If You’re Looking to Improve Your Mental Health, CBD Oil May Be For You

Takeaways to remember:

Much like CBD’s effect on anxiety, this sentence is certain to calm the most anxious of minds.
CBD is a chemical found in the cannabis plant. Although it doesn’t produce a ‘high,’ CBD can make you feel calmer and reduce anxiety.
While the FDA has only approved CBD to be used as a treatment for epilepsy, there are several anecdotal stories of it working for other conditions.

CBD is having its time in the spotlight, and it’s easy to understand why. There are tons of potential uses for CBD oil. Some claim that it has the ability to treat anxiety, depression, cancer, nausea, pain, arthritis, insomnia, seizures, and many other ailments. However, it should be noted that the validity of these claims is still very widely debated, so use caution when needed.

Everybody Gets Anxious Sometimes. CBD Makes You Chillaxed Without the High.

CBD is a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. It has no THC (or very, very little), which means that, unlike the word suggests, it will not get you high. It’s power as a super antioxidant is just as potent as its power as a stress reducer.

Moreover, CBD has recently been promoted as a treatment for a wide range of medical conditions, including:

While thousands of people around the world use CBD medication to treat epilepsy, only one—Epidiolex—has seen the FDA’s stamp of approval.

So, Can CBD Really Help With Anxiety?

Cannabidiol may very well be the ultimate anxiety cure. The research is still in its infancy, but CBD has already shown it’s capable of calming people down when nothing else will.

Researchers say that anxiety sufferers may be able to reduce symptoms with some help from their endocannabinoid system. While the pharmaceutical options are well-known, it’s worth exploring all your options. Considering CBD oil can be a great way to keep symptoms of anxiety away.

What About Depression?

CBD oil is believed to help fight depression by increasing serotonin levels, but no significant studies have been conducted, with only a few reports on the matter. Studies are currently under way, and with more research we may gain a better understanding of how CBD helps those battling mental illness.

CBD is a compound in marijuana that may actually make it safer to take antidepressants. But of course we still need more research to know for sure.

How Much CBD Should I Take For Anxiety?

There is no established dose for anxiety. Researchers have shown that doses ranging from 300mg to 600mg can reduce anxiety in those with social anxiety disorder. New studies, however, are required to determine an effective and safe dose.

CBD is available in a variety of forms and products, including:

Capsules
Oils
Teas
Vapor
Candies
Drops

CBD comes from cannabis plants, and since the FDA is a federal agency and cannabis is still illegal on a federal level, they do not monitor these products. States have the ability to regulate the sale of CBD, but it’s not uniform, and the regulatory system hasn’t caught up with the growing popularity of CBD.

Are There Side Effects Associated With CBD?

CBD has been found to have few side effects in studies. However, people who received Epidiolex (nearly 100 percent pure CBD) experienced side effects such as:

Insomnia
Drowsiness
Fatigue
Decreased appetite
Diarrhea

In clinical trials, Epidiolex caused mild liver damage in some people, according to the FDA.

Furthermore, CBD has the potential to interact with warfarin (Coumadin), a medication used to prevent blood clots, as well as a number of other drugs, including:

Antidepressants
Opioids
Antipsychotics
Benzodiazepines
Calcium channel blockers

The effects of CBD on pregnant and breastfeeding moms are also unknown, and more research is needed to determine whether the products are safe for these women to use. Women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid using CBD products, according to the FDA. You may be wondering if CBD can actually increase your anxiety rather than relieve it. According to research, this is unlikely. CBD has been shown to reduce anxiety or have no effect on anxiety even at high doses, whereas THC reduces anxiety at low doses but increases it at high doses. In theory, CBD could make you anxious if it contains a high concentration of THC.

But, Will It Get Me High?

You won’t get high if the CBD is pure.

CBD and THC both act on the same brain receptors (cannabinoid receptors). THC, on the other hand, is thought to act on these receptors to a much greater extent than CBD, resulting in the changes in thinking and perception associated with marijuana.

Furthermore, the World Health Organization discovered that CBD does not appear to be habit-forming or to cause the type of dependence seen with illicit drugs.

THC is present in some CBD products, whether they are labeled as such or not. So there’s a chance you’ll get high if the CBD contains enough THC.

Is CBD Legal?

CBD extracted from hemp plants with less than 0.3 percent THC is legal on the federal level, but CBD extracted from marijuana plants is illegal. This is due to the fact that growing marijuana plants is illegal under federal law. CBD must also be produced under strict guidelines. The grower, for example, must be licensed and follow federal and state regulations.

States have legalized CBD to varying degrees, but some still place restrictions on its cultivation, sale, and possession. It is best to check your state’s laws.

It’s also worth noting that, with the exception of Epidiolex, CBD products are not regulated by the FDA. That means you can’t be certain you’re getting exactly what’s on the label. Even if you buy the same product, due to a lack of regulation, the dose can vary from batch to batch.

Can Drug Tests Detect CBD?

It all depends on how much THC is in the CBD you’re taking.

THC is detected in the majority of drug tests. If the amount in your system exceeds the test’s threshold, you’ll get a positive result. However, the tests do not screen for CBD. You should be fine if the product you’re using is pure. Even if there are trace amounts of THC in the product, it is unlikely that it will cause you to fail the test.

Main Idea

CBD first appeared on the scene as a rumored “miracle cure” for a variety of medical conditions, including anxiety. The research for anxiety is promising, but it is hampered by small sample sizes and a lack of information on long-term effects. More research is needed to determine whether it is a safe and effective treatment.

CBD is relatively easy to find and buy, but it is not well regulated. The label’s ingredients and CBD concentration may differ from what’s inside the bottle — or gummy bear. Its legality is also murky, so you should look into the laws governing its possession and use in your state.