WRITTEN BY: ZACH CHAMP,
CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN!

(Originally Published in 2019)

WHY IS CANNABIDIOL (CBD) SO POPULAR RIGHT NOW?

There is a lot of hype and buzz around CBD and CBD products these days. It seems everywhere in the United States more and more people are beginning to realize the potential ability of this natural compound to provide healing and relief for a variety of conditions.

Recently we have been hearing about states passing laws that legalize the production and sales of CBD only products, and on financial television channel’s big market executives spend hours discussing the growth and potential profits available.

As it stands, there are currently 9 states (including the District of Columbia) where Marijuana is legal and 30 states where medical marijuana is legal. With CBD there are only 17 states with laws that specifically regulate or restrict the possession and sale of CBD containing products.

Green: Recreational Marijuana
Red: Regulated CBD
Yellow: Medicinal Marijuana

Within most of these regulated states, CBD is available by prescription from an individual’s healthcare physician for the treatment of severe or debilitating chronic disease.

CBD is obviously a hot topic and a hot product… but just what exactly is CBD? And what does it have to do with Marijuana, which is still an illegal plant in much of the country?

WHAT EXACTLY IS CBD & HOW DOES IT WORK?

CBD is an acronym that stands for Cannabidiol and is one of the many active compounds found in the Marijuana and Hemp plants.

CBD belongs to a class of naturally occurring chemicals called cannabinoids. CBD is the non-psychoactive component of Marijuana and Hemp that provides pain relief and helps regulate anxiety.

In contrast, THC, Tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive component of the plants responsible for providing the inebriating high that makes Marijuana so popular as a recreational drug.

Both are considered Cannabinoids, and it’s this diverse class of compounds that are found all over the plant kingdom in a variety of forms that is the focus of current scientific research exploring medicinal plants.

WHAT ARE CANNABINOIDS?

Cannabinoids are of special interest because humans and other mammals seem to be hard-wired to react positively to them.

The endocannabinoid system is an integrated system of receptors throughout the body that is connected with the immune and nervous systems.

All humans and mammals have cannabinoids receptors in their bodies that when activated help fight inflammation and nervous conditions. This is the only reason why we have a medicinal or inebriating effect from marijuana and hemp in the first place!

Even more fascinating is that cannabinoids are not just strictly found in cannabis plants, but are actually widely occurring in MANY species across the plant kingdom.

Examples of other plant species with cannabinoids include:

Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)

Chocolate (Theobroma cacao)
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Electric Toothache Daisy (Acmella Oleracea)

Kava Kava (Piper methysticum) and a host of others!

How Cannabinoids Heal the Body: The Endocannabinoid System:

The endocannabinoid system has two main types of receptors that are distributed through the human central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.

There are two main types of cannabinoid receptors found in the human body- CB1 and CB2 receptors.

CB1 receptors are found in the human reproductive organs, the more primitive parts of the brain that control respiratory and autonomic functions, as well as the human visual eyes and visual cortex.

CB2 receptors are found throughout the immune system and are primarily responsible for providing anti-inflammation and pain relief.

CBD is just one of several cannabinoid compounds that influences these receptors!