What is CBD? Is it right for you?
June 1, 2017

What is CBD:

CBD is short for a compound called Cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one of the many active compounds found in the cannabis plant, a genus of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family that also includes about 170 other plants, including Hops. Just like all the other plants across this earth, the cannabis plant has numerous active constituents that offer us many health benefits. Walk into any health store and you will find bottle after bottle of active constituents from plants, such as silymarin from milk thistle, curcumin from turmeric and carvacrol from oregano.

Health benefits of CBD:

Unlike other plants across this earth, cannabis and its active constituents, the cannabinoids, including CBD, have a unique biological process within the human body. You see, mammals, including humans of course, have what is called an Endocannabinoid System. This system in the human body is a group of receptors located in the brain and across the central and peripheral nervous systems. It plays a crucial role in many physiological processes that help regulate mood, pain sensation, memory, appetite, motivation, and our everyday experience.

It is an established scientific fact that the active constituents of cannabis, including CBD, bind to these receptors and can modulate these physiological responses in the human body. This effect is why the health benefits of CBD can range greatly from person to person, depending on what area of the body needs “help”. As taken from Projectcbd.org “Extensive preclinical research—much of it sponsored by the U.S. government—indicates that CBD has potent anti-tumoral, antioxidant, anti-spasmodic, anti-psychotic, anti-convulsive, and neuroprotective properties. CBD directly activates serotonin receptors, causing an anti-depressant effect, as well.”

Issues related to cannabis:

You may, of course, recognize the cannabis plant, by two of its common names: Marijuana or Hemp. Yes, they are both the cannabis plant. The basic difference is in how the species is bred.

Marijuana is bred to produce various amounts of another cannabinoid – tetrahydrocannabinoil
or more commonly called THC. THC also has many health benefits but when it binds to the receptors in the brain it creates a psychoactive effect. Hence the “high”, and the history behind using marijuana for this effect.

Hemp, on the other hand, is bred to contain as minute amounts as possible of THC. Hemp has been used for its many other purposes such as a source of fiber, protein and fabric. Hemp is legal in the United States under the 2014 Farm Bill, allowing states to grow Hemp to study the growth, cultivation and marketing of the plant. To be considered Hemp, the cannabis plant must be grown to contain 0.3% THC or less. Even though hemp has low levels of THC, it can still produce high levels of other cannabinoids including CBD and therefore still offer health benefits to the human body. Most the CBD products found in health food stores are made from hemp and not from marijuana, making it legal to sell. For now, that is.

Big Issue:

GW Pharmaceuticals is a British biopharmaceutical company (using plants for medicine) which has been studying the effect cannabis has on the body in relation to multiple sclerosis, cancer and epilepsy. Their studies have shown tremendous results. They have submitted an NDA (New Drug Application) to the FDA. When an NDA is submitted to the FDA, the FDA considers the any product containing the substance put out after the date of the NDA submission to be a drug. In this case, the substance is CBD – Cannabidiol. The Hemp Associations and the manufacturers of CBD products are currently fighting this legality, and trying to show the FDA that hemp products, including the oil which naturally contains CBD, have been on the market well before the NDA submission. I certainly hope they are successful as this would mean that the only way to get a concentrated CBD extract would be by prescription.

For more information on CBD or to purchase a CBD product, please stop by the store, we will be happy to help you.

Yours in Health,

Brenda Valen, BS, CNC, CNHP

Gulf Coast Nutrition