RELAX
Researchers are increasingly becoming fascinated with CBD (cannabidiol), a naturally occurring compound in the hemp plant that is showing great promise as a natural way to help you relax and unwind. Scientists have found through many years of close study that CBD affects 5-HT1A receptors [5-6], which control serotonin levels in the body and brain, and Endocannabinoid receptors, which control stress and energy levels among other things. Both of these receptor types are found throughout the brain and body and affect the body’s levels of many important neurotransmitters that control stress, anxiety levels and mood.
~Conscious Lifestyle Magazine, “Relax and Unwind With Hemp CBD: Nature’s ‘Chillout’ Herb” by Meghan McDonald
CBD works like a key to unlock the receptors so your body can work the way it was meant to. CBD, whether it comes from endocannabinoids or phytocannabinoids, unlocks the receptors within the ECS to help deliver neurotransmitters throughout your entire body. These neurotransmitters help control stress reactions, increase immune function and optimize energy levels.
Serotonin receptors are one of the main receptors that help regulate stress and mood. Serotonin helps decrease cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone. CBD works directly with the serotonin receptors to unlock them and let your body deal with stress instead of holding onto it or creating more. Some studies have found that CBD can work the same way as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These antidepressant medications prevent the reuptake of fatty acids that break down the anandamides, or “bliss molecules.” Another study found that CBD works in a different manner by binding to the anandamides themselves. Either way, the results are the same, making more of your happy cells available to your body.
~Citizen Blog, by Grant Carstensen, October 2, 2017
CBD helps reduce stress and improve mood by calming an overactive mind gently and naturally. When taking CBD oil, you’ll feel more peaceful, relaxed, and in control.
As far as how taking CBD oil will make you feel, people react to CBD differently. We’ve heard from some of our CBD oil users say that they feel a sensation of “increased relaxation” or “soothing calmness” after taking CBD, while others have reported experiencing slight “awakening” or “energizing” effects.
Cannabinoids like CBD encourage wellness and health by interacting with the body’s large self-regulatory network – the endocannabinoid system. This system, found in all mammals, is responsible for regulating nearly all of the body’s functions, some of which include:
- Mood
- Appetite
- Sleep
- Learning and memory
- Energy balance and metabolism
- Stress response
- Hormone production
- Pain and immune system responses
~ HempMeds Education
- One of the most popular and well-known uses of cannabis oil is for the purpose of relief from anxiety and stress. The natural compounds found in cannabis oil are effective for releasing relaxing the mind, releasing pleasure hormone, reducing stress and inducing a sense of calmness and relaxation to the user.~ CBD International, “15 HEALTH BENEFITS OF CANNABIS OIL YOU NEED TO KNOW” May 24, 2017
CBD Educational Video’s
Frequently asked questions
Decide how you want to take cannabis. Cannabis oil is available in sprays, capsules, edibles and other products.
Find your ratio. Cannabis products have varying amounts of CBD and THC. A high CBD or high THC product is not necessarily superior to a strain with a balanced ratio. Find the proper combination to optimize your therapeutic use of cannabis.
Begin with a low dose especially if you have little or no experience with cannabis.
Take a few small doses over the course of the day rather than one big dose.
Use the same dose and ratio for several days. Observe the effects and if necessary adjust the ratio or amount.
Don’t overdo it. “Less is more” is often the case with cannabis therapeutics.
Be aware of possible side effects. Cannabis is a safe and forgiving medicine.
Depending upon delivery method and individual tolerance, it can amplify anxiety and mood disorders. Other possible side effects are dry mouth, dizziness and faintness.
Consult your health counselor. Proceed cautiously, especially if you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse, mental illness, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Although banned by federal law, dosed cannabis medicine is currently available in the form of concentrated oil extracts, infused sublingual sprays, capsules, edibles, and other products. Potent cannabis oil extracts have varying ratios of CBD and THC that are calibrated to suit the needs and sensitivities of each patient.
For anxiety, depression, spasms, and pediatric seizure disorders, many patients initially find they do best with a moderate dose of a CBD-dominant remedy (a CBD:THC ratio of more than 10:1). But a low THC remedy, while not intoxicating, is not necessarily the best therapeutic option. A combination of CBD and THC will likely have a greater therapeutic effect for a wider range of conditions than CBD or THC alone. For cancer, neurological disease, and many other ailments, patients may benefit from a balanced ratio of CBD and THC. Extensive clinical research has shown that a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio is effective for neuropathic pain. Optimizing one’s therapeutic use of cannabis may entail a careful, step-by-step process, whereby a patient starts with small doses of a non-intoxicating CBD-rich remedy, observes the results, and gradually increases the amount of THC.
In essence, the goal is to self-administer consistent, measurable doses of a CBD-rich remedy that includes as much THC as a person is comfortable with.
The Biphasic Effect
Cannabis compounds have biphasic properties, which means that low and high doses of the same substance can produce opposite effects. Small doses of cannabis tend to stimulate; large doses sedate. Too much THC, while not lethal, can amplify anxiety and mood disorders. CBD has no known adverse side effects at any dose, but drug interactions can be problematic. An excessive amount of CBD could be less effective therapeutically than a moderate dose. “Less is more” is often the case with respect to cannabis therapy.
“Dosage is everything”—Paracelsus
Cannabis therapeutics is personalized medicine. The right treatment regimen depends on the person and condition being treated. For maximum therapeutic benefit, choose cannabis products that include both cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis. CBD and THC interact to enhance each other’s therapeutic effects. They work best together. A patient’s sensitivity to THC is a key factor to determining the ratio and dosage of CBD-rich medicine. Many people enjoy the cannabis high and can consume reasonable doses of any cannabis product without feeling too high or dysphoric. Others find THC unpleasant. CBD can lessen or neutralize the intoxicating effects of THC. So a greater ratio of CBD-to-THC means less of a “high.”
CBD is one of over 60 compounds found in cannabis that belong to a class of ingredients called cannabinoids. Until recently, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) was getting most of the attention because it’s the ingredient in cannabis that produces mind-altering effects in users, but CBD is also present in high concentrations — and the medical world is realizing that its list of medical benefits continues to grow.
CBD is the major nonpsychoactive component of Cannabis sativa. According to a 2013 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, CBD benefits including acting in some experimental models as an anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, antiemetic, anxiolytic and antipsychotic agent, and is therefore a potential medicine for the treatment of neuroinflammation, epilepsy, oxidative injury, vomiting and nausea, anxiety and schizophrenia.
