Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the many cannabinoid molecules produced by cannabis, right after THC in abundance. These cannabinoids of plant origin, or phytocannabinoids, are characterized by their ability to act on the cannabinoid receptors that are part of our endocannabinoid system.
While THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis and has certain medical uses, CBD stands out because it is both non-psychoactive and has a wide range of potential medical applications.
These properties make it particularly attractive as a therapeutic agent.
Cannabidiol or CBD is a non-toxic component of the cannabis plant with therapeutic potential recognized today. Although CBD does not make people feel like it is “hovering” like THC does, it has generated a lot of interest among scientists,
healthcare professionals and patients who use CBD-rich products to treat a wide range of conditions – chronic pain, cancer, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, PTSD, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, antibiotic-resistant infections, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia etc …
University research centers in the United States and elsewhere are studying the effects of CBD on these and other diseases. Scientists refer to CBD as a ‘versatile’ compound because it could confer therapeutic benefits in many different ways while exploiting our physiological and biological functioning at a deep level.
Extensive preclinical research and some clinical studies have shown that CBD has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antipsychotic, anti-tumor and neuroprotective properties. Cannabidiol could alter gene expression and remove beta-amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, from brain cells.
CBD or THC?
Cannabidiol and THC work best together. CDB and THC interact in synergy to potentiate their respective healing qualities. CBD improves the analgesic properties of THC, while decreasing the psychoactivity of THC.
CBD can also lessen the harmful effects caused by too much THC, such as anxiety and a rapid heartbeat. When the two compounds are present in sufficient quantity in the same strain or the same cannabis product, the CBD will lower the ceiling for high THC while extending its duration. “Relaxing, but not breathtaking” is how we could describe CBD-rich cannabis.
CBD widens the range of conditions that can be treated with cannabis, such as liver, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders, which may be less sensitive to THC-dominant remedies. CBD and THC interact synergistically to potentiate their respective healing qualities.
What is the best way to take CBD?
The most suitable delivery system for CBD-rich cannabis is one that provides an optimal dose for a desired duration with few side effects.
Varieties of cannabis flowers rich in CBD are available, but most patients prefer non-inhalable products made with cannabis oil concentrates.
CBD-rich cannabis oil products can be taken sublingually, orally (as foods, lozenges, drinks, tinctures and capsules), or applied topically. Concentrated cannabis oil extracts can also be heated and inhaled with a vape pen. Inhalation is good for treating acute symptoms that require immediate attention; the effects can be felt in less than a minute or two and usually last a few hours. The effects of orally administered CBD-rich cannabis oil can last for four hours or more, but the onset of the effects is much slower (30 to 90 minutes) than inhalation.
What is the right CBD: THC ratio for me?
Therapeutic cannabis is personalized medicine. There is not a single ratio, a single strain or a single product that is suitable for everyone. Optimize your therapeutic cannabis consumption by finding the right combination of CBD and THC that works best for you. A person’s sensitivity to THC is a key factor in determining the appropriate ratio and dosage of a CBD-rich drug.
Many people enjoy high cannabis and can consume reasonable amounts of any product without experiencing an overly pronounced euphoric effect. Others find THC unpleasant. CBD can reduce or neutralize the intoxicating effects of THC.
Those who don’t like THC have the option of using a CBD-rich product with only a small amount of THC.
What is the optimal dosage of CBD?
An effective dosage can range from a few milligrams of fortified cannabis oil to one gram or more. Start with a small dose of high CBD / THC oil, especially if you have little or no experience with cannabis. Take a few small doses during the day rather than a large dose.
Use the same dose and the same ratio for several days. Observe the effects and adjust the ratio or amount if necessary- Cannabis compounds have biphasic properties, which means that low and high doses of the same substance can produce opposite effects. Small doses of cannabis tend to stimulate; large doses are sedative. Too much THC can amplify anxiety and mood disorders. CBD has no known unwanted side effects, but too much CBD may be less effective therapeutically than a moderate dose.
What about scientific trials?
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about CBD is the number and variety of its potential therapeutic applications. It is important to recognize that each application can be supported by different levels of evidence.
These range from ongoing clinical trials evaluating its effectiveness in the treatment of human diseases to animal studies on its behavioral and physiological effects, to in vitro work (experiments in test tubes) measuring its pharmacological interactions and its mechanisms of action. . Each type of study has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Clinical trials allow us to draw conclusions about the safety and efficacy of potential therapeutic agents in humans, while animal studies and in vitro experiments allow researchers to explore their biological actions in more detail.
However, as the latter category of studies is not conducted in humans, the results do not always lead to the clinical application that we hope – the majority of drugs that start in human clinical trials are not never approved. Nonetheless, animal studies provide us with a solid foundation of biological knowledge, and are where the initial breakthroughs in research are made.
Why does CBD have so much therapeutic potential?
CBD is famous for its promises to treat treatment-resistant forms of childhood epilepsy. A number of clinical trials, testing the effectiveness of CBD in patients with human epilepsy, are currently underway.
But there is also evidence, mainly from animal studies and in vitro experiments, that CBD may have neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and analgesic (analgesic) properties and potential therapeutic value in the treatment of motivational disorders like depression, anxiety and addiction.
What is the biological basis for this wide range of potential medical uses? A key part of the answer lies in the proximity pharmacology of CBD – its ability to influence a wide range of receptor systems in the brain and body, including not only cannabinoid receptors, but a host of others.
The use of CBD by athletes
More and more high-level athletes even claim to consume it for its relaxing effect, easily passing anti-doping controls.
The influence of CBD on brain receptors
Although it is a cannabinoid, CBD does not interact directly with the two conventional cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Instead, it affects signaling via the CB1 and CB2 receptors indirectly. This partly explains why, unlike THC, CBD is not intoxicating. In addition to its indirect influence on the CB1 and CB2 receptors, CBD can increase the body’s levels of natural cannabinoids (called endocannabinoids) by inhibiting the enzymes that break them down.
Even more intriguing: CBD also influences many non-cannabinoid receptor systems in the brain, interacting with receptors sensitive to a variety of drugs and neurotransmitters. These include opioid receptors, known for their role in regulating pain.
Opioid receptors are the main targets of pharmaceutical pain relievers and drugs like morphine, heroin and fentanyl.
CBD can also interact with dopamine receptors, which play a crucial role in regulating many aspects of behavior and cognition, including motivation and reward seeking behavior.
This raises the intriguing possibility that the ability of CBD to influence opioid or dopaminergic receptors may be the basis of its ability to alleviate drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms, effects directly related to the treatment of addiction.
However, we cannot say for sure at this point; more research on the interactions of CBD with the opioid and dopamine receptor systems is still needed.
The therapeutic potential of CBD with regard to dependence also extends to the serotonergic system. Animal studies have shown that CBD directly activates several serotonin receptors in the brain. These interactions have been implicated in its ability to reduce drug-seeking behavior.
The influence of CBD on the serotonergic system may also partly explain its anti-anxiety properties, which have been demonstrated robustly in studies in humans and animals.
Exclusion of liability:
We are not authorized to give information on the health care or the therapeutic properties of our products. Our products are not intended for the cure of diseases, nor for the prevention or diagnosis of these.
Consult your doctor before consuming CBD products. Please use the products in accordance with their recommended use. We condemn the use by combustion of our products, a method of administration recognized as harmful to health.
