What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is an essential oil extracted from the marijuana, or cannabis plant. Discovered in 1940, CBD is one of (at least) 113 different cannabinoids (chemical compounds derived from the cannabis plants) found in the cannabis plant. Being one of the more dominant cannabinoids, it accounts for a huge 40% of full plant extracts from the cannabis plant.

How Does CBD Oil Work For People?

Before we answer, you need a short biology lesson.

Inside your body are receptors, or cells able to detect an external stimulus, and transfer a corresponding signal to a sensory nerve, or simply put a “sense cell“. Cannabinoid receptors can detect the presence of cannabinoids in your body. There are two different types of cannabinoid receptors in the human body, CB1 and CB2, or cannabinoid type 1 and 2.

Your Nerves and You

For everyone who didn’t pay attention, or simply forgot what they learned in health class, the nervous system is what sends information to your brain to process.

Your senses, sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste, all get picked up in different ways, switched over to electrical impulses in different nerves, and emailed right to your brain, so it can figure out what is going on and how to respond to things.

There are thousands of “micro-senses” inside your body that pick up the levels of hormones, chemicals, fats, carbs and proteins, as well as bacteria, viruses, and infections (white blood cell count mostly). Think of this like the sensors in your car, telling you your fluid levels and possible problems.

Once the brain receives one of these thousands, or even millions, of signals and decides how to respond, it sends its response to the appropriate part of your body and the response happens.

If you hear a loud noise, you instantly look in that direction, but you may not notice thousands of tiny micro-movements that start you in the opposite direction of the noise at the same time. Your brain is immediately directing you out of possible danger.

All of these nerves and receptors are divided into two main groups, central and peripheral nervous systems.

Your central nervous system is similar to the router in your home, connected to all of the signals in the outside world through your computer. It consists of the brain and spinal cord, sending and receiving all the signals to and from all the parts of your body to and from one central location.

Your peripheral nervous system is the rest, all the small, subsidiary sections of the body, that work independently of each other, but all connected to the brain.

Where are the CB1 and CB2 Receptors?

The two types of receptors are found in two very different locations.

CB1 receptors are found almost exclusively in the central nervous system, mostly in specific parts of the brain, but also in the male and female reproductive systems, and in the eyes.

CB2 receptors are located in heavily in the immune system, the most being in the spleen. CB2 receptors appear to be the reason for the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoids.

CB1 and CB2 receptors combined make up the ECS system (Endocannabinoid System)

What Benefits Does CBD Oil Have?

Introducing CBD to CB1 and CB2 receptors, through smoking or vaping cannabis, or ingesting another form, sends a signal to the brain, alerting its presence. Once that happens, the brain changes some of its normal functions in response.

One of the most common benefits that people want CBD oil for is pain management. It can provide a significant improvement for those suffering from chronic pain, migraines, or fibromyalgia.

CBD has been successfully used to aid in coping with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. While finding a more permanent solution is recommended, such as traditional therapy, hypnotherapy, or other alternatives that help a person handle external situations better, CBD creates an immediate benefit, making it easier for those that are suffering to maintain a more normal life while seeking treatment.

CBD has been known to be very beneficial to cancer patients, obviously for the aforementioned pain management benefit, but also by reducing nausea and vomiting. Tests done found that CBD combined with THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis) created a much better pain management benefit for cancer patients. Some tests have also shown cell death when CBD was introduced to (breast) cancer cells.

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD can help reduce the regularity or appearance of acne. It can lower the swelling when it does happen and reduces the overproduction of sebum by the sebaceous glands of the skin. Overproduction of sebum is the leading cause of clogged pores, and creates the discharge behind the pore, forming a pimple.

The most incredible (and only FDA-approved) benefit is the ability to treat epileptic seizures in children and adults. It effectively treats those with the two main forms of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).

We honestly hope this article has helped you.

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