Does CBD really cure? Let's find proof and scientific evidence.
Currently, on the Internet, we are seeing a colossal information bubble on the topic of CBD for health, which manufacturers’ marketers actively blow up.
And it grows every day. We see many articles focusing on the benefits and effects for the health of CBD products.
Some resources have practically made it a panacea that can cure all the diseases modern adults can face – like depression, insomnia, chronic pain, anxiety, and so on.
Let’s shed some light on the subject for a more realistic picture.
Where is the science today in studying the benefits of CBD products? Which of the proclaimed benefits of CBD for health are true? What are the risks of using CBD?
We will try to answer these and other questions in our article.
Science-Proven Effects Of CBD On Health
As of early 2023, there are 202 current or completed scientific trials that measure the effectiveness of CBD in humans for various disorders such as chronic pain, substance use disorders, anxiety and arthritis.
Some of the finished research will see in short in the following.
A study conducted on 1095 patients in Canada in 2021 (‘Use and effectiveness of cannabidiol: real data from the Canadian Medical Cannabis Clinic‘) showed the effects of CBD on treating such health problems as:
Pain Syndrome
Patients with moderate/severe pain symptoms experienced significant improvement in their condition after using CBD-rich products. For patients with mild symptoms, there wasn’t a significant improvement.
The experimental dose of CBD-rich cannabis oils contained approximately 0.5–1 mg of THC/mL and 20–25 mg of CBD/mL, depending on the product manufacturer.
All products with a higher than ten ratio of CBD (mg) to THC (mg) were considered CBD-rich.
CBD oil may contain small amounts of THC because it’s almost impossible to remove the presence of it at all – the hemp plant contains THC at low levels. In the USA, CBD can have no more than 0.3 percent THC to be legal at the federal level.
Depression: Does CBD Help Fight It?
The results of the same research showed again that the severity group of patients experienced significant improvement. Patients with mild symptoms did not.
According to another work “Cannabidiol: A Potential New Alternative for the Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Psychotic Disorders” a mouse study found that using CBD minimizes anxiety, depression, and stress-related behaviors.
CBD may be a potential therapy for treating anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and related psychotic disorders.
However, it is worth considering the lack of human studies.
Anxiety
Although there was a considerable improvement for patients with moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, the anxiety scores of patients with mild symptoms increased.
Wellbeing
As with previously mentioned diseases, patients with moderate/severe symptoms experienced significant improvement. In contrast, scores on pain, anxiety, and well-being of those with mild symptoms increased.
Treatment of Epileptic Symptoms
Treatment of Epileptic Symptoms
In 2018 FDA approved the Purified CBD product sold in drug form called Epidiolex. This medicine is used to treat these rare syndromes manifested in childhood, such as Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes in children.
Numerous studies conducted on hundreds of patients have shown that CBD delivered as an oral solution as Epidiolex can produce a significant reduction – greater than 25% – in the frequency of seizures in these children, with 5% of the patients becoming seizure-free.
Treatment of Post-traumatic Disorders
Treatment of Post-traumatic Disorders
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine confirmed the reduction in PTSD symptoms when using CBD in conjunction with routine psychiatric care for eight weeks.
The doctors emphasize the importance of using therapy in tandem with any cannabis or CBD for PTSD.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
There is a patient study proving that the CBD-based drug Sativex results in statistically significant improvements in sleep quality, pain during movement, and pain at rest in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to a placebo.
More recent studies have also confirmed that CBD has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect similar to the functions of aspirin. It might help treat people suffering from inflammatory pain, like arthritis, or headaches and body aches.
