CBD oil is probably the most common cannabidiol product available today. It can be found in more places than ever, but there are also many other options for the potential CBD consumer. With all these other choices, some people are asking the question: Is CBD oil even worth buying?
The Rise Of CBD
Only a few short years ago, CBD was considered a fringe remedy and was not well-known to the general public. There were only a few dedicated CBD companies back in 2015, but things have changed a lot since then. According to these statistics, the CBD market is projected to grow by about 3.52 billion between 2020 and 2024. At this point, you can probably walk into the nearest gas station and find some kind of CBD product.
Obviously, its rise in popularity is directly connected to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. This is the legislation that made Hemp legal to grow and use, provided it does not contain more than 0.3% THC. Although CBD was technically legal before that, this law made it a lot more practical (and legally safe) to cultivate Hemp as a source of medicinal CBD.
How Does CBD Oil Affect Your Body?
The brains of all mammals are wired to use cannabinoid substances. The body naturally uses certain types of cannabinoids (referred to as "endocannabinoids") as part of its signaling system. When we say that, we refer to the system that allows your brain to pass instructions to the rest of the body. Chemicals called neurotransmitters act as messengers, while special cells called receptors are used to receive their messages. CBD binds to these endocannabinoid receptor cells and gives the body certain specific instructions. Thus, it triggers the body to heal itself.
The endocannabinoid system influences many things, including mood, appetite, memory, pain response, immune response, and temperature response. There are two particular receptors (CB1 and CB2) that make up the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are dormant until activated by some sort of cannabinoid, whether internal (like the body's natural endocannabinoids) or external (like a dose of CBD oil). Most sources seem to agree that CBD is more likely to bond with CB1 than CB2, suggesting that it is the primary actor.
Apart from this, most users of CBD oil say that it has a calming effect upon the body and mind. Obviously, this effect is nowhere near as strong as that of its cousin (Marijuana) but is still enough to produce a slight euphoria. No one seems to understand why this happens, but nearly all CBD users would agree that it happens.
Should You Take CBD Oil For Stress And Anxiety?
A lot of people choose to consume Stirling’s CBD oil for stress and anxiety. This is partly because of the calming effect described above, but there are other reasons. They say that CBD actively fights stress and anxiety, helping people to maintain a normal emotional state. So, right now, you might be wondering: Should I take CBD oil for stress and/or anxiety?
To answer that question, we must answer two sub-questions: Does it work, and is it safe? The answer to that second question is pretty obvious, as everyone knows that CBD is safe. Just to be sure, we did a quick search, and we can confirm that CBD has never been found to be dangerous. However, we did find an interesting discussion on the subject.
Apparently, some people are claiming that CBD can cause liver damage. They are also claiming that scientific evidence supports their claim. However, when we look a little more closely, we see certain problems. Medical trials for a CBD-based drug called Epidiolex found that it caused liver problems in some patients. However, Epidiolex also contained a large amount of alcohol, which seems to be a more likely cause. Not only that, but Epidiolex has certainly been processed a lot more than CBD oil. To be safe, however, we would recommend that you never exceed the recommended dosage when using CBD.
Is It Safe To Consume CBD Oil While Pregnant?
At present, there seems to be no medical or scientific consensus on this subject. Some people say that it's perfectly safe while others say it's a bad idea. Obviously, no doctor is going to feel safe recommending something like this, but only because it represents an unknown to them. Thus, we are left to figure things out for ourselves. We should mention that the writer of this article is not a doctor and is not qualified to give out medical advice. Nevertheless, we shall see what we can find.
We did find this study, which explored the subject of medicinal Cannabis use among young children and pregnant women. Although they repeatedly say that there are concerns with the idea of pregnant women using CBD, they also say that there has never been any real proof of negative side effects. They do say that THC can cross the placental wall and cause problems, but CBD oil contains little to none of that. Thus, we would say that it's probably safe to use CBD while pregnant, but be sure to ask your doctor to be sure.