Anxiety and CBD: An Introduction to Cannabinoid

In my last article Neuroplasticity: Brainwave Entrainment we learned about the role of Brainwave Entrainment in facilitating brain plasticity and how it can enhance gray matter that is generally lost with age and stress. We saw evidence how it can reverse changes to the brain that is caused by anxiety and how it can actually help with memory, seeing hearing, executive functions, impulse control, emotions and speech by increasing the brain’s gray matter that is responsible for these functions. With the advances in Brainwave Entrainment, people are finding ways to use this to enhance deep sleep, relaxation, reduce anxiety and other important benefits for a healthier life style.

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Today, I want to take a slight deviation from what I have been focusing on in Neuroplasticity. During one of my earlier posts, ”Neuroplasticity: How to Deal With Anxiety Disorders Like Panic Attacks,” I had a wonderful comment from @openheart who wrote the following comment:

“CBD Oil puts a wall between you and a panic attack. The fear just can not get through. I can say this from my own experience. I felt it happen after taking 3 drops under my tong within 15 minutes. You can buy it online or make it yourself. It has been a medicine for hundreds of years of over the planet until Big Pharma took it over. After having a phobia for 15 years and lots of therapy I am now 99.99% free of phobia fear.Build your positive experiences and the fear will fade ...”

“The introduction of smokeless cannabis in dosage form
will immediately ease human pain and suffering
and help to move medical marijuana from the underground economy
to the mainstream of the nation’s health-care system.”
-Steven R. Patierno

I had never heard of CBD until this comment from @openheart so I quickly looked it up. I found that CBD stood for cannabinoid which is present in cannabis plants but without any kind of psychoactive effect. Based on @openheart’s comments, I wanted to look more into this and got her permission to use her comments and the idea that she gave to me. So this article is dedicated to @openheart and all the anxiety sufferers around the world who just want to be able to live a better and more stress free life.

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What Is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

According to Project CBD (https://www.projectcbd.org/about/what-cbd), Cannabidiol (CBD) "is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but does not make people feel “stoned” and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC. The fact that CBD-rich cannabis is non-psychoactive or less psychoactive than THC-dominant strains makes it an appealing option for patients looking for relief from inflammation, pain, anxiety, psychosis, seizures, spasms, and other conditions without disconcerting feelings of lethargy or dysphoria.”

“The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes that patients
should have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis.
Cannabis or marijuana has been used medicinally for centuries.
It has been shown to be effective in treating
a wide range of symptoms and conditions.“
-The American Nurses Association

This article went on to say that most of the scientific and clinical research is being sponsored by the government so that it underscores CBD’s potential as treatment for other ailments including arthritis, diabetes, MS, chronic pain, epilepsy, depression and other mental disorders. It also has been reported to have anti-cancer properties and has even had evidence to suggest that it is safe at high doses.

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What Is Cannabidiol (CBD) Good For?

In another article by High Times (http://hightimes.com/culture/10-little-known-uses-for-cbd) called, "10 Little-Known Uses For CBD" it stated that CBD doesn’t have the traditional marijuana high characteristics but when it is isolated and combined with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol is the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for a euphoric high) it creates a relaxing effect that combats any feelings of paranoia or panic.

This High Times article listed 10 medical use for CBD that may not be known. The following is the list:

“I have seen many patients with chronic pain, muscle spasms,
nausea, anorexia, and other unpleasant symptoms
obtain significant — often remarkable — relief from
cannabis medicines, well beyond what had been provided
by traditional (usually opiate-based) pain relievers.“
-David Hadorn, MD

Cigarette Addiction: There is a study that saw a 40% drop in cigarette intake smoking when using an inhaler of CBD. They found that using this CBD inhaler actually decreased the number of cigarettes without the accompanying craving for nicotine.

Acne: Researchers used cannabis-derived cannabidiol on the human sebaceous glands and came to the conclusion that CBD acts as a highly effective sebostatic and anti-inflammatory agent by inhibiting lipid synthesis.

Diabetes: Researchers found that CBD had a role in preventing diabetes by prevented the production of IL-12 by splenocytes. Preventing this cytokine is important because it plays a huge role in many autoimmune diseases.

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Prion/Mad Cow Disease: Cannabidiol has been shown to halt prions, the proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: CBD is known to produce anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory effects when ingested by slowing everything down and calming the user. PTSD sufferers were able to find relief from the stress & anxiety with CBD so that the antipsychotic benefits it provides give a stable mental environment for those that need it most.

Schizophrenia: In 2012, a group of German researchers published a study in the journal Translational Psychiatry. The potent antipsychotic Amisulpride and CBD were compared between 42 schizophrenia patients. The two treatments were deemed effective, but the short side-effect profile of CBD out shined the pharmaceutical option.

“I took an oath to do no harm.
If a doctor is willing to give you a prescription
for a drug that is addictive or could kill you,
then why should you not be able to choose
a non-toxic drug like marijuana?“
-Mollie Fry, MD

Crohn’s Disease: Some scientists say CBD could be an effective treatment for bowel diseases like Crohn’s Disease. THC and CBD interact with the system that controls gut function in the body, something that Crohn’s patients suffer issues with. The component of cannabis’ anti-inflammatory ability brings a lot of relief to those suffering from this condition.

Multiple Sclerosis: In scientific studies at Cajal Institute it was discovered that CBD reversed inflammatory responses and served as durable protection from the effects of multiple sclerosis. Researchers concluded that CBD has the potential ability to reduce various aspects of MS.

Insomnia: One of the few side effects of CBD is tiredness, but for many, it’s what they seek out in the natural herb. Since pharmaceuticals for aiding sleep pose risk for addiction and leave you feeling groggy the next day, it’s best to go the safe route with non-habit forming CBD.

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Additional Benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD)

I also found another article in Dr. Axe (https://draxe.com/cbd-benefits/) called, ”Cannabidiol, or CBD, Benefits for Pain, Mental Illness & Anxiety” which talk about other benefits of CBD. I will list these benefits with a brief synopsis of each:

Relieves Pain and Inflammation: - CBD is a wonderful natural pain relief that inhibits neuronal transmission in the pain pathways. Many studies have been conducted where it is believed that CBD and other nonpsychoactive components of marijuana may be a future group of therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic pain. It would be great as an alternative to all those additive pain medications prescribed today.
Has Antipsychotic Effects: Research has found CBD benefits to include producing antipsychotic effects. In studies they have found that CBD seems to have a profile similar to other antipsychotic drugs and shows that it prevents human experimental psychosis.

“It is fundamentally wrong to make
Preserving one’s health — or life — a crime.
Yet the federal law on marijuana
and many state laws do just that.
There is overwhelming evidence that marijuana
is one of the safest available treatment options,
when used at the direction of a physician.”
-Karen O’Keefe

Reduces Anxiety: In some studies it has been found that CBD has shown the ability to reduce anxiety in patients with social anxiety disorders. There is some speculation that it may also be effective for panic disorder, OCD and PTSD.
Helps to Fight Cancer: “Several scientific reports demonstrate that CBD benefits include possessing antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic effects that inhibit cancer cell migration, adhesion and invasion.” In another study CBD was found to induce cell death in breast cancer cells. The really wonderful thing they found is that CBD works like a non-toxic compound and other studies showed that there was no overt toxicity in humans so it may have benefits for prolonged treatment. Finally, in another study, data showed that CBD may be used to inhibit the invasion of lung and colon cancer to other areas plus it has been used in treatment for leukemia because of its anti-tumor properties. All these findings make the future of cancer fighting missions a brighter one.
Relieves Nausea: Historically cannabis has been used for centuries to suppress nausea and vomiting. Studies have shown that both CBD and intoxicant THC can aid in nausea relief.

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May Treat Seizures & Other Neurological Disorders: Many studies have shown that “CBD may be a promising treatment for treatment-resistant epilepsy and it is generally well-tolerated in doses up to 25 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.”
Lowers Incidence of Diabetes: “A 2006 study found that CBD treatment significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice from an incidence of 86 percent in non-treated mice to an incidence of 30 percent in CBD-treated mice.” Other studies have shown the impact of marijuana use on glucose, insulin and insulin resistance. They found a 16 % lower fasting insulin levels.
Promotes Cardiovascular Health: Another study found that CBD protects against vascular damage that is generally caused by high glucose, inflammation or type 2 diabetes.

So as we can see there are many promising benefits to CBD in health and medical treatment. Hopefully more studies will continue to push the use of CBD throughout the world so people can actually benefit from a natural process as opposed to drugs and medication.

“I believe that a federal policy that prohibits physicians
from alleviating suffering by prescribing marijuana
for seriously ill patients is misguided,
heavy-handed, and inhumane…”
-Jerome P. Kassirer, MD

How to Legally Acquire CBD

In an article by Dr. Axe (https://draxe.com/cbd-benefits/) here is their answer to how to legally acquire CBD: “At the federal level, CBD is classified as a Schedule 1 drug in the United States because it is one of the many cannabinoids present in marijuana. To be labeled a schedule 1 drug means that it has a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological or physical dependence; therefore these drugs are not allowed to be used for medical use.”

According to this article medical research is presently being conducted on 1 substances including CBD but there are strict regulations and a lot of red which leads to big huddles to get over. In 1996 California passed Proposition 215 allowing for the use of medical marijuana and since then, 27 more states plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have also enacted similar laws. Recently 17 states have approved the use of low THC, high CBD products for medical reasons. They are: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Idaho (vetoed by governor in 2015).

“The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can
relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms
caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer
and AIDS or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them.
And it can do so with remarkable safety.
Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many
of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day.“
-Dr. Joycel YN Elders

As with anything new, it is advised to again do your due diligence and research CBD and all the side effects. Also talk to your doctor about it. CBD is still being researched and it is unknown what governments will decide regarding its use. The key is that CBD has been shown to help many different medical disorders and hopefully it will be allowed to help those who are really suffering from their respective ailments.