CBD, a popular new cure-all for pain

CBD is becoming popular as a stand-alone marijuana supplement, without the high.

CBD is like THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, as they are both found in hemp or marijuana ( cannabis) plants and are both cannabinoids. The big difference is that CBD does not get you ‘high’. When taking cannabis, the ‘high’ experience comes from the THC in the plant, not the CBD. So, people are now turning to CBD as a health supplement to receive the supposed benefits of marijuana without the ‘high’ or the negative effects.

There is a difference between the negative effects of CBD and THC. THC, if used continuously in youths, can slow brain development and lead to the development of psychiatric disorders. So, for people below the age of 25, it is not recommended that they use THC as their brains have not yet finished developing. CBD has not been shown to have those negative effects, but a lot of the research is still on-going. So, before use consult your doctor.

There are many ways to use CBD. Some people smoke the substance while others consumer it in food. Chloe St. Onge (@ChronicallyCanadian on Instagram) starts and ends her day with 20 mg of CBD oil under her tongue. That is a high dose, but she has been using CBD under a doctor’s supervision for a year and did not start at that high of a dose.

Chloe has hypermobility disorder and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (MeCFS). Hypermobility disorder is a condition that affects the joints and for Chloe, causes her joints to dislocate during normal activities. MeCFS is an illness that causes overwhelming fatigue that is not improved by rest. MeCFS can cause someone to experience extreme bouts of fatigue after mental or physical strain.

Chloe feared that CBD was a fad that was trendy but not effective. It was not until after she realized that her “pain was too high for even pain killers to manage” that she decided to give it a chance. Now she says that CBD has made a “drastic improvement” on her daily life.

Before using any new drug please consult your general physician.

More Inspiration: Check out this article on women’s health and cannabis use.