Your cart is empty
Cannabidiol: What are the effects of CBD?
Although primarily consumed for its relaxing properties, CBD is said to offer many other benefits. Anxiety, insomnia, stress relief… We’re hearing more and more about the beneficial effects of CBD, but have you ever checked the facts? We’ve scoured the internet for reliable studies on the subject, and we invite you to discover their findings here.
Today, Sixty8 invites you to discover the effects of CBD and take a look at recent studies on the subject.
What is cannabidiol?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a molecule found naturally in the cannabis plant. It is the second most abundant ‘cannabinoid’ in the plant, after THC. THC is the psychoactive molecule found naturally in cannabis.
In contrast, CBD is not a psychoactive substance. This was determined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017, in removing CBD from the list of controlled substances.
Since this decision, many states have decided to authorise the production and sale of this product.
Switzerland was a pioneer in this field in Europe, having regulated the sale of CBD products as early as 2011! This is why the pioneers of CBD in Europe are based there.
Other European countries have followed suit following the regulation of the product by the WHO.
Now that we know what we’ll be discussing on this page, let’s talk about the effects of this substance.
Relaxing with CBD cannabis
Relaxation is the effect most sought after by people who use CBD. Dr Yasmin Hurd (Director of the Mount Sinai Institute of Addiction) explains that: "CBD can activate certain serotonin receptors, and the serotonergic system is associated with the relief of anxiety."
Dr Hurd has been studying the effects of CBD for 10 years and has contributed significantly to related discoveries in recent years.
“Whether in normal conditions or in people suffering from anxiety disorders, sufficient research has begun to show that it [CBD] has an anti-anxiety effect.” Dr Y. Hurd.
This much-sought-after relaxing effect is, in fact, directly linked to our next section: CBD for anxiety!
>>View our CBD flowers in the shop<<
Cannabidiol for anxiety
It was in 2008 that a Brazilian study highlighted the link between CBD consumption and serotonin production.
According to this study, CBD is thought to activate the ‘5-HT1A’ serotonin receptors. By activating these receptors, CBD sends a signal to the brain: there is an excess of serotonin production in the body.
The brain will then attempt to correct this imbalance, which means that emotions are more easily regulated, as are anxiety attacks.
Although it is by no means a medicine intended to treat anxiety, CBD can therefore help to calm attacks on an ad hoc basis. As is often the case with CBD, we are not talking about a medicine but rather a supplement that will help you manage certain symptoms. (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18446323/)
Although this is true for cannabis containing cannabidiol (CBD), I must warn you about cannabis containing THC, which can be counterproductive for anxiety.
If you suffer from anxiety attacks, or if you want to combat stress with a natural product, we advise you to first discuss CBD with your GP. They will be able to guide and advise you so that you can make the best decision.
CBD to combat insomnia
Insomnia can make everyday life very difficult. Drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, anxiety... The symptoms are numerous and can seriously affect the patient’s mood and social life.
We have already seen, in the previous section, that CBD can have a positive impact on anxiety issues; however, according to recent studies, as we shall see, the benefits of CBD do not stop there...
As we have already discussed in another article, a study published in the journal "Medicine" between 2016 and 2018 showed that cannabinoids may reduce the symptoms of insomnia.
Another study published in the scientific journal "Permanente Journal" has established links between CBD use and the relief of sleep disorders.
To find out more about sleep disorders and CBD, I recommend reading our article on this topic.
The cosmetic benefits of CBD
There are many CBD-based cosmetic products available in specialist shops. CBD does indeed possess certain properties that are very useful for combating skin problems, for example...
CBD is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. A 2019 scientific study published in the journal "Antioxidants" highlighted these two properties of cannabidiol.
In cosmetics, these two effects are sought after for the development of skincare products. This is the main application of CBD in cosmetic products, although there are also CBD hair care products as well as products designed for athletes to aid recovery, for example.
>>View our range of cosmetics in the shop<<
If you’d like to learn more about the effects of CBD, we have other articles for you:
