What is CBD?
The use of CBD to combat everything from brain injuries to joint pain to anxiety levels has exploded onto the worldwide stage. No longer is the oil extracted from hemp and cannabis unknown to those in the health field. With the help of mainstream media, CBD has become an aid to many afflictions and is now being consumed or used topically by millions, including many athletes, veterans, children and pets. CBD has been approved for production and sale in all 50 states in the U.S. and has become a staple in medical and recreation sales in Canada as well. The positive research is beginning to pop up from a myriad of studies.
The era of CBD has begun.
Just Good Medicine
While CBD is often used for medicinal purposes, there is a growing amount of evidence for alleviation of epilepsy, anxiety, pain and inflammatory conditions. Athletes are claiming that hemp-based compounds help them avoid having to take addictive opioid pain relievers for long-term pain relief.
The cannabis plant contains more than 80 active cannabinoid chemicals, including CBD. CBD oil can be derived from cannabis and hemp plants, with CBD being more plentiful in hemp. Both supply plentiful amounts that can be easily processed and sold at reasonable prices. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, research suggests that CBD has very little effect on the body’s receptors that trigger euphoria or intoxication. CBD offers many valuable benefits for athletes including faster muscle recovery post-workout, aid in relieving pre-competition anxiety, help with sleep, and it acts as a neuroprotectant. But its biggest proven benefit lies in helping athletes heal from their injuries and get back in competition more quickly.
Not all CBD products are created equally. Some contain terpenes and other enhancements. Most offer what is called full-spectrum CBD, which means no alterations to the oil.
About Cannabinoids
After decades of research, scientists discovered that recreational marijuana affects the brain and body by binding with cannabinol receptors. Marijuana’s active ingredient, known as tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, attaches to CB1 receptors in the central nervous system and the CB2 receptors that are located throughout the body. However, the derivative cannabidiol or CBD does not bind with these receptors. The compounds suppress the fatty acid amide hydroxylase enzyme. In so doing, the chemical enables anandamide to remain in the body for an extended length of time.
Anandamide is an endocannabinoid substance that is naturally produced by birds, fish, reptiles and mammals. The compound is a neurotransmitter that attaches to cannabinoid receptors and regulates many bodily functions ranging from appetite and memory to pain signals.
CBD Receptor Sites
CBD reacts with numerous receptor sites that include the TRPV-1 receptors, which are responsible for regulating body temperature, inflammatory responses and pain reception. The compound also affects the 5-HT1A serotonin family of 5-HT receptors that are responsible for
regulating mood, nausea, pain perception and sleep cycles. CBD acts by inhibiting an excitatory response, which slows signals and reduces undesired symptoms.
The compound also activates adenosine receptors that combine efforts with dopamine and glutamate to regulate cardiovascular function, cardiac oxygen consumption and vascular blood flow. Dopamine and glutamate trigger the reward center of the brain in addition to affecting attention, memory, mood and sleep, along with involuntary and voluntary muscle movement. Thanks to the research performed by scientists concerning cannabidiols, growers have taken steps to breed plant strains that contain higher concentrations of the compound.
Approval for Worldwide Use
Late last month, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD, used as anti-inflammatory compound and recovery aid for many athletes across the globe, from its 2018 prohibited substances list. “Cannabidiol is no longer prohibited,” WADA said in a September 2017 statement, warning, however, that THC, the chemical compound in cannabis that can contribute to euphoric psychoactive effects, remains banned.
“Cannabidiol extracted from cannabis plants may contain varying concentrations of THC,” WADA said, urging athletes to take precautions ensuring the purity of products. Marijuana use remains prohibited and positive tests can result in long suspensions. UFC fighter Nate Diaz has been a visible supporter of CBD, often bringing a CBD vape pen wherever he goes to show how much he values the benefits.
Helping Old and New Football Players
The NFL could be the next sport to gain approval. A growing number of former NFL players have touted the benefits of CBD, including Kyle Turley, Steven Jackson, Jonathan Ogden, Ebenezer Ekuban and Eugene Monroe. Many believe that CBD can relieve the ill effects of concussions that cause CTE.
“CBD has played an important role in allowing me to personally manage pain, cope with CTE-like symptoms, improve my overall health and eliminate the need for prescription opioids that nearly cost me my life due to long-term use side effects,” Kyle Turley told Elevate Nevada magazine. Turley played five seasons for the New Orleans Saints, a year with the St. Louis Rams and for two years with the Kansas City Chiefs before retiring in 2007.
Turley created a line of CBD products and has introduced them into mainstream use due to easing of CBD restrictions across the United States. Turley says his Neuro XPF formula has achieved huge results. His formula has eliminated any trace of THC and incorporates the plant’s natural terpenes and valuable cannabinoids. Whether it is hemp or cannabis, Turley wants to bring what he says is relief from CTE to anyone who has had a concussion and as a preventative. He had to outsmart the naysayers who will never accept cannabis by creating CBD-only extracts.
Shango Premium Cannabis is the exclusive retailer for Neuro XPF. A year and a half in the making, Turley has an array of delivery methods for Neuro XPF products, including a water-soluble blend for everyday use. Turley hopes the product will be cleared soon by the NFL, which has been slow to approve CBD like WADA did.
“It’s the biggest thing to happen to healthcare since cannabis became part of the discussion. If the NFL follows through and they hold to the research and the media holds them to it, medical marijuana can change healthcare in America. I’ve got hope again,” he said.
Neuro XPF is lab-tested and 100 percent THC-free. CBD (cannabidiol) has been shown in studies to have neuro-protective and antioxidative properties. Turley thinks it will help anyone suffering from chronic pain and adds that it’s never too early for prevention. Prevention for
Turley means guarding a child’s brain from any early trauma. Neuro XPF products include a sublingual tincture, concentrated MCT oil, a vape product that uses a syringe for cartridge fills and CBD capsules. Neuro XPF uses no food flavorings. Soon to follow are a skin product, dab
wax for asthma patients and bottled water. “It’s been my mission,” Turley said.
CBD Research
According to Wikipedia, a case study on CBD and addictive use of marijuana was published in 2015. A 2015 systematic review of studies on CBD and addiction (five on humans, nine on animals) found that CBD acts on neurotransmittors involved in addiction; animal studies showed some relation in opioid and psychostimulant addiction and human studies showed beneficial effects for tobacco and cannabis dependence. One study revealed that a bipolar man who had a daily marijuana habit was given CBD along with his regimen of medication and reported
less anxiety and no marijuana use. Other studies are forthcoming. The list of anecdotal success stories gleaned from research studies is growing to include the following maladies:
- CTE CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- PTSD or PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder now Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome)
- HIV (AIDS)
- Aicardi Syndrome
- Epileptic Seizures in adults and children
- Menstruation discomfort
- Anxiety and depression
- Chiari Malformations
- PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)
- Neuropathy
- Pet ailments
“CBD is a powerful anti-epileptic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, anti-nauseate, sleep aid, muscle relaxant, sedative and anti-proliferative,” David Bearman, a pioneer is the medical marijuana field, wrote in HuffPost earlier this year.
One of the subtler effects may soon be used to attack the biggest epidemics facing our country — weight loss. Recent studies show that CBD has a very positive effect on weight loss. CBD interacts with the bodies’ Endocannabinoid System, which has been recently linked with playing “an important role in how the body regulates energy (calorie) balance, as well as carbohydrate and fat metabolism.” (Leafly, 2016) Translation: CBD does a wide variety of things in our bodies to make sure the body is in tip-top shape, and CBD literally feeds it by interacting with the body’s cannabinoid receptors.
The Endocannabinoid System is essentially a giant network of cannabinoid receptors spread out throughout the human body. It’s made up of “a group of specialized fatty acid-based signaling chemicals (think ‘keys’), their receptors (think ‘locks’), and the metabolic enzymes that produce and break them down.” (Leafly, 2016) The most well-known cannabinoid receptors in the body are CB1 and CB2, which are most active when interacting with cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Obviously, the stimulation and control of appetite and cravings stem from an intricate interaction between different areas in the brain. Different areas of the brain receive different types of information “in the form of nutrients, hormones, and signaling molecules from body fat tissue, the gut, blood, and peripheral sensory receptors.” (Leafly, 2016) The parts of the brain that stimulate hunger, appetite and energy intake are believed to be influenced by the CB1 receptor.
Recently researchers have studied the effects of CBD on fat cells in relation to the fight against the rise in obesity. CBD also may help our bodies release toxins. “Remarkably, CBD was found to…stimulate genes and proteins that enhance the breakdown and oxidation of fat, increase the number and activity of mitochondria (which increases the body’s ability to burn calories),
and decrease the expression of proteins involved in lipogenesis (fat cell generation).” (Leafly, 2016) The more studies that are released only add to the credibility of CBD as the key to unlocking rapid and prolonged healing in everyone young or old.
Head into one of our dispensaries in Oregon or Nevada for help in choosing the right CBD product for you, and to browse our entire range or cannabis flowers, topicals, edibles and more.
