What is CBD exactly?

Let’s discuss the many benefits of CBD and provide you with additional information to help you make the best decision for you.

In today’s post, we’ll discuss how CBD works.

Here’s a quick overview to help you better understand the process:
There are three different components of the endocannabinoid
system: receptors, enzymes, and endocannabinoids.

These components will function in your body whether you use CBD or not.

Receptors are found throughout the body. They are the substance that cannabinoids bind to.

There are two main types in this system: CB1 and CB2. The CB1 receptors are mostly in the central nervous system.

They’re responsible for controlling coordination, movement, pain, appetite, memory, mood, and other functions.

CB2 receptors are found in the peripheral nervous system and deal with pain and inflammation.

Two types of enzymes work to break down endocannabinoids. After they’re broken down into cannabinoids, they can bind with the receptors.

Researchers think CBD doesn’t directly attach to the receptor but influences it in some other way.

CBD can also influence non-cannabinoid receptors, like the 5 ht serotonin receptor, which affects psychiatric symptoms.

CBD also seems to affect the TRPV1 receptor responsible for pain and inflammation.

Let’s discussed what CBD does.

Today, we’ll look at how much CBD and cannabis you should be taking based on your personal needs.

It’s pretty easy to experience medical benefits from cannabis – a puff or two of THC-rich flower should do the trick for most people.

However, smoking marijuana isn’t the “be-all and end-all” of cannabis therapeutics. You can experience the benefits of cannabis in many ways, and lots of them aren’t even intoxicating.

Unfortunately, not all physicians know enough about cannabis to be comfortable prescribing it.

In fact, many doctors never learn about cannabis in medical school!

According to a 2017 survey, few of them feel qualified to counsel their patients on cannabis use, dosage, CBD to THC ratios, which mode of administration to use, or even side effects.

You’re looking at a wide range of products which have yet to be standardized, even in states where cannabis is legal.

So what’s the best way to proceed when recommended dosage seems to be “all over the map?”

One of the most common myths about cannabis is that you have to get “high” to feel any therapeutic results.

This just isn’t so.

Ultra-low doses can be extremely effective for symptom relief.

A 2005 report in Nature reported that a low dose of oral THC (1 milligram per day) resulted in “significant inhibition of disease progression” in an animal study of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Of course, we need more human studies to see which doses are effective for which conditions, but the practice of micro-dosing is becoming more popular for those who want the medical benefits of cannabis without the “high.”

You can obtain cannabis in the form of concentrated oil extracts, sublingual sprays, tinctures, edibles, gel capsules, or topical creams. It’s pretty easy to find a low dose that still relieves your symptoms.

There are basically three types of resin-rich cannabis
products:

1. Type 1 (THC-dominant), which has high THC and low CBD and is used for recreation.
2. Type 2 (THC & CBD), which has mixed amounts of each. It’s intoxicating but not as “edgy” as Type 1
3. Type 3 (CBD-dominant), which has high CBD and low THC and gives you a non-euphoric relief of symptoms.

Thus, you can see, a greater ratio of CBD to THC means less “high” and tighter control of your symptoms.

Today’s cannabis patients have the option of healing without the “high.”

So what’s the appropriate dosage for these types?

The adage “start low and go slow” is appropriate here.

In general (and with THC titration in particular), you want to start out with the lowest possible dose and work your way up until you attain symptom relief.

As a general rule, Type 3 (CBD-dominant) cannabis won’t make you feel “stoned,” but full-spectrum CBD-rich cannabis oil is effective at much lower doses than a CBD isolate.

Also remember that with high doses of CBD isolate, drug interactions are more common.