With the growing acceptance of medical marijuana and the ongoing trend of legalization comes a new frontier–CBD oil. For those of you who aren’t familiar with CBD, it is a compound in cannabis that is believed to provide pain relief as well as alleviate anxiety and depression. It is distinct from THC, the compound that is primarily responsible for getting you high. Faced with obvious evidence of CBD’s benefits, even states traditionally thought of as unfriendly to cannabis, like Texas and Florida, have gotten in on the trend. Both states recently passed laws to allow possession of CBD oil in some cases. For an up-to-date map of legalization, decriminalization, medical marijuana and CBD laws, go here. NORML State Map
What is CBD Oil?
CBD stands for Cannabidiol (not spelled cannabid-oil), a compound present in marijuana. It is thought to provide stress relief, pain relief, alleviate anxiety, depression, and insomnia, among other benefits. Scientists are still fully studying the effects of CBD, but it seems to be both safe and beneficial to the health of its users. CBD does not seem to have significant psychoactive effects on most users. It is present in both male and female plants, unlike THC, which is heavily concentrated in the buds of the female cannabis plant. You can safely tell your mom that taking THC oil does not make you a stoner.
Should I use CBD oil?
That depends on what benefits you want from using it. You are not likely to get high from taking CBD oil. CBD is present in the commonly smoked varieties of cannabis, so by smoking weed the old-fashioned way, you do get some benefits. It isn’t completely clear how CBD and THC interact, but it’s safe to assume that millions of people smoke marijuana safely on a daily basis. State laws are another issue. In some states, you can get in just as much or even greater trouble for possessing CBD oil as if possessing marijuana. The legal side is still challenging there does not seem to be a whole lot of evidence pointing to excessive health risk from using CBD oil. The relative benefits of CBD versus plain-vanilla weed are a discussion for another post, but Indica strains seem to have a higher amount of CBD than Sativa strains of marijuana. Medical marijuana patients also often preferred Indica strains in the past. Use of CBD ties into the larger debate on medical marijuana.
Is medical marijuana legitimate?
When medical marijuana was first introduced in California, it was widely abused by patients and doctors writing prescriptions for nonexistent pain, anxiety, and “glaucoma.” However, the evidence is clear that medical marijuana has helped countless people with cancer, epilepsy, immune diseases, and other illnesses. Over time, doctors found more efficient ways to consume medical marijuana, such as vaping, which has the benefit of not filling patients lungs with the onslaught of carbon monoxide and smoke that smoking does. CBD oil represents a further refinement in delivering medical marijuana to patients. For patients who have to take medical marijuana on a regular basis, being high all the time may be considered more of a side effect than a benefit. So yes, medical marijuana is legitimate, and CBD oil is a further refinement of medical marijuana.
You can safely tell your mother the benefits of CBD oil, and even suggest for her to try it herself. Just know the legal risks of marijuana and CBD oil (sometimes heavy), as well as the health consequences (much fewer). The future looks bright for the potential of CBD oil for medical purposes, as well as for recreational weed.
Author Bio:Andrew Havens is the president ofNganic, selling the highest quality CBD Hemp products. Their products are made locally in Reno, NV, with all ingredients being sourced from the US, including their organically Colorado grown hemp.
