affects both the number and intensity of seizures, and maybe one one of the most well-known CBD use experiences is the story of a child named Charlotte Figi’s epilepsy. Already as a baby, he had up to 300 strong epileptic seizures per week, the number of which decreased to 2-3 seizures per week after starting to use CBD oil. Charlotte’s development had practically stopped due to strong seizures, but soon it was able to continue and Charlotte learned e.g. to walk and talk.
Unfortunately, Charlotte’s life ended due to complications from the flu at the age of 13 in 2020, but her legacy lives on strong in the form of a CBD strain named after her (Charlotte’s web) and as an extremely important reminder of how powerful nature is in its healing power.
Read more about CBD and epilepsy .
Mind challenges and CBD
Diseases that affect mental health, such as depression and chronic or post-traumatic stress, have also been the subject of CBD research for a long time. CBD is a cannabinoid that calms the nervous system, which may have a very effective anxiety-relieving, mood-elevating and emotional memory erasing effect. Read more about the effect of CBD for depression here and stress here. On supporting post-traumatic stress disorder with CBD can read here.
Pain and CBD
According to studies, different types of pain can be alleviated by the effect of CBD oil. Especially for chronic or muscular pain, CBD may have effects and it is possible read more here .
The gut and CBD
According to studies, CBD also affects the functioning of the intestines. More about the effects of CBD oil on the gut can read here and about the user experience related to CBD capsules and their effect on intestinal challenges here .
Meditation and CBD
Meditation and yoga are globally known ways to calm the mind, relax the body and get closer to the deepest self. CBD may also have a positive effect on the practice and experience of yoga and meditation can read here .
The use of CBD is becoming more common in the world and it is perceived as a well-tolerated support alongside other treatment.
CBD oil is also suitable for animals
CBD oil is used for pets for very similar reasons as it is for humans; to raise the mood, reduce inflammation in the body, calm down, improve appetite, relieve side symptoms of various diseases and calm the nervous system. According to studies, CBD is very suitable for animals, and it doesn’t seem to have any unpleasant side effects for them either. For animals, CBD is dosed according to the product and the animal’s weight, and according to experience, it has been used successfully at least for dogs, cats, rodents and horses. More on using CBD oil for animals can read here .
Summary
CBD is a very versatile, single-plant compound that is safe to use, especially when it is in its natural form together with hemp’s other active compounds. Hemp is guaranteed to be one of the oldest medicinal and useful plants, and the unnecessary labels associated with it have unfortunately only been born within the last century at the most. CBD oil is generally well tolerated and, according to studies, has several potential uses, including children and pets. Its use and research on it will hardly decrease, as treatment targeting the endocannabinoid system will become a significant part of the treatment of diseases.
