New and promising research recently showed that the nationwide phenomenon of cannabidiol, or CBD, popularity may be key to lowering problems from cannabis impairment.
There are many considerations and interesting implications to be harvested from the research, but reporting shows the preliminary results are fairly clear. MedicalXpress reported Wednesday that CBD results in less psychological impairment than strains of cannabis without it. [1]
This may seem clear at first — CBD is a non-psychoactive hemp extract, unlike weed — but the results from the Journal of Psychopharmacology indicate that substances with higher percentages of CBD content result in less mental impairment, which may mean that as people seek out CBD in lieu of traditional marijuana, negative side effects of marijuana could be mitigated over time.
The study monitored brainwave activity among participants who had used cannabis with different levels of THC and CBD levels, finding that those participants who partook of substances with higher CBD contents were less impaired.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or FMRI, machines were used throughout the study to monitor participants’ brain activities as they used different substances in controlled environments. [1]
"Over the last two decades, rates of addiction and psychosis linked to cannabis have been on the rise, while at the same time stronger strains of cannabis with more THC and less CBD have become increasingly common," the study's lead author, Dr. Matt Wall, told MedicalXpress. [1]
Research on the addictive, psychoactive, and overall negative effects of marijuana seem more and more prominent as states across the U.S. start to legalize the substance. [2]
These followed the publication of Dr. Alex Berenson’s bestselling book on weed’s downsides, which while playing up old stereotypes about marijuana use has also gained traction in many corporate news outlets. [3]
All of these questions, hesitations and points of inquiry are relevant to the broader concerns over recreational marijuana legalization nationwide.
However, pro-marijuana and anti-legalization forces across America’s political scene highlight the common ground in CBD.
CBD is popular with a completely different demographic from those who typically use and support the use of recreational marijuana most stridently, and the common ground between groups in support of CBD could be good for everyone.
Fears over the negative effects of marijuana use, though likely overstated, are eased with CBD’s non-psychoactive nature, and those who would otherwise not try weed are more open to CBD products like lotions and bath bombs.
Customers of CBD already understand the benefits of the products they seek for anxiety, depression, inflammation, epilepsy, pain and insomnia, but the wider this message reaches the better-off everyone will be.
For more information on the health benefits of CBD products, stop in and chat with a team member at one of the Nothing But Hemp locations. We proudly offer CBD oil in Minneapolis and surrounding cities, and we're passionate about sharing our knowledge!
Sources
[1] https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-04-cbd-impairment-cannabis.html
[2] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/19/704948217/daily-marijuana-use-and-highly-potent-weed-linked-to-psychosis
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/opinion/marijuana-pot-health-risks-legalization.html
