The cannabis plant is recognized throughout the world for the mind-altering effects of its most well-known component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, THC is just one of many active compounds this ancient plant has to offer. In fact, science has identified well over 100 different chemical compounds, called cannabinoids, and few have garnered more attention in recent years than cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is claimed to do everything from easing anxiety to curing cancer but is it really the miracle substance it’s made out to be? To cut through the hype and find the facts, let’s take a look at the truth of what CBD e-liquid is, how it’s used and whether you really stand to benefit from using it.
What is Cannabidiol?
Cannabis, also known as hemp, is a flowering plant that has been utilized by humans for thousands of years. Its medicinal and recreational effects are caused by chemical compounds called cannabinoids, which interact with cannabinoid receptors in your body’s cells to produce a wide range of effects. CBD is one such cannabinoid, but unlike THC, it isn’t known to cause any psychoactive effects or produce any intoxicating “high.” It has proven to be safe and well-tolerated even at high doses, there are few known side effects and it doesn’t impair movement or cognitive function.
Because CBD is so benign, it offers great appeal as a medicine. It’s available in several forms, but the most popular is e-liquid. Also commonly known as e-juice or CBD vape juice, CBD e-liquid is a concentrated cannabidiol extract that can be vaporized using a standard vaporizer, e-cigarette or vape pen. When inhaled, the CBD enters your lungs and quickly diffuses directly into your bloodstream. This allows it to bypass the digestion process, producing the desired effects far more quickly and efficiently than if consumed orally.
So, what benefits can you expect from vaping CBD e-liquid? You may be surprised!
Relief From Pain and Inflammation
Living with pain and inflammation, whether chronic or acute, can be a miserable experience. It may interfere with your daily life, prevent you from doing the activities you love and even cause stress and depression in severe cases. Fortunately, science says that CBD can help. A 2011 study examined whether cannabinoids could be useful in treating chronic pain, including rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain and other cases of chronic pain, and found strong evidence of its effectiveness. The study concluded that cannabinoids “demonstrated a significant analgesic effect,” in addition to improving sleep quality in pain sufferers. A 1988 study also found that several cannabinoids reduced both pain and inflammation, with CBD offering the greatest therapeutic effects.
This may be particularly good news for people who suffer from arthritis. CBD has proven effective in treating certain types of arthritis by easing symptoms, reducing inflammation and even blocking the progression of the disease. It also has potent effects on the immune system, offering the potential to help with forms of arthritis caused by immune disorders. CBD has also recently found use in easing the pain and muscle tightness associated with multiple sclerosis.
Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects
Whether you’re living with an anxiety disorder or you’re simply prone to feeling stressed out in certain situations, CBD e-liquid may be able to help. Studies suggest that cannabidiol is an effective anxiolytic, decreasing the level of anxiety caused by stressful situations without the tiredness that often comes with prescription medications. According to another study in which participants were given CBD before a simulated public speech, “Pretreatment with CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in their speech performance.” Cannabidiol may also help to ease the symptoms of clinical social anxiety disorders.
Similarly, CBD is also believed to be helpful for depression sufferers. The compound exhibits powerful antidepressant effects in mice, with a rapid and significant reduction in symptoms similar to certain kinds of prescription antidepressants. Antipsychotic effects have also been noted in studies, making CBD a potential ally in the management of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. It may even help to ease the devastating effects of PTSD.
Easing of Bowel Disorders
Bowel disorders can be tremendously disruptive to everyday life, causing everything from nausea and diarrhea to intense pain, loss of appetite and fatigue. In studies, CBD has shown an ability to treat or prevent the development of colitis, ease the effects of inflammatory bowel disease and reduce or prevent intestinal inflammation and related damage. Because it acts directly to prevent inflammation of the intestines, CBD may also be useful if you suffer from Crohn’s disease.
Using CBD e-liquid may help in other, indirect ways as well. Cannabidiol and other cannabinoids are well-known for their antiemetic properties, meaning that they ease feelings of nausea and suppress the desire to vomit. This effect is most pronounced with low doses, so be sure to keep this in mind. It also may help to stimulate appetite, potentially preventing some of the weight loss many bowel disease sufferers experiences.
Antitumor Effects
The list of substances that have been claimed as a treatment or cure for cancer is exceedingly long and mostly littered with hokum, but in the case of cannabidiol, science says there’s good reason to take the claims seriously. Though there is much work to be done to understand exactly how CBD may affect the development and spread of cancer, studies have uncovered clear evidence of antitumor and anticancer activity. In tests, CBD extracts have stopped the growth of cervical cancer cells and even triggered the death of existing cells. Similarly, CBD also shows promise in the treatment of leukemia and colorectal cancer, particularly when combined with radiation and other traditional therapies.
Additionally, early testing suggests cannabidiol may boost the effectiveness of certain antitumor drugs. It also reduces the severity of common cancer symptoms and chemotherapy side effects like pain, appetite loss, and nausea, which has led scientists to investigate its usefulness as a supplemental tool to improve quality of life in cancer patients. Finally, CBD extracts may also be useful in stopping the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.
Smoking Cessation
The serious health consequences of smoking cigarettes are well-known and widely accepted, but quitting smoking remains a major challenge for many people. If you’ve been struggling to kick the habit, you may find an ally in cannabidiol. When chronic smokers participated in a study in which they were given an inhaler containing a CBD extract, they smoked about 40 percent fewer cigarettes on average, all without feeling any increased cravings for nicotine. This makes CBD a potentially useful tool in smoking cessation, ideally combined with therapy, nicotine replacement or other traditional approaches.
CBD e-liquid may also hold promise in overcoming other addictions. In animal studies, cannabidiol extracts reduced drug-seeking behavior associated with heroin addiction and disrupted the reward pathways in the brain that are believed to play a role in developing and maintaining an addiction to opiates. Similar effects have also been observed in relation to cocaine and other stimulants.
Protection Against Diabetes
In a study of more than 4,600 adult men and women, marijuana use was found to be associated with both lower levels of insulin and smaller waist circumference. Though this is likely due to the effects of a combination of cannabinoids, CBD alone has also shown a powerful ability to prevent the development of diabetes. Cannabidiol works to prevent the destruction of insulin-producing cells within the pancreas, making it a promising possibility for both preventing and treating type 1 diabetes.
Better Cardiovascular Health
Heart disease, arrhythmia, hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders affect millions of people, representing one of the most serious and widespread health issues in the United States. In animal testing, CBD has shown an ability to dilate blood vessels, increase blood flow and protect the heart tissue against damage caused by various cardiovascular events. It may also help to correct arrhythmias, regulate cardiovascular function and reduce the severity of stress responses that may lead to greater risk of damage to the heart.
Though cannabis has been in use for thousands of years in various forms, many of the health benefits of cannabidiol have only recently come to light. Evolving legal positions and societal views have opened this compound up to further medical study in recent years, and science continues to discover promising new uses and benefits. If you’d like to explore the healing and restorative power of cannabidiol, there’s no better way than vaporizing pure, high-quality CBD e-liquid.
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