The CBD industry is thriving, conservatively projected to hit $19.5 billion in the United States by 2025. More than 60% of users have taken it for anxiety or insomnia. In addition, a recent survey conducted by Brightfield Group showed that many people are turning towards this natural product as their go-to when they need relief from chronic pain, improved sleep, stress/anxiety management, depression, and much more.
The boom in CBD retail is driving an increasing need for pain relief, improved sleep, and stress/anxiety management. With mainstream stores accounting for $14-$2 billion of total sales by 2025, according to a recent report from market research firm BDSA.
What is CBD?
Though not as well-known, cannabidiol (or CBD) is an ingredient in cannabis that does not cause a high but has been shown to have numerous medical benefits. Founded on roots back around 750 Bc., this plant was first used for medicinal purposes. And during rituals until it became prohibited by law 500 years ago.
While cannabidiol and THC are two of the more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis, it is believed that CBD can help with anxiety; however additional research needs to take place before we know for sure if this ingredient reduces severity levels when compared side-by-side against traditional medication options like SSRIs ( selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
Hemp is a versatile product that can produce many valuable items. The 2018 Farm Bill made hemp legal under federal law, but it also preserved FDA oversight to ensure safe usage and disposal practices for consumers who purchase these products. The United States Department of Agriculture defines “hemp” as an additional plant species with Cannabis sativa L., which has no psychoactive effect when consumed by humans due to its high levels of THC 0 or less than .03%.
What are the claims?
There are many claims made about CBD, one of which is that it can provide relief for anxiety and depression. It’s also marketed as a sleep aid. Part of its popularity may stem from the fact consumers don’t experience any psychoactivity from taking this product, meaning they won’t get high or have cravings later on as you would with products containing THC, which some people prefer, especially if the goal is relaxation.
Doctors now prescribe CBD to treat everything from epilepsy and cancer to anxiety. And it’s not just the United States; hemp plants across North America have sprouted up in response, providing us with a much-needed opportunity for economic growth as well.
A recent study found that farmers selling their produce using organic standards can expect “a potential lift” between 52 – 108% when compared against conventional agriculture practices due primarily because consumers want products without harmful pesticides or herbicides.
Does CBD work?
There’s a lot of promise in CBD research, and it’s relatively safe. In 2018, the F.D.A approved Epidiolex – a purified CBD extract taken along with other medications for rare seizure disorders in patients two years or older after three randomized clinical trials showed that it helped reduce seizures and was more effective than a placebo.
The CBD extract has been used to treat various medical conditions, but it is only available through prescription. The F.D.A-approved drug Epidiolex remains the most popular form for now as scientists learn more about what benefits and risks may come with its use over time.
Does CBD help anxiety and PTSD?
A four-minute talk with minimal time to prepare for students with generalized social anxiety can be debilitating. Yet, a small experiment in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology found that CBD seemed to reduce nervousness and cognitive impairment in patients with social anxiety in a simulated public speaking task.
However, researchers observed that CBD had little to no effect on people’s emotional response when given unpleasant images or words. “If it were a calming drug, then you would expect different responses from the stimuli,” said Dr. Harriet de Wit of University Chicago Department Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience.
With that being said, CBD may be a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as it is being paired with psychotherapy. The Department of Veterans Affairs has funded this study to explore if CBD therapy can help veterans return home without the haunts from their war experiences or bouts with PTSD. In addition, the government agency began funding its first clinical trial on cannabidiol, pairing it up against traditional therapies like talk therapy in an effort to see what kind would work best when combined at various levels.
According to new research, CBD may be a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study’s lead author, Mallory Loflin of the University of California at San Diego, and her team found that CBD helped break long-term memory associations in animal models when given soon after trauma exposure instead of later on during therapy sessions or therapy sessions days following an accident.
The researchers found that CBD can help reduce the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in rats who were trained to produce a fear noise. In addition, the tests they ran showed an improvement with time; by day three, those treated had fewer severe behaviors than the control group – suggesting this could be another potential treatment for people suffering from chronic TBI or other trauma-related conditions.
Does CBD help sleep and depression?
CBD has been shown to help with sleep and depression. It may also have benefits for people who struggle in the early morning hours, like those dealing with epilepsy or other disorders that cause them trouble staying awake at times when they should be asleep – which is often referred to as “insomnia.” One of these side effects of taking CBD oil was drowsiness, so if you’re looking into new treatments, this could point towards something helpful.
Sleep disorders are common in children and can lead to severe consequences. While CBD may benefit some conditions, it’s hard to know if the benefits outweigh any side effects because there haven’t been adequate clinical trials on this subject.
Moreover, studies found that while CBD improved anxiety levels, it did not affect patients’ sleeping habits. “We didn’t find much success in terms of improving sleep,” said Dr. Scott Shannon from the University Of Colorado Denver, who led this review for The Permanente Journal. But, he added: “Overall, I’m not too surprised by our findings since previous studies show little evidence to support using Cannabis or hemp extracts alone as a treatments option against chronic pain.”
The effects of CBD on mood seem to be fast-acting and lasts longer than conventional medications. For example, a review published in Journal Chemical Neuroanatomy reports that when rats were exposed to stressful conditions, they displayed fewer signs indicating depression after taking CBD than others who did not receive the drug or Placebo treatment; surprisingly enough, it acted faster than most antidepressant drugs.
While it is difficult to detect depression in animals, the studies that Ms. Joca and her colleagues reviewed suggested mice or rats treated with CBD were more resilient. However, without clinical trials on humans, this effect remains just a hypothesis that requires further testing before recommending treatment options for humans.
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