CBD oil has been around for a long time but has just recently gone viral in the mainstream.
Chances are you’ve heard about CBD oil a lot on social media, from co-workers and even family members.
Because it’s derived from the cannabis plant, many people mistakenly think it’s taboo but most CBD oil doesn’t contain any TCH which is the psychoactive element that gives you a high.
CBD oil has been linked to helping many ailments such as anxiety, depression, joint pain, insomnia, and more. It’s even been linked to serious illnesses like epilepsy, alzheimer’s and parkinson’s disease.
What Is CBD Oil?
CBD, which stands for cannabidiol is a cannabis-derived chemical compound extracted from either industrial hemp or the marijuana plant. Industrial hemp grows fibrous stalks that have many uses such as textiles, hemp oil, hemp milk and many more. A cannabis plant will contain hundreds of compounds, the two most prevalent being CBD and THC.
CBD usage can be traced to the furthest reaches of history. According to Healthcare Weekly, it is evident that cannabis extracts were widely used as an anesthetic and blood thinners in the 2nd century BC. There are Egyptian tomb with people buried next to cannabis plants and mentions of the Greeks and Romans using it as well.
You can ingest CBD in a variety of ways such as an oil dropped on the tongue, a balm rubbed onto the skin, a pill, a vape cartridge, a gummy or other edibles.
As an oil it’s typically placed on the tongue for 30 seconds and then swallowed. This allows for quick absorption at first through the tongue and then a lasting effect from swallowing it.
Is CBD oil legal? Mostly yes, but research for your specific area. According to Kyro, the passage of the Farm Bill of 2018 made farming and harvesting the hemp plant legal in all 50 states. The amount of THC contained in the hemp should not exceed 0.3 percent.
And even before that, the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 ruled that certain parts of the hemp plant (parts containing less than 0.3 percent THC) are not illegal. The use of CBD oil without THC is approved in most, but not all, states at this time. This can quickly change though as new laws are being put into place all the time surrounding cannabis and related products.
A lack of federal regulations means that products will vary greatly in potency and you should consult your doctor before using any new product. It would be worth your time to research the product and company before purchasing or using any CBD product.
Why Is CBD Oil So Hot Right Now?
“After the federal legalization of CBD in the form of Epidiolex, prescribed medication for children with severe seizures, CBD began to be recognized for a multitude of other healing and treatment or management properties.” according to the DailyCBDmag.
A few things sprung CBD oil into the spotlight over the last few years.
The first being its association with treating childhood epilepsy. The government had a hard time disallowing a medication that helped children with a crippling disease even if it did come from the cannabis plant.
Second, the Farm Bill of 2018 made farming hemp legal. This made the CBD industry explode overnight, reaching its way into several new markets like pets and health and beauty products. Third, medical and recreational marijuana has started to become legal in many states.
Put these things together and you have the stage perfectly set for CBD oil.
Since CBD oil doesn’t contain THC, it’s a great alternative for people that want all the healing benefits without the high. Also, it’s legal in all but three states right now.
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
In an article about the benefits of CBD oil for Parkinson’s, Dementia Care Central defined Parkinson’s as “a neurological disorder that affects one’s nervous system, with the average age of onset at 60 years old.”
The brain cells that produce dopamine get damaged and die off. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects body movement. Parkinson’s patients suffer from tremors, lack of balance, lack of facial expression and tense muscles.
Some interesting findings from Cambridge University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine:
Can Parkinson’s disease be managed with the drug treating blood pressure?
The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are:
- Tremors
- Cognitive impairment
- Chewing and eating problems
- Sleep disorders
- Stiff painful joints and muscles
- Loss of bladder control
- Depression or anxiety
- Fatigue
Age and heredity seem to be the two main risk factors for Parkinson’s. There is no cure for this devastating disease and medications are used only to lessen the symptoms and make life more tolerable.
Can CBD Provide Relief For Parkinson’s Patients?
While CBD cannot cure Parkinson’s, it can be very useful in controlling some symptoms and thereby improve a patient’s quality of life. According to another article by Healthline, here are some of the symptoms CBD can help with:
Pain – Animal studies have shown improvement in pain and inflammation with the use of CBD oil, two things that plague people with Parkinson’s.
Tremors – Tremors are the tell-tale sign of Parkinson’s. They start off mild and gradually get more and more severe. CBD might be able to ease muscle movements and reduce tremors.
Psychosis – Up to 50% of Parkinson’s patients will experience psychosis in the later stages of the disease. It can cause hallucinations, delirium, and delusions, and it’s more common in people in the later stages of the disease. There was only one small study done back in 2009 but it did show relief of these symptoms.
Sleep – CBD makes the brain produce more melatonin which can help you sleep better. Many people who have trouble sleeping take a melatonin supplement.
Due to legal issues surrounding cannabis and its related products, there have been very few clinical studies on CBD oil and diseases like Parkinson’s. With the relaxation of cannabis laws across the nation, hopefully, more studies will be conducted in the coming years.
