Cannabis is a historic, multidimensional, and sometimes controversial plant. Its versatility and usefulness have propelled cannabis into various industries and products, especially in the medical field.
What to know about cannabis
There’s a lot of science behind understanding cannabis, but we’ll do our best to simplify it: Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components known as cannabinoids. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are the two most well-known and researched cannabinoids. THC is responsible for the “high” that many people associate with cannabis. At the same time, CBD is a non-intoxicating, non-euphoric component, which you may have seen in the form of oils, gummies, drinks, and other products for medical purposes.
How can CBD be used to benefit health?
There’s no doubt that CBD has become quite popular and generated a new industry — you can earn a degree in Cannabis Entrepreneurship* here at JWU. While researchers are still working to understand how effectively CBD can be used for medical purposes, there have already been a lot of promising results. Here are seven ways that CBD has been proven to benefit health.
- Lowering blood pressure
A study conducted by JCI Insight in 2017 found that CBD lowered the blood pressure of human participants. It reduced their resting blood pressure and blood pressure after stress tests, including mental arithmetic, isometric exercise, and the cold pressor test.
- Reducing inflammation
According to a study by the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research, CBD has been proven to help reduce inflammation and the neuropathic pain it can cause.
- Preventing relapse in drug and alcohol addiction
A 2018 study discovered that CBD could be useful in helping people who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. A preclinical trial with lab rats determined that CBD reduced the stress-induced cravings, anxiety, and lack of impulse control that often cause people to relapse.
- Treating anxiety disorders
Anxiety is perhaps the most common affliction for which people have used CBD. A preclinical study found that CBD could effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.