Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive, naturally occurring cannabinoid, has had a rapid rise in popularity over the last few years as researchers discover more about its exciting therapeutic properties.
Here are a few of the reasons to be excited about CBD:
1. Research Indicates CBD Helps Reduce Seizure Activity
Studies have found CBD to be a well-tolerated and promising therapeutic treatment for epilepsy and seizure disorders in both adults and children. More research is needed to fully understand the mechanism of CBD that controls seizures, but research has demonstrated CBD’s efficacy for managing seizures caused by conditions like Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. In one study, CBD reduced the seizure frequency in 85% of children with epilepsy, while 14% of those children experienced complete seizure freedom.
See our epilepsy condition page to learn more about CBD’s effects on epilepsy and seizure disorders.
2. Studies Show CBD Fights Cancer
Research has shown that CBD can potentially destroy malignant tumors and curtail the spread of cancer cells. CBD has shown it’s cancer-fighting capabilities in breast, lung, prostate, glioblastoma and colon cancers. CBD has also shown efficacy for helping those diagnosed with cancer manage the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy.
Learn more about CBD’s effects on cancer here.
3. CBD’s Therapeutic Benefits are Recognized by the U.S. Government
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a patent on the therapeutic properties of CBD. Patent #6,630,507, titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants,” was awarded to the NIH in 2003. The document describes CBD as a potent antioxidant and as having neuroprotective properties, which indicates that the NIH recognizes CBD’s capabilities to protect the brain and nervous system caused by events like strokes, spinal cord injuries, or head trauma. The National Cancer Institute, headed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recognizes CBD’s anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and appetite-stimulating effects.
4. CBD Shows Treatment Potential for Brain Injury and Neurodegenerative Disorders
CBD’s neuroprotective effects have shown they can help limit, slow or prevent permanent neural cell damage related to neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, or trauma events like spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. When administered shortly following a blow to the head, CBD prevents the release of harmful mediators that can lead to permanent brain damage.
5. CBD is Legal in the U.S.
CBD that has been derived from the stalks and seeds of imported hemp are excluded from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. Therefore, CBD hemp oil is legally available under federal law, regardless of whether you’ve obtained a prescription. While individual state laws are dynamic and individual states may govern hemp-derived CBD, in most cases CBD is legally available. CBD hemp oil has been available on the mainstream market for several years and come in products like pure oil, tinctures, capsules, drops, high concentration extracts and gums.
You can learn more about CBD-related laws here.
You can learn even more about what research has discovered about the major and minor cannabinoids here.
