Why does CBD seem to be so mysterious?
Updated: Mar 3, 2021
Every single day, I get calls from people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, and cannabis experience levels. The one underlying curiosity is what is this CBD stuff and should I use it?
Any small amount of research you can kind of find information online about it, but nothing really definitive.
It may help with a host of mental ailments:
Anxiety
General Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder
Depression
Addiction
ADHD
Stress
Sleep
Parkinson’s Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
It may also help with physical ailments:
Pain
Inflammation
Seizures
Joint Soreness
Muscle Soreness
How can one thing solve so many different problems? Why does everyone say it “may” help?
The Endocannabinoid System
First and foremost, to understand the potential benefits, there needs to be an understanding of the endocannabinoid system.
Receptors
Humans have an endocannabinoid system made up of 2 primary receptors. The CB1 and the CB2 receptors are located individually and combined in various parts of the body including our major organ systems.
CB1 receptors are commonly found in the brain and spinal cord which impacts the central nervous system.
CB2 receptors are found in the lymphatic system which ultimately impacts the circulatory system aka our bloodstream.
Both CB1 and CB2 receptors are found in bones and major organ systems such as the visual (eyes), cardiovascular (heart), and digestive (stomach/digestive track) systems.
To recap, these receptors are located throughout the body and can heavily impact sleep, mood, appetite, memory, and reproductive systems.
So how does it work?
Cannabinoids activate or depress the endocannabinoid system, not artificially alter it. For example, depression can be a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. It’s not uncommon for antidepressant medication to introduce those chemicals through medicine and some people who have a severe imbalance, may really need that to function. Cannabinoids are more like vitamins where they can help nourish the endocannabinoid system to naturally jump start and produce those chemicals. It can work in conjunction with or as a replacement in the right scenario. This of course is a conversation to have with your chosen medical professional.
Keep in mind, you’re reading this on the internet and we sell products, so I could be just making all of this stuff up to make money off of you, but fortunately, it’s all backed by 3rd party research conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
NCBI Research Article Here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2241751/
“Hemp products didn’t ‘work’ for me”
This one is super common and requires some digging to understand. I get a lot of people telling me that when they tried (insert product here), they didn’t feel anything.
There are a few key rules that can make a big difference in gauging the results of the product.
Take the product with consistency over the course of a week. If not, then it may have less of an impact.
Follow the “grapefruit rule” to hemp products meaning do not to take them within 2 hours of prescription medication.
Lastly and most importantly, the goal of CBD is not to take it to feel something, the goal is to take it to not feel something. I don’t want to feel anxious. I don’t want to feel pain. I don’t want to feel depressed. These things take time and consistency.
It also takes trust in who is making the products. A recent study found that just 1 in 4 products really contain the amount of cannabinoids they’re advertising. This is where I should lay on a sales pitch about how we’re the distillery making the ingredients that go into the products, or that were featured on ABC News due to our testing transparency, but I’ll spare you that eye roll.
Why does everything say it may help
There seem to be some real commitment issues by hemp product manufacturers and it ends up feeling like these brands are trying to sell snake oil. One of the main reasons companies don’t commit is because they can’t.
Despite multiple, independent research institutions providing efficacy data around the benefits of hemp and its impact on the endocannabinoid system, the FDA hasn’t made an official stance or provided guidelines around its safety. What this means is that companies making specific claims about what their product can do, run the risk of some serious legal trouble. The best way to combat it is to leverage customer testimonials and feedback to report on how consumers use products.
The industry is hoping for some serious movement in 2021 in the CBD/hemp industry and we’re all eagerly waiting for the day where we have more research, more support, and more healthy, happy consumers going about their daily lives.
In the meantime, please remember to provide testimonials and reviews of your products on our website so other people can understand why they may or may not want a specific product.
