CBD comes in various forms and can be taken orally, added to foods, or applied directly onto skin products. When purchasing high quality products, be sure they come with a certificate of analysis detailing potency, pesticides, heavy metals and residual solvents from extraction.
An epilepsy-specific CBD formulation is currently prescribed to patients in order to combat seizure disorder, although studies also indicate it could benefit those suffering anxiety, pain or dystonia – among other medical issues.
1. Pain Relief
CBD interacts with multiple brain receptors and modulates their activity to provide pain relief. CBD serves as a positive allosteric modulator in micromolar concentration ranges for GABA and glycine receptors and inhibits cationic currents through voltage-gated calcium channels Cav3.1 and Cav3.3 with an IC50 of approximately 800nM [38, 39].
CBD can alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms by binding with serotonin receptors to increase serotonin levels and improve mood. Furthermore, studies have also demonstrated its efficacy at helping people stop smoking by diminishing cravings they experience during cessation attempts.
CBD has been found to reduce spasticity in individuals living with multiple sclerosis and may help treat seizures caused by Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). However, high doses of CBD may interfere with certain blood tests used for medications like blood thinners, antiepileptics and immunosuppressants – something to keep in mind before using large quantities.
2. Insomnia
CBD’s non-psychoactive effects and wide spectrum pharmacological action has made it an attractive solution for sleep disorders; however, evidence for its anxiolytic properties in treating insomnia symptomology remains limited.
This trial aimed to assess the neurocognitive and subjective state effects of daily CBD-only treatments on primary insomnia. This research included both a placebo run-in week and 2-week double-blind CBD and placebo dosing period, using CogPro assessment methods before starting supplementation for each week of CBD supplementation (single run-in week followed by one or two double dosing weeks). Attention, executive function, reasoning information processing episodic memory assessments were made prior to each placebo run-in week as well as 1-week and 2-weeks of supplementation to determine its neurocognitive and subjective state effects in primary insomnia patients.
This trial sought to exclude participants with a history of cannabis use during its placebo run-in phase and monitor adherence by using verbal checks, sleep diaries and strict exclusion criteria for those taking anti-anxiety medications such as Clobazam, Clonazepam or Serotonin Inhibitors such as Sertraline, Tranylcypromine, Phenelzine or Isocarboxazid; this may have reduced generalizability beyond specific subgroups within this trial’s results.
3. Inflammation
CBD has proven effective against chronic pain and inflammation that many patients are living with, thanks to its ability to balance out our body’s endocannabinoid system.
Inflammation is part of our immune system’s defense mechanism against foreign substances that threaten our bodies, such as infections. When injury or infection strikes, inflammatory cells quickly respond by protecting and healing the area in question. While inflammation should normally be beneficial, prolonged or persistent inflammation can become detrimental; leading to arthritis, asthma and even psoriasis among other ailments.
Studies have demonstrated that CBD significantly decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6, possibly by stimulating biosynthetic pathways to produce these mediators. CBD may also interact with some medications – blood thinners, antiepileptics and immunosuppressants in particular – rendering them less effective by competing for liver enzymes that help break them down.
4. Anxiety
CBD can assist with anxiety by engaging the receptors within your endocannabinoid system (ECS). These receptors act like locks on cells throughout your body and brain; neurotransmitters (natural chemicals produced by neurons) then unlock them to send signals between cells. According to preclinical research, CBD interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors of your ECS to induce anxiolytic-like effects.
One study showed that participants who took 300 mg of CBD before participating in a public speaking simulation test experienced significantly lower anxiety than participants in the placebo group. Another recent research paper indicated that CBD may increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Low levels of BDNF can be linked with depression and other mental health conditions.
A 2014 review suggests that CBD could influence 5-HT1A receptors associated with serotonin production, suggesting possible benefits in terms of anxiety and depression relief; low levels of serotonin have been linked with both anxiety and depression disorders – so CBD could possibly aid both conditions with further research confirming these findings.
