Benefits of CBD oils

CBD hemp products are literally overwhelming the current market. We see them in health food stores, cosmetics stores, they are added to soaps and sold on e-shops with various goods.‑ The highlight is the CBD vending machines in shopping malls, where you can buy hemp containing CBD in seconds as easily as a can of Coke.

No wonder people enjoy it:

• It's new to the market.

• It is reminiscent of classic cannabis (and we know how it is with forbidden fruit...). I

• t looks like a cure for everything.

These are all great prerequisites for making CBD products.

They have become a real hit and a symbol of the present time. However, this does not automatically mean that CBD is a panacea. Let's introduce this special type of cannabis in more detail. What is CBD and how does it affect our body?

Cannabis containing CBD, but almost THC-free

Cannabis probably does not need any special introduction. Yes, it is exactly this plant that is often smoked by clusters of teenagers outside nightclubs for the purpose of "pleasant relaxation". The active substances in cannabis are the so-called cannabinoids, which are compounds of which there are almost 150 in cannabis.

From a practical point of view, however, only a few are significant:

• THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main cannabinoid in regular cannabis, with about 5–20 mg of it in 100 mg of dry cannabis. It is this substance that has analgesic and psychoactive effects on the body.

• CBD (cannabidiol) is another important cannabinoid present in cannabis. In 100 mg of dry matter, we find about 5-10 mg of it and it is CBD from which almost miraculous healing effects are currently expected.

The content of THC and CBD in conventional hemp is variable and depends on the specific type of cannabis. High THC content is associated with low CBD and vice versa. For example, the record holder for THC content, the "Girl Scout Cookie" variant contains up to 28% THC and only 0.1-0.2% CBD.

A recent hit is hemp bred to contain CBD, but THC is practically not. In October 2020, the European Parliament decided that the maximum possible amount of THC in legal cannabis could be 0.3%, i.e. essentially negligible.

Is CBD really as healing as they say?

CBD hemp is normally used for therapeutic purposes, less for recreational or even entertainment purposes. In a recent study, researchers found that nearly 70% of users consume CBD hemp exclusively for therapeutic purposes. Why do people resort to CBD cannabis? Most often, at least one of the following reasons has a hand in this:

Depression. Many studies on human subjects are not yet available, so manufacturers usually refer to animal studies where these phenomena have been observed.

Anxiety. There are scientific studies in this direction, but they are by no means unanimous. Some show positive effects of administering hemp containing CBD (for example, CBD has been found to reduce anxiety in public speaking when administered orally with 150-600 mg of CBD), others did not observe a reduction in anxiety even at doses of 600 mg of CBD.

Aches. In his late 2020 study, expert Craig Svensson warns against jumping to conclusions about CBD's effects on chronic pain, as the effect is still not thoroughly studied.

Sleep support. Again, there are not enough studies to claim that CBD promotes sleep quality. In one 2019 study, taking 25 mg of CBD per day showed a slight improvement in sleep disorders after 2 months of use.

What are the main problems with verifying the effects of CBD?

It's still possible that CBD holds great potential for future therapeutic use. At present, however, it is still too early to draw far-reaching conclusions.

1. Problem 1: The dose administered varies from study to study. In studies, doses of up to 300600 mg of CBD per day are quite commonly used.‑ In some studies, doses exceeding 1,500 mg of CBD are even administered. Just for comparison – in 1 bag (1 g) of dried cannabis you will find about 60 mg of CBD, in hemp oil with 10% CBD content there are about 4 mg of CBD per 1 drop (the whole package of 10 ml contains about 250 drops).

2. Problem 2: There are still too few studies on human subjects. If you are currently looking at the effect of CBD on a particular health problem, you will find units of studies with a total of up to a few hundred human subjects.

But both problems will be resolved over time. There are currently around 150 scientific studies underway on the effects of hemp containing CBD on the human body, so in a few years we will be significantly wiser.

What do we currently know about CBD?

Although the complex effects on human health are still little explored today, we know a number of interesting things about CBD:

• CBD behaves differently in the body than THC, does not bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors and thus does not lead to conditions similar to the administration of conventional cannabis.

• CBD ingested by the digestive tract is largely degraded due to the firstpass effect in the liver, so absorption is estimated at only 20‑%. For this reason, vaporizing or feeding CBD oil under the tongue is more effective.

• CBD protects against excessive production of reactive oxygen species, so it has anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

• According to some studies, CBD appears to affect the activity of cytochromes P450, which play a central role in the metabolism and degradation of foreign substances. However, this effect is still little studied.

Can CBD be dangerous?

CBD appears to be a safe substance, side effects are rare and usually only mild. The most commonly reported side effects are malaise, lethargy or tiredness. Experts often point out that epileptics who want to use CBD (whether recreationally or for therapeutic purposes) should consult their doctor. This is because CBD can affect the action of drugs used in the treatment of epilepsy.

It is still true that when CBD is ingested in the form of smoking cannabis containing CBD, the administration is associated with negative health effects. Combustion leads to the formation of toxic compounds that are poisonous to the body... What's more, some of the hemp is burned without taking CBD into the body.

What variants of CBD are there on the market?

CBD can be administered in a variety of ways, of which the following are currently common:

1. CBD oil – this is an ideal option if you use CBD for therapeutic reasons. The total dose is completely under control and, moreover, the administration is without side health effects. CBD oils are normally produced in 5, 10, 15 or 20% concentration and one bottle usually contains 10 ml (= about 250 drops). In practice, this means that in 1 drop of oil we find approximately 2, 4, 6 or 8 mg of CBD. Studies commonly use doses of tens of milligrams of CBD per day, so for observable effects you will need to administer higher doses than just 1 drop per day.

2. Vaporizing hemp containing CBD is another acceptable form of effective ingestion of CBD.

3. Smoking cannabis containing CBD – is a possible but inappropriate form of CBD administration. Whether you smoke CBD hemp with or without tobacco, you are demonstrably harming your health by substances that are produced during combustion.

In the future, we can also look forward to other forms of CBD administration that are already beginning to appear abroad. One such favorite is CBD chewing gum. According to the recommendations of the British Food Standards Agency from 2020, the daily dose should not exceed 70 mg of CBD per day if the use is not consulted with the attending physician. Mild side effects occur only from doses exceeding this limit.

What to make of it?

Cannabis containing CBD is still one big question mark, because although its effects on the body look very promising based on theoretical studies and animal experiments, there are not many quality human studies yet. For this reason, a healthy skepticism and willingness to listen to new information is in order, because there will definitely be a lot to listen to about CBD in the future.

We should not forget that many producers and sellers of hemp containing CBD are primarily trying to ride the current "cannabis" wave. In the U.S. alone, for example, CBD sales are projected to exceed the astronomical $20 billion annually by 2024.

From a safety point of view, the use of CBD hemp However, there is no need to worry. There are relatively many studies on the safety of regular CBD use, and no serious side effects have been observed in healthy people. Caution should be given to epileptics, who should consult the use with their attending physician.