This week I am tacking the subject of CBD.

This is simply a matter of self-defense. I am being assaulted. Yes assaulted, on all fronts by CBD infused everything.

Everything, Bob?

Yes, everything.

CBD oil

CBD tincture

CBD cream

CBD gummies

CBD chews

CBD hemp salve

CBD soft gels

CBD bath bombs

CBD chocolate

CBD dog treats

You get the idea.

I walked into the gas station while my car was fueling to grab a bottle of water. Half, freaking half of the water in the fridge was “CBD infused”. Alright. OK. I need to know a little bit more about my new favorite buddy, CBD. And I’m dragging you along with me. Here we go;

CBD is  Cannabidiol, a major constituent of the cannabis (marijuana) plant. There are at least 113 different cannabinoids isolated from cannabis. CBD is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis. The most prominent? Yes, you guessed it, Tetrahydrocannabino, or THC. That’s the stuff that gets you high. CBD, not so much. While THC is the major active ingredient in marijuana, cannabidiol is also obtained from hemp, which contains only very small amounts of THC.

O.K., so we know what it DOESN’T do…get you high.

What DOES it do?

Here’s where things get interesting. Here is a short list of claimed benefits which I picked up after a fairly short search;

– CBD is anti-aging, making it the best option for lifelong care on hair, face, and                       body

– CBD is a known anti-inflammatory

– CBD may offer an option for treating different types of chronic pain.

– High in vitamin E and fatty acids, CBD Oil nourishes the scalp and strengthens                      hair, thereby encouraging hair growth.

– Cures cancer. Straight up. Cures cancer.

– promote healthy sleep cycles, though it may take up to a month to feel these                        effects.

(Sleepy? This’ll help, in about a month..)

– promote wakefulness.

(No, I’m not kidding)

– CBD use may actually aid in curbing tobacco addiction.

– CBD is also used because of its anti-inflammatory properties, cardiac benefits,                       anti-nausea effects, appetite stimulation, anti-anxiety impact, and for possible                      anti-cancer benefits…….in dogs.

Is anybody else picturing the wagon pulling into the backwoods western town, pulled by a couple of horses, with the slogans hand-painted on the canvas sides

“Manage Pain, Improve Your Mood, Boost Your Brain, Fight Inflammation, Clear                     Your Skin, Strengthen Your Heart, and Sleep Better with the Healing Power of                     CBD Oil!”

“Hemp Oil Formula for Arthritis, Back, Knee, Joint, Nerve & Muscle Pain, &                                Inflammation.”

(Both of those came directly from online ads, btw.)

The canvas flap folds town to reveal a shabby but gaudily outfitted man , definitely with a mustache and bowler hat, touting the benefits of the new wonder drug, picking a “random” audience member who is miraculously cured of whatever ailment he / she is afflicted with after a single dose of this miraculous cure-all, which is being offered at this time only, at a special price, only to the people within the sound of my voice….

…but I digress…

There is some science here. The strongest scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating some of the cruelest childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which typically don’t respond to antiseizure medications. In numerous studies, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and in some cases it was able to stop them altogether. Recently the FDA approved the first ever cannabis derived medicine for these conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD.  More research needs to be done, but CBD may be prove to be an option for managing anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain. . A study from the European Journal of Pain showed, using an animal model, CBD applied on the skin could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis.

The European Journal of Pain.

Did anyone else just get a little excited?

Just me?

O.K.

Side effects of CBD may include nausea, fatigue and irritability. CBD can also increase the level in your blood of the blood thinner coumadin, and it can raise levels of certain other medications in your blood by the exact same mechanism that grapefruit juice does. It’s also largely unregulated, which means you should exercise caution in who you’re buying from, or you may end up with a gummy, or oil, or whatever, that doesn’t even have the stuff that we’re not sure if it works even in it.

Some of the ways you can take it include;

• oils and tinctures
• pills and capsules
• edibles, like gummies
• CBD infused water
• Smoking / vaping it. Honest. According to several sources, smoking CBD is one of the most effective ways to experience its benefits.

Smoking….

…benefits…

O.K.

So, what’s my point here? I guess I’m saying that you are absolutely allowed to admire the Emperor’s new clothes, but if all I see is a naked dude, I’m allowed to call that out as well. Go ahead and make a choice. You are free to believe what you want, based on whatever or whomever you want. While you’re coming to a decision, you might want to fire up a joint. Research shows that they’ve been using that to mellow out and control pain since 2900 BC.

Talk later,

Bob