CBD has demonstrated its efficacy for treating numerous health conditions. When choosing an CBD product, be sure to select one manufactured in the United States and tested by an independent lab following good manufacturing practices for pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements.
CBD helps ease anxiety, and research indicates it is a safe, non-toxic treatment option for many with anxiety-related disorders. Furthermore, CBD may improve sleep quality as well as alleviate pain and inflammation.
Anxiety
CBD, or Cannabidiol (CBD), is a cannabis sativa phytocannabinoid without psychoactive properties such as 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD’s actions on central nervous system functioning have therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders; however, there has been limited research done into anxiolytic effects in humans; although preclinical, human experimental, and clinical studies indicate anxiolytic properties when given acutely; more in-depth chronic trials need to be conducted within relevant clinical populations.
Studies have demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of CBD for individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder. According to one research project, individuals given 600 mg of CBD 90 minutes before public speaking reported less stress compared to those receiving a placebo treatment.
Seizures
CBD is an organic neuroprotective compound that can significantly lower seizure frequency in individuals living with epilepsy. CBD interacts with neurotransmission ion channels to modulate excitability, thus preventing neurons from overfiring and firing excessively.
Studies suggest that CBD may have anticonvulsant effects, reducing both focal and generalized seizures by binding with receptors on neurons and inhibiting intercellular degradation of anandamide, an endogenous neurotransmitter.
Recent clinical research demonstrated that CBD oral solution provided significant relief to LGS and drug-resistant epilepsy patients by significantly reducing drop seizures, as well as improving quality of life for these individuals.
Chron’s disease
CBD can help treat chronic disease-associated pain. According to one study, CBD significantly reduced neuropathic pain caused by HIV/AIDS patients and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer patients. Furthermore, CBD has proven its worth as an antiemetic.
CBD has also shown to be an effective treatment for certain neurological disorders. A clinical trial demonstrated its success by significantly reducing seizures for those living with Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes; furthermore, CBD helps decrease pain and spasticity for MS patients.
However, it should be noted that CBD may interact with certain medications, including blood thinners and antiepileptic medicines. CBD may affect cytochrome P450 enzyme activity which plays a crucial role in metabolism of many prescription and OTC medications.
Diabetes
CBD has demonstrated anti-diabetic effects in preclinical studies. It decreases incidences of diabetes and pancreatic inflammation while protecting against b-cell destruction in a T1D mouse model. Furthermore, CBD increases protein kinase B and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 expression, and decreases levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
CBD’s anti-diabetic effects are facilitated by its inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes, which play an integral part in the metabolism of many other medications such as antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antidepressants. Furthermore, it acts on serotonin receptors (5HT1A/2A/3A), glutamate receptors, TRPV-a (vanilloid) receptors to influence neurotransmitter balance within the brain.
CBD administration into the submucosal space significantly improved glucose regulation during an oral glucose tolerance test with higher doses; however, further research must be completed in order to validate these findings.
Huntington’s disease
CBD does not appear to be an effective treatment for Huntington’s disease; however, it may help alleviate symptoms and slow progression. Anecdotal reports should be treated with extreme caution – particularly if those making such claims stand to profit from any alleged cures.
CBD (10 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks), in a small pilot study, reduced aberrant behavioral characteristics among children with intellectual disability as measured on an ABC scale. Furthermore, CBD showed improvements to IBS patients’ symptoms and sleep patterns as well as animal trials demonstrating its analgesic properties; further well-powered, placebo-controlled clinical studies are necessary to confirm these results.
Tobacco withdrawal
CBD has been found to significantly decrease cravings for tobacco and other addictive drugs. One study showed former drug users who were given CBD experienced two to three-fold less cravings compared with those receiving a placebo.
CBD was administered subcutaneously via minipump to nicotine-dependent rats during both their last week of exposure to nicotine and their first week of abstinence, and results indicated that CBD prevented somatic signs of withdrawal and hyperalgesia while decreasing attentional bias to images of cigarettes. No dose response effect could be observed at any of the dosages used – suggesting a ceiling effect for each of them.
The authors speculate that CBD effects are caused by inhibiting CYP2A6, an enzyme essential for nicotine metabolism. More research must be conducted in order to ascertain this mechanism of action.
