Its truly amazing: less than a year ago, when my mother was recovering from eye surgery, giving her CBD oil for pain and inflammation was still an edgy and somewhat daring thing to do.
Now, its being sold at her doctors office, in many retail stores, and in CBD shops everywhere. Ive never seen anything explode this quickly, and although this is definitely a positive development, it also raises some real questions about safety and efficacy.
In this introduction, Im going to highlight the most important points for everyone to know about CBD for womens wellness (and will be elaborating in future blogs).
- CBD (short for cannabidiol) is one of the main compounds of the cannabis plant.
- Unlike THC, the other major compound that many are familiar with, CBD doesnt produce a high, and in fact reduces the high from THC.
- Humans have an Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which is the major homeostatic system in the body, and our bodies actually produce endocannabinoids that are very similar to the phytocannabinoids found in cannabis.
- Hemp is a form of cannabis that has very low levels (less than .3%) of THC.
- This past December, hemp-based CBD was removed from Schedule I and legalized in the Farm Bill of 2018, so its now legal to use hemp-based CBD in the US.
- CBD seems to be very effective in reducing inflammation and pain, and in helping the body to more effectively manage stress.
- Since the Endocannabinoid System helps to balance both stress and sex hormones, CBD can help with many womens health issues.
- Quality is key!!! The CBD industry is still unregulated, so theres lots of bad stuff out there.
Right now, my recommendations to everyone are:
- Make sure your CBD products are organic, and
- Make sure that the companys 3 rd -party lab test results are easily found on their website.
Stay tuned for more valuable information about legal cannabis can help us get our juicy back!