Some of the most popular products that are available around the world are CBD products. In fact, it is estimated that by the year 2025 the CBD industry will be upwards of $80 billion dollars. That is a lot of money. With that much money, it is no secret that there are a lot of people that buy it. But, why are they buying it? What could possibly influence people to spend so much hard-earned cash on something as simple as CBD? You might be surprised. Is CBD good for you? The answer to that might not be what you expect.
What is CBD?
Some people have an idea in their minds about what CBD is and should be. However, in many cases, that idea is wrong. CBD is one of over 100 different cannabinoids that are naturally occurring in the cannabis plant. Industrial hemp is a strain of the cannabis plant that has been bred in a way that produces a low level of THC and a high level of CBD. In all actuality, CBD is just one cannabinoid that is living alongside many more. Although THC and CBD are both cannabinoids, they are different from each other.
Where THC has been known to cause psychoactive effects on people, and directly affect the brain, CBD has a different effect on the people that use it. CBD will not get the user “high” or cause any kind of inebriation.
Cannabinoids and the Endocannabinoid System
In order to understand cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, CBN, and THC it helps to have an idea about how they work with our bodies. Mostly everything that is alive and has a spine is equipped with an endocannabinoid system. This system interacts with the central nervous system, the brain, and various other components throughout the body by way of receptors.
Humans and animals naturally produce their own chemicals that are very similar to cannabinoids that are known as endocannabinoids or endogenous cannabinoids. The purpose of the endocannabinoid system is to help to keep the body in a state of homeostasis. The endocannabinoids that we produce interact with the endocannabinoid receptors in our bodies and deliver messages throughout our systems that tell different places in the body to be more or less active. Heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature are a few examples of what is controlled by the system.
Where THC directly attaches itself to the receptors, CBD gently influences the receptors to either send or not send messages. Ultimately cannabinoids have the ability to influence our bodies, the thoughts we think, and the messages that we broadcast through the central nervous system.
A Matter of Perspective
Whether or not it is a good thing or a bad thing that cannabinoids have so much influence over our bodies depends on the way that one looks at it. As for how dangerous, or how safe cannabinoids are for humans and animals, science still has much to learn. It is because there is so little that is understood about how cannabinoids work with our brains that it is not clear whether or not they are safe for people to use. Obviously, there have not been any relevant discoveries that show that CBD is harmful or dangerous for use. However, there is not much solid evidence that says it is actually good for people and animals either.
Of course, if you are curious about CBD and how it will affect you, it would be a good idea to consult with your physician before you attempted to use it. Although CBD is a natural element, it can still cause problems if you mix any kind of medication that could cause unpleasant side effects when combined with cannabinoids.