8 Things CBD Can Help to Treat

CBD, or cannabidiol, has been growing in popularity in recent years. And with good reason. This all-natural, legal hemp extract offers the same medicinal effects of marijuana without the intoxication. It can’t get you high, but it can help treat a number of conditions.

With a wide variety of delivery methods, including CBD tinctures, oils, ointments, dabs, edibles, and more, the time has never been better to give it a try. You may be leery of CBD because of its relationship to cannabis, but before you rule it out consider some of the things it can help treat. You might be surprised.

Anxiety

With roughly 18% of the American population suffering some form of anxiety disorder, CBD’s calming effects should not be overlooked. While the THC in marijuana can sometimes trigger feelings of panic or paranoia in chronic anxiety sufferers, the CBD taken from low-THC hemp has proven a safer and more effective treatment.

Seizures

For patients suffering from certain forms of epilepsy, there are many drugs already on the market. However they don’t all work for everyone. Luckily, some patients whose epilepsy has otherwise proved treatment-resistant have reported reductions in seizures after beginning use of CBD. Many studies have shown similar results, to the point that, in 2018, the FDA approved a CBD oral solution to treat some of the more severe forms of epilepsy.

Pain

Cannabis has been used to treat pain for centuries, with scientists recently zeroing in on CBD as a chief contributor to the plant’s medicinal properties. Whether chronic or acute, CBD has shown to help relieve pain caused by everything from arthritis, inflammation, and cramps to multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia.

Hypertension

With hypertension being so widespread and linked to such life-threatening conditions as heart attack and stroke, CBD’s ability to lower blood pressure is one of the chemical’s greatest benefits. What’s more, studies have indicated CBD could help reduce damage to the heart caused by diabetes-related heart disease.

Schizophrenia

Although the research is still in its infancy, one of CBD’s most promising attributes is its potential to help patients suffering from schizophrenia. Again, while THC has been known to trigger psychotic episodes, CBD has been found to have the opposite effect, equivalent to that of established antipsychotic medications but with even fewer side effects.

Insomnia

Due in part to the same stress-relieving properties that make CBD helpful in treating anxiety disorders, CBD has also been reported successful as a form of treatment for sleep disorders. Not only does it aid patients in falling asleep, it improves their quality of sleep as well.

Nausea

Here’s one condition that both CBD and THC treat well. In fact, some studies suggest that CBD and THC work best to improve appetite and decrease nausea when they are taken together, with the soothing effects of CBD counteracting the uncomfortable psychoactive effects of THC while bolstering its sister chemical’s ability to increase hunger.

Cancer

Believe it or not, CBD has even been found to be helpful in fighting cancer. In addition to alleviating pain, researchers believe CBD is able to impede the growth of tumors, slowing the spread of cancer in the body. Cervical, thyroid, blood, and colon cancer cells have all died when exposed directly to CBD. Other forms of cancer that CBD seems effective against include brain, breast, and prostate cancer.