What are the benefits of CBD?

The benefits of CBD are wide-ranging, here’s a few of the most common ways people find it helpful – and the evidence to back it up.

Over recent years, as the use of CBD has rocketed in popularity, there seems to be no end of uses that people have discovered for it.

However, the ways in which it can be used are often broken down broadly into a few key categories. Cannabis Health takes a look at some of the most common complaints CBD can be used for.

Pain relief

While the conditions may vary, one thing is clear; CBD is a valuable weapon in the fight against chronic pain.

Anecdotally, it has provided much-needed relief to sufferers of endometriosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis, where previous, prescription-strength medications has failed.

As for the science, in December, a study of Canadian medical cannabis patients found that its use reduced the use of prescription painkillers. 

The research found that, at the start of the six-month study, 28 per cent of participants were using opiate-based painkillers, which dropped to 11 per cent at the end. 

Such findings are also good news for tackling the UK’s increasing addiction crisis; around 540,000 Britons are thought to be addicted to opioids.

It is understood that CBD’s pain-relieving properties stem largely from its anti-inflammatory effects – which is why it is also gaining popularity among athletes and sportspeople. 

Insomnia

Sleep – or the lack of it – is a huge issue, and for many it has only got worse over the past 12 months. Studies suggest than one in four people are struggling to get to or stay asleep, with mothers, key workers and people from minority ethnic backgrounds the worst affected.

While the effect of cannabis on sleeping patterns remains an underdeveloped area of research, it is gaining momentum – with some promising signs.

One study from 2019 showed that levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, reduced significantly in participants who took between 300 and 600mg of CBD oil before bed.

However, another study in the same year found that a more regular dose was needed to improve their ability to fall and stay asleep. After a month on a 25mg dosage of CBD oil, 66.7 percent of patients said their sleep had improved.

Stress and anxiety

We could all do with a stress-reliever from time to time, and too many people still use alcohol or cigarettes for this very purpose.

However, increasing research shows that CBD is a safer and healthier alternative to both of the above, accounting for its rise in popularity amongst the wellness sector.

A landmark study in the US – thought to be the first of its kind – was launched in October last year to investigate CBD’s use as a formal anxiety treatment.

The Cannabinoid Anxiety Relief Education Study is targeting millions of CBD and cannabis users across the US to assess the potential role of cannabinoids in reducing anxiety and other co-morbid conditions, such as insomnia and depression.

And while research still ongoing, preliminary studies also suggest that CBD has been shown to reduce stress in animals such as rats.

Study subjects were observed as having lower behavioural signs of anxiety, and the physiological symptoms of anxiety, such as increased heart rate, also improved.