CBD
A growing number of individuals are using over-the-counter CBD products to treat everything from anxiety to certain types of cancer. CBD is a phytocannabinoid that has a similar molecular structure to THC, but without any of its psychoactive properties. Lately CBD has become famous for being incredibly effective in the treatment of Dravet Syndrome—a condition characterized by frequent and severe seizures in children. There are several ways of using CBD, such as in tinctures, topicals, or gummies, most of which can be found at local convenience stores or on the internet. But even though CBD products are becoming more and more popular, consumer protection regulations have been slow to catch up. Most CBD products sold online or at regular retail locations are made from hemp derived CBD, which is not as strictly regulated as cannabis sourced CBD. Because hemp is a bio-accumulator (meaning it absorbs toxins from the soil) it’s a good idea to know exactly where your medicine is coming from. (Interesting side note, because hemp is such an effective bio-accumulator, it was planted at Chernobyl to help regenerate the land after their nuclear meltdown!) Not only does hemp leach toxins from the soil, if you are unsure of where these products are coming from it is virtually impossible to know whether or not pesticides and herbicides were used.
The best way to be sure you are using an all natural product that hasn’t been exposed to harmful chemicals is to get cannabis sourced CBD products. Laws prohibit the sale of cannabis sourced CBD to non-patients. This is because when you extract CBD from cannabis you can’t guarantee that there is no THC—but keep in mind that any THC found in CBD products will be very minimal, and in products that are made without heating the plant material, such as salves, any THC is not in its psychoactive form. With the rise of selective breeding it’s now even possible to smoke CBD rich plants with negligible THC levels. Strains like ACDC and Charlotte’s Web have very high CBD levels (averaging around 15%) with THC levels of less than 5%—just don’t forget that even though there is a very small amount of THC, heating it will activate whatever THC is in there.
Patients using CBD for seizures, anxiety, PTSD, and other disorders have been reporting remarkable success rates—stories of reduced seizures and better sleep have become commonplace. But CBD is not just for patients looking for relief without the use of THC. Because CBD and THC work in different ways to treat different things the use of THC and CBD together may have even greater benefits than using either on its own. CBD is also effective at minimizing the ‘high’ people get from THC, meaning if you find yourself ‘too stoned’ a dose of CBD might be able to bring you back down and alleviate any negative effects (paranoia, for instance). The benefits of CBD have been so great that people have been giving it to their pets and there are now CBD products that are designed and marketed strictly for our furry friends! So if you haven’t yet tried CBD, the time is now!