According to research, about 62% of CBD users confirmed using CBD oil to treat several medical conditions, including pain, depression, and anxiety. Although the FDA hasn’t fully approved consuming CBD to treat such conditions, there are possible signs indicating CBD could be highly beneficial.

What is CBD? 

Short for Cannabidiol, CBD is one of the many compounds— aka cannabinoids— found in cannabis plants. Now, you may be wondering, “Isn’t that where weed comes from?” That is correct, but unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)— the mind-altering compound in marijuana— CBD is non-psychoactive, and therefore, it doesn’t promote the high feeling. 

Because CBD doesn’t cause any psychoactive effects, it can be a viable option for those seeking the advantages of cannabis-related products without the high.

How Does It Affect Your Body?

Unlike cannabis, CBD works via influencing the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which helps regulate mood, sleep-wake cycles, stress, anxiety, pain, inflammation, brain health, metabolism, and pretty much everything related to your health. 

It has no connection with getting “high.” Still, it is a crucial system that plays a vital role in regulation, balance, maintenance, and optimal health. It tends to remain in your immune system, nervous system, and each organ.

Does CBD Oil Work as a Medicine?

Lately, CBD oil is growing to become an essential component in the medical field. As research is advancing, and there’s a better understanding of what CBD can actually do, an increasing number of medical experts are rallying behind it.

Relieving Pain

Even for people who don’t have any diagnosed conditions, pain can greatly affect the quality of life. Be it muscle/joint pain, migraine, or recovery from an accident, pain debilitates you. The problem here is that several forms of pain relief, from painkillers to opioids, come with serious side effects.

There’s good news, though. CBD oil has proven to be a safer alternative for those taking over-the-counter painkillers for pain relief. Research suggests that CBD has fewer harmful side effects and little to no risk of dependency. It also works as an efficient painkiller. Not only is it good for mental health but it also contains both anti-inflammatory and neuropathic properties.

Treating Anxiety 

While there aren’t many large-scale medical studies testing CBD as a surefire treatment for anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, or social anxiety, a recent study published in The Permanente Journal revealed promising results.

In the course of the 2-month study, about 72 adult patients in a psychiatric hospital were given CBD oil capsules once every day. Most obtained 25 mg of CBD with some obtaining doses as high as 175 mg. To the experts’ surprise, within a few weeks, more than 79% of the subjects reported feeling better and calmer, and they remained calm for the rest of the study period. 

“We found no evidence of safety issues that could limit more future research,” said the researchers.

Calming Epilepsy

Researchers believe that CBD contains anti-seizure properties that could potentially treat children with epilepsy or any medicine-resistant types of neurological disorders.

In a 2017 study, CBD showed a notable decrease in the frequency of seizures by 23% over people taking a placebo.

As a matter of fact, in 2018, the FDA approved the prescription use of Epidiolex, which is a purified form of CBD oil used to treat two rare forms of epilepsy in patients: 

• Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) 
• Dravet Syndrome (DS)

These two usually don’t respond to any anti-seizure medications.

As so happens, Epidiolex is the first FDA-certified drug containing a purified drug derived from cannabis. It reduces and often stops the seizures altogether. You can find tons of incredible visual proofs of Epidiolex’s effects on children with “childhood epilepsy” available online.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, writing for the FDA on June 24, 2018, stated, “Today, the FDA approved a purified form of CBD. This is one of more than 80 active chemicals in cannabis. The new product was approved to treat seizures associated with two rare, severe forms of epilepsy in patients 2 years of age and older.”

He further added, “The FDA will continue to support rigorous scientific research on potential medical treatments using cannabis and its components that seek to be developed through the appropriate scientific channels. However, we remain concerned about the proliferation and illegal marketing of unapproved CBD-containing products with unproven medical claims.”

CBD has also proven to help in treating complications related to neuronal injury, neurodegeneration, and psychiatric diseases.

Reducing Acne

More than 9 percent of the current population is affected by acne.

It’s presumed to be caused by several factors, including genetics, underlying inflammation, bacteria, and the overproduction of sebum.

Considering recent scientific research, CBD oil could help treat acne because of its anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to diminish sebum production.

One study indicated that CBD oil can prevent sebaceous gland cells from emitting excessive sebum, exert anti-inflammatory actions and also prevent the activation of “pro-acne” agents, such as inflammatory cytokines.

Similar results were discovered in a different study, concluding CBD oil can be a safe and effective way to treat acne.

Although these results look promising, more human studies are needed.

CBD and Rheumatoid Arthritis

With natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, CBD oil has the potential to relieve swelling and joint pain. In studies conducted on arthritic animals, the ones that were given CBD had reduced joint pain and a more gradual progression of the inflammatory disease.

In another trial of 58 individuals, those taking Sativex— a CBD/THC combination— reported decreased symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Within 5 weeks, the combination was linked to reduced pain during movement, enhanced sleep quality, and lower inflammation. Furthermore, the trial found no adverse effects.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, CBD oil is a genuine pharmacy of useful compounds. Aside from the controversy surrounding it, science and medicine have been investigating the healing potential of Matrix CBD oil, and many are claiming it has helped them with specific health issues. 

There’s a good chance that CBD oil is the alternative medicine we’ve all longed for.