Cannabidiol, or CBD, is gaining massive popularity in recent years that is available in many forms, including CBD oils, tablets, and creams. The CBD product market has grown at a fast rate, while the research on it is expanding.
The growing body of research into its potential health benefits, including anti-depression, has given rise to a big CBD industry.
A recent industry study indicated the global CBD market would grow from $311.7 million in 2019 to more than 1 billion by 2024.
With the overwhelming marketing promotions and discussion, people are desperate to find out whether CBD products are safe and looking for guidelines for safe CBD usage.
The ideal doses of CBD vary depending on its form and usage. CBD oil is one of the most common forms of CBD products at the moment.
It can be used for aromatherapy, as a kind of massage oil to apply to the skin, or even as a food supplement.
Seeing its wide uses on the human body, is it really safe to use?
Is CBD oil safe?
There are growing numbers of physicians and experts believe that CBD oil is safe. Some clinical evidence shows its low toxicity and low incidences of side effects.
However, CBS is so new in these few years and not yet exactly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel (FDA), its potential risks and side effects are still under exploration.
There is still not enough research to let the doctors confirm the safe, beneficial dosages for each use.
If you ever want to try a CBD oil product for any treatments, do consult your doctor for its safety and the effective dosage first.
What is CBD oil?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound that comes from the cannabis plants called Cannabinoid.
Different kinds of cannabis strains would contain different ratios of Cannabidiol. For example, Indica strains contain mainly CBD which is usually used for relaxation. Once you use it, it will act throughout the body, including on certain parts of the brain.
CBD is not psychoactive as it is not responsible for the ‘high’ from cannabis like another cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is a non-intoxicating compound derived from the hemp plant, and is believed to have potential health benefits.
CBD oil is made by extracting CBD diluting with a carrier oil such as coconut or hemp seed oil.
Some scientific studies found that it may ease symptoms of some health problem like chronic pain and anxiety. People have started increasingly using CBD oil as a daily supplement for health.
If you are also considering using CBD oil, you should consult your doctor or other healthcare experts to check that it is safe and appropriate for your condition.
Here are some of the health benefits of CBD oil that are backed by scientific research.
Main Potential Benefits of CBD Oil
Treating Epilepsy
The use of CBD for epilepsy treatment has been supported by significant scientific evidence.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has approved the use of a CBD oil Epidiolex to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy.
According to Timothy Welty, the department chair of clinical sciences at Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, It is the only use of CBD oil with strong evidence for the FDA to approve as a medication.
The appropriate dosage for the CBD oil Epidiolex is as follows:
- The dosage of the first week is 2.5 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of your body weight with twice a day, which is a total dosage of 5 mg/kg per day.
- Starting the next week, you may increase the dosage to 5 mg/kg twice a day, which is a total dosage of 10 mg/kg per day.
Depression and anxiety disorders
People are very looking forward to the potential effects of CBD oils to reduce depression and anxiety.
The use of CBD oil for both depression and anxiety has shown some promising results in initial studies. It also caused fewer side effects in some people compared to other anti-depression prescriptions.
A research in 2014 has found that CBD could help in treating depression. The studies indicated that CBD could have a positive interaction with serotonin receptors in the brain.
Serotonin affects a range of functions of the brain, including your emotional state and your ability to feel well-being or happiness.
CBD oil can help keep the serotonin levels balanced as a key therapy for people to deal with depression.
Pain relief
Before all the controversy surrounding the use of cannabis and CBD, people had been using cannabis for thousands of years to treat headaches and pain.
Some recent studies have discovered that some components of cannabis, including CBD, are having certain effects on pain-relieving.
For example in a small study, 29 participants with peripheral noncancer neuropathic pain received either 250 milligrams (mg) of CBD, in 3 oz of CBD oil, or a placebo.
After 4 weeks of the treatment, those who were using CBD oil experienced significant reduction in intense pain, sharp pain, cold and itchy sensations. These participants also did not report any side effects.
Although the trial size was small, the results are significant that it is worth conducting more investigations to confirm the results.
Possible side effects of CBD
Although CBD is generally considered safe, it may cause adverse reactions in some people since there is not enough research for its risks. Even the FDA is not exactly sure all the benefits and side effects of CBD oil.
There are possible side effects noted in some scientific studies including:
- Diarrhea
- Changes in appetite and weight
- Fatigue
Also if you are using other medication, you should discuss with your doctor and make sure if you are safe to use CBD and avoid potentially harmful interactions.