Medical cannabis is quickly becoming the go-to alternative to dangerous and addictive prescription painkillers, like the opioids that are causing an epidemic of overdose deaths in the United States. A lot of weed’s pain-killing power stems from its psychoactive cannabinoid, THC. But cannabidiol is also a potent pain reliever. 2015 saw the most important study to uncover the pain-relieving effects of CBD. In that study, researchers compared cannabidiol to morphine. To their surprise, CBD worked well in combination with morphine and counteracted the latter’s risky side effects. This means cannabidiol can help treat acute pain conditions, along with more long-term benefits.

It sounds too good to be true. But indeed, pre-clinical trials have shown that cannabidiol has a powerful anti-tumor effect. The most important study to reveal these powerful tumor-inhibiting effects came out in 2015. In fact, this study looked at a range of non-psychoactive cannabinoids, including, of course, cannabidiol. In a landmark for medical cannabis research, this study concluded that "CBD slows the progression of many types of cancer, including breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer." How that works is pretty incredible. Cannabidiol actually makes it harder for cancer cells to grow. In some cases, this causes an increase in cancer cell death. No wonder stories abound about "miracle" CBD cures that shrink tumors.

Cannabis is widely-valued as a treatment for inflammation. Credit goes to both THC and CBD in that regard, but cannabidiol has some special anti-inflammatory properties of its own. Specifically, cannabidiol binds with the endocannabinoid system to produce a response that reduces nerve inflammation. This is another of its "neuroprotective" qualities and a major reason why CBD is such an effective treatment for neurological diseases.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects nearly 8 percent of all American’s during their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from it. Finding an affordable, safe, and reliable treatment for PTSD would profoundly impact the lives of millions of Americans every year. To that end, a pathbreaking 2013 study found that cannabidiol improved people’s abilities to forget their traumatic memories. These findings are incredibly important and could be relevant for figuring out how cannabidiol can treat other anxiety and stress disorders.

The topic of treating stress and anxiety sets us up perfectly to pivot to the importance of cannabidiol for recreational marijuana users. One of the most awesome things about CBD for the recreational crowd is its ability to act as a kind of counterweight to THC. The passive, sustaining Yin to the active, creative Yang of THC if you will.

When recreational users report a negative experience with weed, the issue almost always has to do with feelings of paranoia and anxiety. No doubt, any serious recreational user has been there. Today’s weed can be incredibly potent in terms of THC. And that’s not even mentioning concentrates.

High doses of THC can and do trigger negative mood alterations. And some people are just more sensitive to THC than others. For both people who accidentally got "too high," and those hyper-sensitive to THC, cannabidiol can help pump the breaks by inhibiting some of the toxicity of THC. This is a really unique and little-understood mechanism covered under the entourage effect. But if you take a close look at dispensary products, you’ll see plenty of strains, edibles, and concentrates that include a healthy dose of CBD in addition to high quantities of THC.

The reason for this is that cannabidiol works like an antidote to THC. It counters some of the stronger, stress-inducing effects of THC, leading to a smoother, more balanced high. Hence, 1:1 strains or other products with a balanced blend of THC and CBD are super-popular among recreational cannabis consumers.

That’s the rundown of what cannabidiol is, what it can do for you and the most popular ways to get your hands on it. As you can see, the future holds in store some exciting things for CBD, thanks to its seemingly bottomless promise as an effective and safe medicine. Capable of fighting back against the most serious diseases, while also gentle enough to be a part of a daily health regimen, cannabidiol is truly one of the most remarkable compounds in the natural world.

For this reason, cannabidiol (CBD) is driving innovation in the cannabis industry. Who would have guessed that the part of the plant that doesn’t get you high become such a major player in today’s cannabis revolution?

Each of the 60-plus cannabinoids unique to the plant interact with our bodies via a network of neurons called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a group of endogenous cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) located in the brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. CBD interacts with these receptors, creating a wide series of responses in the body, including signaling the body to wake up and naturally strengthen the immune system and elicits responses that help bring about balance and homeostasis, the ability to maintain and adjust internal conditions needed for survival and optimal health. It stimulates and affects sleep, pain, mood, digestion, stress, and is anti-inflammatory.

Researchers continue to uncover new medically-indicated uses for this natural oil. Recently, EPIDIOLEX®, became the 1st and only FDA-approved prescription CBD for epilepsy in the United States.

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