CBD Fun Facts
If you keep up with what’s new in medicine, you’ve likely heard about the excitement surrounding cannabidiol, also known as CBD is produced from the cannabis plant. But unlike other cannabis products such as THC, is non-psychoactive and doesn’t cause any of the same side effects. So far, scientists have only begun to scratch the surface of all that CBD might be able to do for our health, but what we do know is that CBD is proving promising for dozens of ailments.
If you’re starting to learn about CBD oil, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up 30 fun facts about CBD oil to summarize just what it is, what we know about it, what it does, and what we think it might do.
Cannabidiol is just one of more than 85 ingredients in cannabis plants.
Most people know that CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the ingredients in cannabis, but some mistake that fact to mean that CBD is associated with cannabis as a recreational drug. In fact, cannabidiol is one of more than 85 ingredients of cannabis that have varying effects on the human mind and body.
CBD oil is one of the two most prevalent ingredients in cannabis plants.
CBD, along with THC, is one of the two main ingredients in both hemp and cannabis plants. CBD is found throughout the seeds, stalk, and flowers of the plant, and is therefore easily extracted.
Cannabidiol is just one of more than 85 ingredients in cannabis plants.
Most people know that CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the ingredients in cannabis, but some mistake that fact to mean that CBD is associated with cannabis as a recreational drug. In fact, cannabidiol is one of more than 85 ingredients of cannabis that have varying effects on the human mind and body.
CBD oil works naturally with the body.
Cannabidiol, along with some other chemicals found in cannabis plants, works naturally with a mammal’s cannabinoid receptor sites, which make up the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and which are found primarily in the brain and central nervous system.
The list of things CBD could potentially benefit is a long one.
The body’s endocannabinoid system is a massive network of cell receptor proteins that deal with just about anything, including mood, memory, motor control, immune function, reproduction, pain perception, appetite, sleep, and bone development, to name but a few. Because CBD oil works naturally with the ECS, the list of things CBD could potentially benefit is enormous.
CBD might react with other systems in the body as well.
Though research on this topic is still underway, scientists know that cannabinoid receptors aren’t the only receptors with which CBD can engage. So far, scientists know that CBD will engage either directly or indirectly with vanilloid receptors, adenosine receptors, and serotonin receptors, which could mean even more significant effects on things like pain management, sleep-wake cycles, and mood and stress management, respectively.
CBD interacts with but does not bind to CB1 receptors.
The health benefits and other effects of CBD can occur because CBD interacts with the CB1 receptor (found on neurons and glial cells in the brain) and the CB2 receptor (also located in the immune system). Unlike THC, CBD does not bind to these receptors, which leads us to our next fact:
CBD won’t make you high.
CBD, along with THC, is a central component of the cannabis variant marijuana, but it’s THC that gives marijuana users their high. CBD is naturally non-psychoactive and therefore cannot make you high.
In fact, CBD can negate the effects of THC.
While THC has been known to cause paranoia, and increased levels of stress along with a high, CBD brings about the opposite. For this reason, CBD is being used more and more to treat a complex range of ailments.
It is impossible to overdose on CBD.
CBD is non-toxic, so it is not possible to overdose while taking it.
You can take CBD any number of ways.
Once extracted from the plant, CBD oil can be taken orally through drops, cooked into food or other edibles, or vaporized for smoking.
Hemp plants and cannabis plants for medical use are the two best sources for CBD.
CBD, like THC, is a cannabinoid, and its amount varies from plant to plant. Cannabis plants meant for recreational use tend to have more THC than CBD. Alternatively, industrial hemp plants and cannabis plants intended for medical use are both very low in THC, but high in CBD.
The first recorded medicinal use of hemp occurred around 2700 B.C.
Hemp, along with its seeds and oils, has been used for more than 10,000 years for various purposes. As one of the first plants to be domesticated, hemp is used to make clothing, rope, paper, and shoes, while its seeds and oils are used for food and medicines.
Even Queen Victoria used CBD.
In the 19th century, Queen Victoria of England used CBD-rich cannabis to alleviate menstrual cramps.
In the UK, CBD oil is classified as a medicine.
CBD oil has been available in the UK as a “nutritional supplement” for quite a while, but recently it has been reclassified as a “medicine.” Which means that the British government has begun to recognize CBD’s many health benefits formally, a significant fact considering recreational cannabis is still illegal. It also says that CBD will likely be placed through the same rigorous tests and trials as other medicines.
CBD oil works naturally with the body.
Cannabidiol, along with some other chemicals found in cannabis plants, works naturally with a mammal’s cannabinoid receptor sites, which make up the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and which are found primarily in the brain and central nervous system.
CBD blocks the addictive effect of other drugs.
A strain of medical cannabis called Charlotte’s Web is leading the charge when it comes to medical marijuana laws.
Two brothers in Colorado began growing a particular strain of cannabis that is high in CBD, but low in THC. The strain was named Charlotte’s Web after a 5-year old girl, Charlotte Figi, began using it to help control her Dravet Syndrome, an illness that causes frequent and uncontrollable seizures. The success of Charlotte’s Web on Charlotte and other children with Dravet Syndrome has helped to bring about and change many laws regarding medical marijuana.
As you read this, several states are working hard to make CBD oil available to children and adults who have epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes convulsions or loss of consciousness.
