Medical marijuana comes from the Cannabis Sativa and Indica plants that are grown for high THC levels. They only have a trace amount of CBD. Industrial Hemp is grown with high CBD levels and low levels of THC. Each have their place in regards to helping people but THC can have side effects whereas CBD has virtually none. To help with the side effects of THC, CBD should be added to the regimen. For those who do not use THC to begin with, CBD is certainly the way to go to help with proper Endocannabinoid System (ECS) health along with helping many health conditions.
The study titled, The Potential of Cannabidiol Treamtent for Cannabis Users With Recent-Oset Psychosis, by Britta Hahn, published in August 2017 in Schizophrenia Bulletin, discusses the benefits of CBD and also discusses its use for helping people with the detrimental side effects of THC.
For those with Schizophrenia, THC abuse is quite high. THC is linked to higher amounts of psychosis in these individuals, and the younger the user, the greater the problems. THC, unfortunately, has some unwanted side effects. This study has an entire section on ‘Cannabis Use Detrimentally Affects Outcome in Individuals With Recent-Onset Psychosis.’
The best part of this discussion is that CBD appears to knock out the side effects of THC without disrupting the positive effects of it. CBD can reduce the psychotic symptoms about as well as prescription medications, without those side effects. This is great news for those who are currently using THC for medical reasons.
CBD, alone, is antipsychotic, anxiolytic (reduces anxiety), and may help those with Schizophrenia. In addition, we do not need to worry about being ‘high’ or damaging the brain over time. It also does not have addictive properties.
Some interesting information this study makes mention of is that CBD crosses the blood brain barrier and it has a long half-life of 18-33 hours (this is great to know). Studies have shown that even at high doses, CBD is safe. Another good thing is that high doses are not usually necessary as CBD consumption is about activating the endocannabinoid system more than it is about high dosing like a drug or supplement. We don’t take CBD based on our height, weight, etc… The dose of CBD should mostly be correlated with the extent of damage to the neurological system. This goes along with the need to consider the allostatic load (cumulative wear and tear on the body during your life). Of course, if we have neuroinflammatory/degenerative diseases, higher doses might be warranted. There are currently no good studies comparing lower and higher doses of CBD for particular conditions, at this time. I have written a blog about the lack of a dose response curve. Remember, it’s about activating a part of your neurological system that is lying dormant. Each person will likely need a different amount of CBD to achieve this.
There are a lot of CBD products on the market and we already know that 26% don’t have what their manufacturers say is in it. This is unfortunate. In addition, you must stay clear of synthetic cannabinoids and many companies are using these to lower costs…at the expense of quality and safety! It’s also good to know that you do not need to take excessive amounts. It is unnecessary as paying more for something you do not need is a waste of money. Please visit our website to learn more about CBD and what it can do to help you and those you care about.
Leave a Reply