What Can CBD Help?

C-B-D.

In the wake of “legalization 2.0”, it seems those three letters are on the tip of every tongue, from the esteemed academic to Doug Ford’s daughter. The non-psychoactive, cooler-headed sister to THC – cannabis’ more party-friendly, intoxicating compound – cannabidiol is one of 100-plus known compounds in the plant, and is just now being more seriously studied as a treatment option for a wide range of conditions and symptoms, aside from making other facets of life more enjoyable.

With so many conflicting opinions regarding this much touted chemical compound, here’s what we can tell you about how CBD may help you treat the symptoms of four unpleasant conditions and feel better in your daily.

Anxiety

Anxiety comes in many unsavory flavours. Social anxiety, generalized anxiety, post-traumatic anxiety – it’s a heaping sundae of needless jitters and “what-ifs”. Thankfully, there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that topping it with CBD oil may help. Various studies have found uses for the isolated compound in diminishing social anxiety, deterring panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In an animal model, it was even found to reduce the effects of depression – anxiety’s even uglier cousin.

Acne

On a purely logical level, it makes sense: Acne is caused by inflammation, CBD is inflammation’s nemesis. It’s no surprise that a few people have taken notice of this astute deduction and have started including it in their skin care routines. It’s shown to have reduced the overproduction of sebum in humans in one study, which can lead to oily and acne-prone skin. A 2016 case review suggested CBD could help fight skin infections caused by dirt and other things that wreak havoc on your pores by acting as an anti-bacterial/anti-fungal agent.

Insomnia

Who doesn’t love a good night’s sleep? We’re being rhetorical, of course – all hands should be raised here, considering you really can’t lead a healthy life without it. How favourable, then, that the recent groundswell surrounding CBD’s reported use in the fight against sheep-counting has prompted several studies attesting to its benefits. One found that 66 per cent of participants reported a noticeable improvement to the length and restfulness of their sleep. Another suggested it increased sleep time in other mammals, though it increased sleep latency (the amount of time needed to fall asleep) during the brighter hours.

It’s promising, considering the alternatives are less appealing.

Pain

Ah, the big one… pain. Lots of items fall under that umbrella, and CBD has shown hopeful results in the areas of pain management. Aside from the dime-a-dozen personal testimonials of patients who’ve noticed a decrease in their pain response since introducing CBD into their treatment, there’s a growing body of scientific evidence signifying its widespread potential as medicine: A 2018 case showed that CBD may help limit chronic pain by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid receptors to reduce the effects of inflammation. Another – yes, another animal study found CBD injections reduced test rats’ pain responses to bodily incisions.

As an aside, we really should be nicer to animals.

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It’s important to note that none of this should suggest that CBD alone should be the harbinger of your relief from any of these issues. As always, consult a medical professional before adding it to your regimen.

This article was written by David Wilson. David Wilson is a freelance writer and journalist, living and working in Toronto. He writes about cannabis, culture, and the intersection at which they meet.

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This article was published March 17th, 2020.