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10 Ways Cannabidiol Can Improve Your Life

Did you know cannabidiol can improve PTSD symptoms and cure acne?

By Sarah McDanielPublished 7 years ago 6 min read
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When most people talk about cannabis strains, they like to talk about the levels of THC that each strain has. Truthfully, there are plenty of good reasons why people enjoy getting THC in their system — most notably, the high it gives you.

It really does seem like THC gets all the love, so let's take this moment to appreciate strains that don't necessarily have much THC. Instead, let's focus on CBD, also known as cannabidiol.

What are Cannabidiols? It's the second most common cannabinoid found in marijuana. Strains that are high in CBD are known for having very different effects from those which are high in THC. More specifically, cannabidiol tends to give a more "body-centric" high than THC does.

The benefits that high-CBD offer, too, differ greatly from those high in THC. Studies have shown that CBD can improve your life in many ways, even if you aren't necessarily feeling sick. Here are 10 ways CBD can make your life better.

Cannabidiol is linked to better, more effective PTSD treatment.

Medical marijuana has been regularly studied as a potential treatment option for people suffering from PTSD. Studies performed by medical groups have shown that cannabidiol is a very promising treatment for alleviating flashbacks, anxiety, and panic attacks brought on by PTSD and C-PTSD.

Cannabidiol benefits sufferers of PTSD by reducing anxiety — and they do it better than strains high in THC. Since they tend to have a calming effect on people, it's easy to see why many doctors believe this form of medical marijuana to be a promising treatment for those affected by deep trauma.

Cannabidiol aids in cigarette smoking cessation.

While marijuana has been confirmed to have medical benefits, smoking tobacco has not. In fact, it puts people at a higher risk for lung cancer, oral cancer, stroke, and heart attacks.

In a double-blind study, scientists discovered that cigarette smokers who were given high doses of cannabidiol instead of smokes were far more likely to curb their cigarette usage than if they were given a placebo.

It's not completely certain why CBD reduces cigarette cravings while THC does not, but it's a good sign. This means that the key to cigarette smoking cessation for many people could be CBD.

Cannabidiols have also been found to reduce pain for hard-to-treat illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis and Chron's Disease.

Many illnesses that doctors are currently struggling to cure are linked with debilitating pain. Cannabidiols have been shown to improve the overall quality of life for people with chronic illnesses and have been proven to be very effective painkillers.

Moreover, studies that focused on mobility showed that mice that had Multiple Sclerosis regained much of their ability to move when given CBD. CBD, if you are suffering from this disease, could vastly improve your life.

As of right now, both Chron's and Multiple Sclerosis are just a small number of illnesses that have been approved for medical marijuana usage in the United States.

What really makes CBDs impressive is the fact that they are often as good at alleviating pain as certain opioid medications — but they are nowhere near as addictive. Since CBDs are also far less addictive than opioid painkillers, many doctors are also pushing legislators to use CBD as an alternative to opioids in many states.

High cannabidiols also are an effective acne treatment.

A study that was released in the Journal of Clinical Investigationshowed that cannabidiols help slow overactive sebaceous glands. Since acne is an inflammation under the skin that's caused by overactive sebaceous glands, the study then concluded that CBD can help curb acne breakouts.

So yes, CBD can improve your skin and let you kiss acne goodbye.

One study also suggested that cannabidiols can potentially prevent diabetes and also curb issues that come with being diabetic.

In one study, researchers got non-obese diabetic mice and gave them CBD. The mice didn't show any difference in glucose levels, but the study did show that cannabidiols prevented the production of IL-12 by the mice's cells.

This is extremely important since IL-12 is present in many autoimmune diseases, as well as in diabetes. The mice themselves also didn't go into diabetic shock.

Cannabidiols also alleviate psychosis symptoms.

THC-heavy strains have been known to exacerbate psychotic symptoms. That's why there are people out there who hear things when they smoke a bowl. However, high-CBDs seem to have the exact opposite effect.

Doctors gave schizophrenia patients CBD in an attempt to help reduce psychotic effects. The attempts worked, primarily because CBD has a chemical profile similar to many antipsychotics.

As of right now, low-THC, high-CBDs have been proven to prevent psychotic breaks in patients during open trials. In the future, it's very possible that these strains will end up becoming part of a new wave of alternative therapies for people suffering from schizophrenia.

It's also believed that cannabidiol is what makes medical marijuana so effective at stifling tumor growth.

It's no secret that marijuana is known to inhibit tumor growth and potentially even prevent certain kinds of cancers. Cannabis is an antioxidant that has been linked to lower rates of cancer.

Studies are now coming out that suggest that it's primarily CBD, not THC, that helps prevent most of these kinds of cancers. Considering that cancer rates have been rising globally, we can use all the prevention we can get.

Cannabidiols have also been linked to better weight management.

Remember how CBDs were linked to diabetes prevention and management? It seems like CBD may just improve a number of issues that relate to blood sugar as well. This includes the issue of weight loss.

Ever notice how cannabis users seem to be slimmer than average? One of the reasons why marijuana users seem to be a bit slimmer than their non-smoker counterparts may have to deal with CBD. Studies have shown that CBD-rich marijuana can help regulate your blood sugar and fasting insulin.

When your blood sugar and insulin levels are stable, you tend to eat less, have fewer cravings, and also feel more satisfied with smaller meals. As a result, CBD can help improve a person's weight loss endeavors — especially if they stress eat or have sugar spikes.

Studies also showed that cannabidiols are excellent for reducing muscle spasms.

There are a million reasons why people may get muscle spasms. Certain diseases can cause them. Overexerting yourself at the gym can do it. Sometimes, they just happen at random when you're stressed. We all have them... but if we get CBD into our systems, that might not have to be the case.

Researchers who studied the effects of cannabidiol on muscles showed that people who had regular CBD intakes are less likely to suffer from muscle spasms. This can lead to better performance for athletes as well as a better quality of life for people suffering from illnesses that cause muscle spasms.

As of right now, doctors are allowed to prescribe medical marijuana for muscle spasms in a handful of states.

Lastly, cannabidiols can also promote bone growth.

Your bones are the most important part of your body. Without strong bones, you won't be able to walk or move. High bone density has been linked to a longer life, a better quality of life, and also a better immune system.

CBDs have been shown to improve bone density and also prevent bone loss in a number of studies. Better still, you don't need to be sick to enjoy this benefit of CBD; it works just as well on healthy people as it does on people who are dealing with illness, too.

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About the Creator

Sarah McDaniel

Bringing the strange and scientific to your smartphone. @krotchy

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