CBD Craze!

From joints and edibles to creams and serums, marijuana is getting a new reputation!

• What are the benefits?
• How does CBD work?
• Is it safe to use?

Around the world, marijuana has been the most commonly used illicit drug. Marijuana comes from the dried flowering tops, leaves, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis sativa (hemp) plant. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of over 80 compounds called cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis sativa plant. The two most well-known of these are CBD, which does not get you high, and THC, which does. Before recently, because of THC, the plant has been outlawed in most parts of the United States, leaving CBD an unexplored option. Now that cannabis is legal in much of the U.S., research and experimentation is on the rise.

What are the benefits?

This powerful plant has been said to help with many ailments with its use spreading in the medical community to treat cancer, arthritis and rheumatism pain, labor pain, glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease, migraines, seizures and many more conditions.

How does CBD work?

The human body also produces its own cannabinoids, one of which is anandamide. Anandmide is a happy-molecule giving a similar feeling as a “runners high.” “CBD naturally elevates the levels of your own endocannabinoid,” says Michele Ross, founder of Infused Health, a cannabis education and health coaching program. “Increasing anandamide in your body and brain has anti-inflammatory effects, but it also has other activities at other receptors.”

When you ingest CBD, it enters the bloodstream triggering the body’s many endocannabinoid receptors, but if you apply it to your skin it activates only in the concentrated area where it’s applied. Once medical professionals began to explore the possibilities of CBD interaction, beauty experts did not sleep on being involved in the possibilities too. Scientists have found more evidence in treating minor ailments and there is exploration on applying CBD to treat psoriasis, eczema and muscular pain. It’s most appealing property is its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Now its use is rapidly increasing, popping up in oils, creams, serums, and lotions. Some studies found that CBD can actually ease breakouts by regulating oil production, and helping with the inflammation that is characteristic of acne.

Can CBD products make you high?

Simple answer: if the product uses a CBD isolate—that is, there is no THC—it cannot make you high!

Whether it’s to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, lessen anxiety or give your skin a stress-lowering treat, CBD is showing up in the beauty industry, and we don’t see signs of it slowing down!

(Information gathered from Infused Health, Healthline, Allure and Medical Online resource.)

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