Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the key ingredients in cannabis, and is one of the most misunderstood compounds on the planet. Just because cannabidiol is a compound found in marijuana people assume it is bad for you. Let’s get something straight: CBD is NON-PSYCHOACTIVE. It doesn’t get you “high”, that is THC – another natural compound of cannabis. In fact, cannabidiol reduces the effect of THC. Some of you reading this may already know all of this, but I’m covering my bases here.
Medical Properties of CBD
According to a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology CBD’s had the following effects:
Antiemetic: Reduces nausea and vomiting
Anticonvulsant: Suppresses seizure activity
Antipsychotic Combats psychosis disorders
Anti-inflammatory: Combats inflammatory disorders
Anti-oxidant: Combats neurodegenerative disorders
Anti-tumoral/Anti-cancer: Combats tumor and cancer cells
Anxiolytic/Anti-depressant: Combats anxiety and depression disorders
What The Government thinks about CBDs
There are literally thousands of studies that promote the use of CBD’s. The US government actually funded one of the first studies ever on the medical benefits of cannabis, but when they didn’t get the results they wanted, they tried to have the evidence of those studies destroyed. If that sounds like the plot of a bad movie, it’s not. In 1974 researchers the Medical College of Virginia was funded by the National Institute of Health to find evidence that cannabis caused damage to the immune system. During their studies they found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice; lung cancer, breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia. Instead of furthering the research, in 1976 President Gerald Ford put an end to all cannabis related research that was being done by independent researchers and granted all research rights to big pharmaceutical companies. Their goal was to get the medical benefits of marijuana without the “high”. They were 100% unsuccessful at doing so. Then in In September of 1983 the Reagan/Bush Administration tried to persuade American universities and researchers to destroy all research work done on cannabis from 1966-76. They requested works to be destroyed including compendiums in libraries. Scientists and doctors opposed this censorship so the plans were dropped.
So let’s recap: the government knew that there were medical benefits of marijuana, and even tried to develop a compound like CBD at one point. Then they not only stopped cannabis research, they tried to destroy the findings. Surely in the last 30-40 years with all of the research that has been done they have changed their minds, right?
Nope.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a PRIME example of the government’s stance on medicinal marijuana. According to their website the NIDA says: “The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat a disease or symptom. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. However, scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. Continued research may lead to more medications. Because the marijuana plant contains chemicals that may help treat a range of illnesses or symptoms, many people argue that it should be legal for medical purposes. In fact, a growing number of states have legalized marijuana for medical use.” NOT EVEN A PARAGRAPH LATER they go on to say:
How can you say in the same statement that there are “health risks” associated with marijuana, and then say that CBD is beneficial? It Doesn’t make sense.
Studies that PROVE that CBDs are Beneficial.
If I were to list the thousands of studies that prove that CBD’s are beneficial, this webpage would be 4 miles long, at least. If you do a search for cannabidiol in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health website, you get 1341 results. That is just one such research publication site. So instead of listing them all, I will highlight a few of the most recent studies from the some of the most prestigious medical journals from around the world.
From the Journal of Neuroscience: Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology by Cannabinoids: Neuroprotection Mediated by Blockade of Microglial Activation
From the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion molecule-1.
From the Journal of Pain: Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Finds Vaporized Cannabis Helpful in Treating Neuropathic Pain – March, 2013
From the Journals Behavioural Brain Research and Experimental Brain Research: New Research Finds Marijuana May Combat Brain Damage
If you need more examples of research into cannabidiol, check out Cannabis Research A-Z.
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