Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the latest health craze on the high street. It’s a chemical extracted from the cannabis plant that interacts with receptors in your body to help with pain, anxiety and more. It’s a different chemical to the psychoactive compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which makes you feel ‘high’, but it can still have effects.
What type of CBD is most effective?
CBD products come in many forms and can be used for a range of reasons. Tinctures are a popular choice as they are a very convenient way to consume the benefits of CBD. You simply put the oil under your tongue and hold it there for about 60 seconds, then swallow what’s left over. CBD tinctures are also a very effective way to ease inflammation.
Cannabis, the plant from which pure canabis oil is made, contains a wide variety of chemicals called cannabinoids. These are what gives the plant its medicinal properties. Some can have anticonvulsant effects and help with nausea and sickness from cancer treatments. But it’s important to remember that research into the medicinal properties of cannabis is in its early stages. There is evidence that a pharmaceutical preparation of cannabis, called Nabilone, can be helpful for people with severe anti sickness symptoms caused by chemotherapy. It is only available as a medicine in Britain after it has been through the full clinical trials required for medicines.
Other studies have shown that cannabis may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and help control some types of epilepsy. But, as a class B drug in the UK, it’s illegal to possess or sell. You can get a medical prescription for cannabis to treat seizures, such as those caused by Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, but only if your doctor can demonstrate that other medicines have failed.