One of the big, overarching questions that seems to continuously find itself returning to the conversation about CBD oil and its miracle properties is the simple and standard: is CBD oil safe?
It’s a valid concern, and one that any sensible person should certainly be asking prior to taking on any new form of treatment or diet or supplement. It’s a question you should be asking, to be perfectly honest.
Who wouldn’t want to know that?
Before we look at a few logistics and some of the more recent research, the direct answer is simple: yes, CBD oil is a safe product to take. But what does that mean?
It’s just gained federal approval, and its legality is legitimate.
With the Farm Bill of 2018, states across the country are now legally able to produce and consume CBD oil with a THC level of less than .3%. It’s been deemed safe enough to give to small children, as a prescribed medication for the treatment of epilepsy. It’s being legalized, because it’s being deemed safe.
Though not the same compound, marijuana is also gaining increasing legality in various states across America. Here it becomes important to note the key distinction between CBD (cannabidiol oil) and marijuana, which has THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. CBD does not have psychoactive properties in any way.
The lack of psychoactive compounds is a significant contributing factor to the safety, preference, and growing legality of CBD oil.
Research dates back to many previous decades, and even centuries.
There’s a little bit of a misconception that just because CBD oil is facing this blow-up of popularity in the United States right now, having just been legalized at the federal level, there’s not much research behind it.
But that isn’t really true. CBD, as a compound, was first recognized in the early 1900’s, and was more extensively researched in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Studies in these years showed significant lack of danger in laboratory research. No one died, no one got sick.
What people mean when they say there isn’t much research on it yet, more relates to the multitude of miracle cures that more and more people swear by on the daily. We don’t have decades of research specifically on CBD’s effect on back pain, or decades of research specifically on CBD’s effect on glaucoma, stress, anxiety, etc.
While there are massive amounts of people who personally attest to finding success with using CBD as a treatment, that part of the research is still in the earlier stages. Let’s be honesty-it’s hard to test so many different purported healing powers from one compound.
The human body naturally produces these cannabinoids.
Cannabidiol oil works by binding with or interacting with the human body’s own cannabinoids. The body has two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 receptors, and CB2 receptors, which essentially interact with the cannabidiols released in the oil.
It is a naturally occurring compound, not some synthetic and altered substance, like many modern drugs and medications are.
As with anything we put into our bodies, too much of something can be harmful, or at least unpleasant. Although CBD products can have a varying amount of dosage strength, most experts recommend taking 25mg of CBD in the morning and evening to start off, and find the proper dosage from there.
The research on its healing properties is new, but it’s also showing promising results in quite a few areas.
As was previously stated, this all began with the legalization of CBD as a highly successful treatment for child epilepsy. It all began with the incredible viral story of the child who was given the Charlotte’s web, a THC-free strain of marijuana, that successfully stopped a dangerous, threatening, and severe case of Dravet Syndrome.
Since then, users of CBD have begun touting its ability to treat and heal a wealth of ailments and illnesses, both physical and mental. It’s been said to have a positive impact on heart disease, anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, pain and inflammation, and all with little to no side effects. Most of these effects have including the very properties that many hope for CBD to heal, like feeling sleepy or drowsy.
It’s not an addictive substance.
CBD oil, and marijuana for that matter, have both been identified as not being addictive substances. They don’t have nicotine, they don’t lead to addiction issues, or cause dependency problems. It’s been established that marijuana is not a ‘gateway drug’, for the same reasons. These natural compounds simply don’t possess the harmful properties of so many other compounds out in the market today.
CBD has even been brought up as a potential solution to opioid addiction, both for his relaxation properties as well as its ability to ease pain and inflammation.
Obviously, it’s important to always listen to your medical practitioner and seek advice before using any method of treatment for an ailment, but the research, the patterns, and the testimonies all indicate the same- CBD is good for the body, and it’s a safe product for people, as well as animals.
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