- Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of many cannabinoids found in cannabis. Patients use it for its relaxing, pain-relieving, nonpsychoactive effects. It may also benefit brain health.
- While few studies have explored CBD’s neuroprotective mental health-boosting properties, many believe that it can help people living with muscle spasticity disorders, mental health conditions, and memory-impairing illnesses.
- CBD products may offer enhanced results if they take advantage of the entourage effect, the theory that you can achieve greater healing when you consume all or most of the cannabinoids found in cannabis.
Patients using medical marijuana achieve life-changing relief for a wealth of physical health conditions from chronic pain to cancer-related nausea and glaucoma.
Turns out, marijuana can also act as a powerful balm for the brain.
The key compounds that allow cannabis to effectively treat and manage so many symptoms are called cannabinoids—cannabis contains dozens of these. One cannabinoid, cannabidiol—known better as CBD—offers unique benefits to people living with mental and neurological conditions, like neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, increased brain blood flow, and soothing relief for a stressed and anxious mind.
Cannabidiol class is in session: learn the ABCs of CBD and how it protects your brain in more ways than one. Then, if you’re ready to graduate to more in-depth and individualized CBD discussion, TeleLeaf is here to guide you.
Understanding Cannabinoids
Even if you haven’t consumed cannabis, you have cannabinoids at work inside you right now—endocannabinoids, to be specific. Your body makes them naturally as part of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which controls some of your most essential internal functions, including:
- Pain management
- Sleep
- Appetite
- Mood
- Immune and inflammatory responses
- Memory
Endocannabinoids regulate these functions by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the brain—CB1 receptors—and throughout the body—CB2 receptors.
Exogenous cannabinoids—like those found in cannabis—mimic your body’s natural endocannabinoids which allow them to interact with your cannabinoid receptors and the ECS. But they don’t all do it the same way.
THC, for example, can bind to both CB1 and CB2 receptors, producing psychoactive and pain-relieving effects. CBD operates a bit differently.
What Is Cannabidiol (CBD)?
CBD belongs to the long list of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It stands out from the cannabinoid pack because it doesn’t have any psychoactive properties whatsoever—unlike its well-known counterpart, THC.
Currently, though, little research has explored how exactly CBD interacts with the ECS. It doesn’t bind to either CB1 or CB2 receptors, yet it has tangible therapeutic effects when consumed.
Researchers have two possible explanations:
- CBD inhibits your body from breaking down endocannabinoids, allowing them to continue activating your ECS. Or,
- CBD activates a currently unknown cannabinoid receptor.
While we still don’t fully understand the complex relationship between CBD and the ECS, one thing remains crystal clear: CBD can improve your health—physically, mentally, and neurologically.
The Therapeutic Effects of CBD
Both clinical studies and real patients using CBD as a treatment show that CBD can:
- Reduce inflammation
- Relieve chronic pain
- Reduce nausea
- Promote relaxation and sleep
- Manage muscle spasticity
- Potentially lower high blood pressure
Many medical marijuana patients focused on healing often value CBD for what it doesn’t do just as much. Since CBD doesn’t bind to CB1 receptors, it can’t make you high like THC can. Your mind remains clear on CBD, allowing you to relieve your symptoms and maintain your normal life and work routines.
How CBD Benefits the Brain
The brain itself is a complex and mysterious organ; researchers have only scratched the surface of all it does. Similarly, we don’t understand the full impact of CBD on brain health, but current findings are promising. Let’s look closer at a few of these early theories.
#1: Natural Neuroprotection
CBD’s anti-inflammatory and immune-strengthening properties allow it to shield your brain cells from harm—a cannabinoid in shining armor.
Thanks to cannabis and CBD, patients are currently finding relief from a variety of neurological conditions, including:
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Severe muscle spasms
Many states explicitly list any or all of these conditions as qualifiers for medical marijuana. Additionally, some states allow licensed doctors to recommend cannabis for any condition they believe cannabis can treat effectively (including Louisiana, TeleLeaf’s home state).
The FDA has also approved a CBD-based drug for childhood epilepsy, Epidiolex, which can significantly reduce the frequency of seizures for some patients.
#2: Mental Health Boosts
CBD helps patients reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other prevalent mental health conditions. While researchers still aren’t sure how, it may have something to do with serotonin, A.K.A. the “happy hormone.”
Some believe that CBD acts similarly to antidepressants: conventional medications are used to boost serotonin levels, which in turn boosts your mood. CBD doesn’t interact directly with serotonin, but it may influence the brain’s serotonin receptors and enhance their response to serotonin, possibly relieving depression symptoms.
Licensed providers in many states can recommend medical cannabis for several mental health conditions, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Eating disorders, like anorexia
- Panic disorder
Some people living with certain mental health conditions may appreciate CBD most for its non-psychoactive properties. THC can relax users, but may potentially trigger or exacerbate feelings of anxiety which can detract from its other healing benefits.
Overall, CBD relaxes you and uplifts your mood—without lifting you too high off the ground.
#3: Improved Blood Flow to the Brain
A recent study found that CBD increases blood flow to the brain—the hippocampus, specifically. The hippocampus controls memory formation and processing.
Increasing blood flow to this area using CBD may benefit people living with conditions that impact memory, including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Schizophrenia
- PTSD
At TeleLeaf, we understand that clinical studies can be over-specific and limiting, especially in the lens of cannabis research. However, these findings will hopefully lead to more interest in the healing potentials of CBD and how it can benefit people living with these mental and neurological disorders.
A Quick Guide to CBD Products
Many products can be labeled as “CBD,” but that might not be the only thing they contain.
Unlike traditional medications, which may only contain one main active ingredient, cannabis consists of hundreds of different chemical compounds, including cannabinoids as well as terpenes and flavonoids.
Non-cannabinoid compounds can’t interact directly with the ECS, but some believe that they enhance the cannabinoids’ effects, creating a superior therapeutic—this phenomenon is known as the “entourage effect.”
Many CBD products capitalize on this theory, while others double down with pure CBD content. To tell a product’s entire story, manufacturers will label them more specifically as CBD isolate, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum.
Here’s a deeper explanation of each:
- CBD isolate – As the name suggests, this is an isolated form of CBD; all other cannabinoids have been removed, including all THC. While you won’t experience any entourage effects, you’ll still benefit from the healing powers of CBD.
- Full-spectrum CBD – These products take “full” advantage of the entourage theory—full-spectrum products contain CBD along with all the other cannabis compounds, including other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Since these products contain all cannabinoids, they do have some THC, though always less than 0.3% (the federal legal limit for hemp-derived CBD products).
- Broad-spectrum CBD – This type of CBD contains most cannabinoids (a “broad spectrum”) except for THC. Broad-spectrum still offers most of the same entourage benefits as full-spectrum, without any of the potential psychoactive effects. Note that these products may still contain some THC, but only in trace amounts.
Additionally, CBD products come in a variety of forms and consumption methods.
To choose the best method for your needs, consider:
- What symptoms do you want to manage
- How quickly you’d like its effects to kick in
- Your personal preferences (for taste, texture, etc.)
Popular forms of CBD include:
- Edibles
- Oils
- Tinctures
- Topical applications
If you’re new to medical cannabis, the wide array of choices may overwhelm you at first. Know that real patients have achieved satisfying symptom relief using CBD products with the help of medical marijuana clinicians and pharmacists. Connect with one now with TeleLeaf.
For Immediate Access to Holistic Relief, Choose TeleLeaf
For many patients living with neurological conditions or mental health issues, taking CBD feels like wrapping a warm blanket around the brain. To experience the neuroprotective properties of CBD for yourself, you need a medical marijuana recommendation from a state-licensed physician. TeleLeaf can help with that.
Schedule your same-day virtual appointment now for a fast, convenient, and validating recommendation process, all from the comfort of your home. Our experienced and compassionate physicians are ready to make your dreams of relief a reality.
Sources:
Healthline. “A Simple Guide to the Endocannabinoid System.”
https://www.healthline.com/health/endocannabinoid-system
Open Access Government. “What is the ‘entourage effect’ of cannabis and how can it relieve pain?”
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/
Healthline. “6 Health Benefits of CBD Oil — and a Look at Side Effects.”
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits
ProCon.org. “State-by-State Medical Marijuana Laws.”
https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/legal-medical-marijuana-states-and-dc
Verywell Health. “5 Mental Health Uses for CBD.”
https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-uses-for-cbd-4844875
UCL News. “Cannabidiol improves blood flow to brain’s hippocampus.”
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/aug/cannabidiol-improves-blood-flow-brains-hippocampus
Healthline. “What to Know About Different Types of CBD.”
https://www.healthline.com/
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