Cannabidiol (or CBD for short) has been gaining a lot of traction lately. Numerous articles have been written about it on the Internet, along with media coverage from prominent news sources. But despite the buzz around CBD, no one truly understands it.
Not a lot of people are aware of its many medical cannabis facts, its side effects, and how it’s different from marijuana. Today, it’s time to help clear things up and answer some of the most compelling questions that people have regarding CBD. Let’s dive right into it!
What Makes Cannabidiol Different from Tetrahydrocannabinol?
CBD is derived from the same family of plants as marijuana. There are three major species of the Cannabaceae plants, which are: (a) Cannabis Sativa, (b) Cannabis Indica, and (c) Cannabis Ruderalis. Cannabis can be farmed for their fibres, which are used to make clothes, their seeds for food, and CBD for medicinal uses.
Unfortunately, it has been cultivated primarily to extract tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical found in the plants that give people a “high”, giving cannabis its infamy. But thanks to the scientists and researchers who discovered the amazing health benefits of the plant’s CBD chemical, we might be looking to clear the confusion between the two and improve the plant’s reputation.
What is the Legal Status of Cannabidiol in New Zealand?
Here in New Zealand, CBD products like oil, vapours, liquid, tablets, and dried (except for smoke) are legal. Just recently, the Medicinal Cannabis Agency, a branch under the Ministry of Health, successfully launched its new Medical Cannabis Scheme on April 1 of 2020. The Minister of Health himself, Dr. David Clark, verified that by mid-2020, the first medicinal cannabis licenses are anticipated to be issued.
Is There any Evidence for Cannabidiol’s Health Benefits?
Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet Syndrome are two of the cruellest childhood epilepsy syndromes. Sufferers uncontrollably experience multiple types and multiple bouts of seizures multiple times throughout the day. To make matters worse, antiseizure medications do not work for any of the two.
Luckily, numerous studies show that CBD is capable of minimising the number of seizures and in some cases, stop the seizures entirely. Studies also suggest that CBD can help patients with anxiety, while sufferers of chronic insomnia can enjoy the CBD’s effect on falling and staying asleep. In another study from the European Journal of Pain, it was discovered that CBD could lower the intensity of pain and inflammation caused by arthritis on an animal model.
Is Cannabis Truly Safe?
Though the plant has been under scrutiny due to how people have been using THC’s psychoactive effects, cannabis is generally safe and the medical cannabis facts around CBD helps shed light to its medicinal value. Scientifically, cannabis is a truly complex plant that both scientists and researchers are still studying. What’s clear, however, is that there have not been any reported cannabis overdose to date and it has a lower rate of health risk (around 114 times less deadly) compared to alcohol.
Our Verdict on Cannabidiol
Although it’s true that there are still a lot of things we don’t know and understand about CBD, here at Whakaora, we believe that we should give it a chance. Numerous scientific studies and medical cannabis facts have already proven how helpful it can be for thousands of patients.
The benefits truly outweigh the risks with this one, and if given enough time, we could find ways to mitigate—if not eliminate—the side effects, prove that it is 100% safe, and change the lives of thousands of people for the better.