If you have been paying attention at all to the news cycle in the last year or so, you would really need to try hard not to hear about medicinal marijuana legalization. While this topic has been covered thoroughly, and you may be aware of all of the potential benefits and risks the legalization of marijuana may have, what you actually may not know is that this does not only mean you can now light up a joint in the states that have legalized marijuana, but also that you can now enjoy some of cannabis’ other properties, if getting high doesn’t seem that fun for you.
I am, of course, talking about the other component of the plant in question (other then delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC), and that is cannabinoid oil, or CBD oil for short. So let’s first answer the basic question that begs to be answered right away – what is CBD oil?
As stated previously, the main two chemical components of the cannabis plant are THC and CBD oil, the latter of which is produced by harvesting and then processing the plant until we end up with an isolated, oil or tree sap-like substance which has been proven to have some interesting and all-around useful properties.
Numerous studies have shown that CBD oil effectsinclude, but may not be limited to, pain relief, mental health benefits, reduction of anxiety and depression, improvement of skin conditions, such as acne, neuroprotective properties, cardiovascular benefits, reducing of withdrawal symptoms from substance abuse, diabetes prevention, etc. However, by far the biggest hope for CBD oil is to have it play a part in fighting cancer, and medical scientists have cause to be optimistic in regards to this effect in particular.
Types of CBD oil
The term CBD oil is used as a catch-all term for hemp-based oils, all sharing the same or similar CBD oil effects. However, there are a few sub-varieties. In no particular order, here are some of them:
-Marijuana oil
This is the oil made exclusively from the female cannabis’ flower (marijuana is only the female gendered cannabis). This product contains THC and thus has a psychoactive effect when consumed.
-Cannabis oil and hemp oil
Also known as “whole plant oil”, as it is extracted from the plant as a whole, flowers and leaves included. This product contains a smaller percentage of THC than the oil derived from just the marijuana flowers.
-High CBD oil
Cannabidiol (or CBD) is the oil derived from the hemp plant by harvesting and soaking the plant in some form of solvent, until it releases its oil into the mixture. Then the mixture is boiled in order to strip away the unwanted ingredients until we are left with pure CBD oil. CBD neutralizes the mind-altering effect that THC can have our bodies, which makes it the more desirable product when purely medicinal effects are regarded.
-Rick Sampson oil
Rick Sampson has been a long-term advocate of using CBD oil for its medicinal properties. His own brand of CBD oil is made from solvents that are natural and less invasive on human bodies.
As more and more research is done on the topic of medicinal marijuana use, and its effects on the patients, we will see more CBD oil products on the shelves of our pharmacies. But before this can happen, countries and our representatives in the government need to do their part, and make these products legal and available.