CBD based products are a growing industry worldwide. The organic nature of this chemical makes it very appealing to today’s health-conscious public. If you’ve never heard of cannabidiol (aka CBD) before, we’re going to walk you through the basics.
The substance
CBD was discovered in the 1940s. It is one out of over a hundred cannabinoids that have been identified in plants of the cannabis subtype, which is a group that contains marijuana and hemp. The latter is the most common source of commercial CBD world wide.
Specifically, CBD is often extracted from the stem of the hemp plant. It can be taken into the body in many ways, including inhalation, ingestion, or application directly on the skin.
The effects
The many positive effects of CBD are what attract customers worldwide to products using the substance. But often the biggest concern is about something CBD does not do, so let’s clear that out.
No, CBD won’t get you high. The substance has no psychotropic attributes. It also won’t leave you intoxicated or impair your cognition in any way. It is a non-addictive substance as well, one often used as a safe pain-management alternative by people fighting opioid addiction.
Pain relief
This leads us to one of the benefits of CBD: safe pain relief with no addiction risks. The substance, when ingested or applied directly to the painful area, can relieve everything from chronic pain to menstrual cramps. It is widely used to relieve muscle pain in athletes and bodybuilders.
That said, be careful where you get your CBD. Shady laboratories can sell products contaminated with enough THC to flag you in a drug test. Cibdol wrote a nice article about that if you’re interested.
Anxiety management
Be it in the corporate world, the academic world, or in people’s personal lives: anxiety in its many forms is a common plague. It can affect your productivity, your judgment, and make you avoid risks when a decisive step might’ve been required.
CBD is an anxiolytic. It works directly on the nervous system to help manage and reduce anxiety in people who take it. It’s so safe and effective that parents and doctors have even used it as a healthier alternative to treat PTSD in children who have undergone trauma.
Beauty products
The beauty industry is no stranger to flowery advertisements, so some of the claims made around beauty products containing CBD are… questionable, at best. However, the substance does have cosmetic applications.
First, CBD is an anti-inflammatory, making it powerful in the treatment of acne and other skin inflammations that might cause reddish marks on one’s skin.
Second, CBD does have plenty of valuable nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, and E, and essential fatty acids. Those nutrients make CBD beneficial for your hair and skin.
Cannabidiol isn’t just a trend that is going to blow over. As a 2019 Allure article said:
“If you were planning to wait out the CBD trend, you may want to reconsider — the American CBD market could reach $16 billion by 2025.”
So to answer to the article’s title: yes, you should try it. Find out for yourself works and what doesn’t. Bring the benefits of CBD into your life.
