At leafie, we are passionate about educating and empowering users on the many benefits CBD possesses. We’ve all seen “those people” on social media who will praise CBD to be the cure to all of life’s ills, so it can be easy to make the assumption that one drop will banish our problems! Sadly, that’s not true, so here are six myth-busting CBD suspicions that will clear up any misconceptions you may have.
Get you high
CBD is the better-behaved compound of its psychoactive brother, THC, as it does not get you high when used topically or ingested.
Both THC and CBD naturally occur in the cannabis plant and they both have an impact on endocannabinoid receptors in the body and brain. Whereas THC activates these receptors which cause the euphoric or ‘high’ feeling that is associated with consuming recreational cannabis, CBD blocks any intoxicating impact caused by the cannabinoid receptors, therefore avoiding the ‘high’ effect.
Banish your anxiety forever
One of CBD’s most commonly known effects is the ability to help users with anxiety. There have been multiple studies over the years collecting evidence from human studies that strongly support the potential for CBD as a treatment for anxiety disorders.
According to a 2015 study CBD interacts with the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R), the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor, and other receptors in the brain that regulate fear and anxiety-induced behaviours. “Current evidence indicates CBD has considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders, with the need for further study of chronic and therapeutic effects in relevant clinical populations.”
While studies have shown that CBD has an effect on alleviating anxiety and its symptoms, it certainly does not have the ability to get rid of anxiety altogether.
There are many different ways to take CBD for anxiety, but probably the most effective method of getting CBD into your bloodstream is by putting a few drops under your tongue, starting off with a lower dose, and then increasing when you are comfortable.
Make you skinny
Another well-researched area of CBD use is the effect it has on weight loss.
When discussing recreational cannabis use, weight-loss is an unusual one as cannabis consumption is often associated with binge eating, otherwise known as “the munchies”.
Studies into the effects of CBD showed that weight loss occurred in mice. The mice lost weight during a 2016 study due to the “browning” of white fat cells.
CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties can also help to soothe muscle pain after workouts making recovery faster and therefore helping you go just as hard at the gym, aiding with weight loss.
Although CBD does not affect weight-loss directly, using it one day won’t make you wake up the next looking like a ’90s supermodel. CBD on its own is no replacement for a healthy lifestyle and lots of exercise, however, if incorporated into a healthy regime it could help improve results and reduce health risks.
Provide a cure for cancer
It is still unclear whether CBD contains any anti-cancer effects, however, there have been plenty of clinical trials into how cannabinoids affect cancer. The research so far has shown mixed results.
According to Cancer Research UK, results have shown that different cannabinoids can:
- cause cell death
- block cell growth
- stop the development of blood vessels – needed for tumours to grow
- reduce inflammation
- reduce the ability of cancers to spread
Cannabis-based products are available on prescription as medicinal cannabis can be prescribed to help relieve symptoms, and reduce the side effects of cancer treatments. Unfortunately, CBD is not a miracle cure for cancer and will not banish cancer from the body, however it does help alleviate sickness symptoms such as nausea and pain that are sometimes associated with chemotherapy treatment.
Become addictive
CBD does not produce intoxicating effects and therefore does not have any addiction potential.
A 2017 report from the World Health Organisation stated that “evidence from well-controlled human experimental research indicates that CBD is not associated with abuse potential.”
Conversely, CBD has the potential to be a beneficial method for treating substance use disorders. A 2019 study stated that “A limited number of preclinical studies indicate that CBD could have therapeutic properties on cocaine and methamphetamine addiction and some preliminary data suggest that CBD may be beneficial in cocaine-crack addiction in humans.”
Solve every problem under the sun
At leafie, we are passionate about the many benefits that CBD offers, and are working hard to share the facts with a wider audience. It’s tempting to assume that CBD will solve all our problems, and whereas science is still finding new benefits of this clever plant, we understand that it is not a miracle cure for everything – yet!
