What Is CBD Oil? Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and More
A simple “CBD” Google search yields millions of results, with many purporting that this natural chemical derived from cannabis — cannabidiol, or CBD — is a magical elixir that can do just about anything from relieving anxiety , pain , insomnia , and menstrual cramps to clearing your skin , staving off aging , and bulking up your bones .
The buzz is so strong that to say CBD-infused products are selling like hotcakes would be an understatement. In 2021 alone, an estimated $5.3 billion worth of CBD-infused products — including oils, creams, patches, beer, coffee, and even tampons and pet food — were sold in the United States. That number is forecast to hit $12 billion by 2024. (1)
Common Questions & Answers
Cannabidiol is one of more than 80 active compounds called cannabinoids found naturally in the cannabis sativa plant. CBD can be extracted into a thick, oily paste and mixed with a carrier oil (like hemp oil or coconut oil) to produce CBD oil, which is made with a specific concentration of CBD.Read More
CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a network in the body that helps regulate many functions, including digestion, metabolism, mood, memory, sleep, motor control, pain perception, immune function, fertility, and pregnancy. Pain, anxiety, and depression are the top three conditions for which people report taking CBD. In addition, CBD effectively reduces seizures in two types of pediatric epilepsy. A liquid CBD anti-seizure drug, Epidiolex, was approved by the FDA in June 2018.Read More
The medical consensus is “yes.” A World Health Organization report published in November 2017 states: “To date, there is no evidence of public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.” Still, it can be harmful if labels aren’t accurate or if people start to treat medical conditions with CBD instead of medication, for which there is compelling evidence of effectiveness from well-designed clinical studies. Poor quality CBD can cause symptoms ranging from headaches and nausea to fatigue, diarrhea, and changes in appetite and weight. Widespread CBD use is still in its relative early days, so a consensus around long-term effects has yet to be determined.Read More
CBD derived from low-THC hemp is now legal in every state. (Hemp-derived CBD is not derived from high-THC cannabis plants.) The catch: Because CBD was approved as the active ingredient in the antiseizure medicine Epidiolex, the FDA considers it a drug, making it illegal to sell as an OTC supplement. The CBD regulatory framework continues to evolve at both the state and federal levels.Read More
CBD is not psychoactive, so you can’t get stoned on it alone. Its chemical cousin, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), is the only cannabinoid that causes a high. Marijuana-derived CBD oil comes from high-THC cannabis plants, which can contain varying amounts of THC. Hemp-derived CBD oil is extracted from low-THC cannabis plants; it’s this nonintoxicating, hemp-derived CBD that is sold over the counter and added to so many products these days. (2)Read More
Condition Kitchen Bites: Cacao Smoothie
How Do You Use CBD Oil?
CBD-infused products fall into four basic categories, according to the book CBD: A Patient ’ s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis — Healing Without the High : ( 3 )
- Ingested CBD Swallowing CBD oil allows it to pass through the digestive system and be metabolized by the liver, sending its active compounds throughout the body over several hours. CBD oil is usually ingested in drops, tinctures, and capsules, or added to foods and beverages, such as gummy candies and coffee. CBD can also be ingested as a powder made by removing all plant matter to reveal a crystalline powder that has no taste or odor.
- Sublingual CBD Another popular way to take CBD is to place a few drops of the oil or tincture, or a small bit of the powder, under the tongue and hold it there for several seconds. This allows the active ingredients to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream through mucus membranes in the mouth.
- Topical CBD CBD-infused products are applied to the skin to relieve pain and reduce inflammation directly where needed. Topical products include creams, salves, patches, shampoos, suppositories, lip balms, bath salts, and personal lubricants.
- Inhaled CBD CBD can be inhaled by vaporizing the oil or by adding the oil or powder to e-cigarettes or tobacco and smoking them. Inhaled CBD enters the bloodstream rapidly through the lungs, avoiding the digestive system. For this reason, “ vaping ” has been a popular way of using CBD. But a mysterious spate of lung injuries linked to inhaling products has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to urge people to refrain from vaping while they investigate. Most of the people in the more than 800 cases reported by the end of September 2019 were in patients who used products containing THC, according to the CDC. Like CBD, THC is a cannabinoid, and the two are often found together in vaping products.
What Are Medical Marijuana and CBD? Everything You Need to Know
Can You Get Stoned (or High) on CBD?
No, you can’t get blissed out on CBD alone. ( 3 ) Its chemical cousin, THC, is the only cannabinoid that causes the high associated with marijuana use. For this reason, it’s important to know exactly what type of CBD you’re buying:
Marijuana-derived CBD oil is extracted from high-THC cannabis plants, which can contain varying amounts of THC. (The ratio of CBD to THC is typically listed on the product label.) Any product with more than 0.3 percent THC is considered a controlled substance and can only be bought in a state where medical or recreational marijuana is legal. ( 4 )
Although the science is scant, one study reported that some experts believe combining CBD with THC enhances CBD’s pharmacological benefits, a theory known as the “entourage effect.” ( 5 )
Hemp-derived CBD oil is extracted from low-THC cannabis plants. This is the type of CBD sold over the counter in nutrition stores and supermarkets, added to lattes in cool coffee shops, and infused into luxe beauty products.
Because it’s not intoxicating, hemp-derived CBD is what’s fueling the CBD craze. What once was called “hippie’s disappointment” is now being embraced precisely because it can induce the relaxing effects of marijuana without any worry that it will impact your consciousness, explains psychologist Lara Fielding, PsyD , author of Mastering Adulthood: Go Beyond Adulting to Become an Emotional Grown-Up .
“I’ll confess, I tried CBD, and my whole life I’ve been an adamant antidrug person because people I’ve known and loved have ruined their lives with drugs,” Dr. Fielding says. “And I’ve been converted. It triggered a wonderful feeling of going from tension and pain and distress to feeling fine without altering me in any other way.”
What Does CBD Do in the Body?
In a nutshell, CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a large messaging network in your body that plays a key role in regulating many physiological functions. In fact, cannabinoids are so essential to good health that your brain actually produces its own cannabinoids.
According to a study from 2018, the physiological functions affected by cannabinoids include: ( 6 )
- Appetite, digestion , and metabolism
- Mood, memory , and sleep
- Motor control
- Pain perception
- Immune function (including inflammation )
- Fertility and pregnancy
Health Conditions for Which Medical Marijuana May Be Beneficial
What Is Marijuana (Cannabis), and What Can It Do for Your Health and Wellness?
Should You Use Medical Marijuana if You Have Cancer?
Marijuana for Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain: Pros and Cons
Crohn’s and Medical Marijuana: What to Know
Is There Any Proof CBD Works?
The strongest scientific evidence of CBD’s efficacy in humans is for reducing seizures in two rare types of epilepsy that occur in children: Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Based on that evidence, a liquid CBD anti-seizure drug, cannabidiol (Epidiolex) , obtained approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2018. (7)
Otherwise, the only disorder for which there is “conclusive or substantial evidence” that CBD is helpful is multiple sclerosis, according to a report from 2017. (8) The same report found “moderate” evidence that CBD improves sleep in people with chronic pain and certain other conditions and only “weak” evidence for supporting or disproving all other claims of CBD’s health effects.
On the other hand, no studies have shown that CBD is harmful, says Debra Jaliman, MD , author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets From a Top New York Dermatologist . While research into CBD’s usefulness in skin-care products is admittedly limited, some facts point to its potential benefits. “CBD has been shown to be rich in amino acids , [which] provide nutrients to nourish the hair, skin, and nails ,” Dr. Jaliman notes. “CBD’s also a powerful antioxidant . Antioxidants protect the skin by limiting the production of free radicals, which can damage skin cells. And CBD contains fatty acids , which help in keeping the skin healthy.”
What Do People Most Often Use CBD Oil For?
In a 2018 survey, almost 62 percent of CBD users reported using it to treat a medical condition — the top three being pain, anxiety, and depression . ( 9 )
Although the FDA has not approved using CBD to treat any of those conditions, there are signs CBD could be beneficial.
1. Pain So far, most of the evidence for CBD’s ability to reduce pain comes from animal-based research, including a study from 2017 that found that CBD applied on the skin of rats with osteoarthritis significantly reduced joint pain and inflammation. (10) Continued use of CBD also prevented further pain and nerve damage in those same joints.
2. Anxiety While there haven’t been any large-scale clinical trials testing CBD oil as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder , social anxiety , panic disorder , or phobias, a small study published in 2019 showed promising results. ( 2 )
During the two-month study, 72 adults in a psychiatric clinic were given CBD oil capsules once daily. Most received 25 milligrams (mg) of CBD with a few receiving doses as high as 175 mg. Within the first month, more than 79 percent of the patients reported feeling calmer, and they continued to feel calmer for the duration of the study. “We saw no evidence of a safety issue that would limit future studies,” the researchers added.
3. Depression Animal studies, including a study on mice in which depression was surgically induced, suggest that CBD is a potential treatment for depression . In this particular study, CBD worked “fast” on receptors in the brain to boost levels of serotonin , a chemical messenger thought to play an important role in regulating mood. ( 11 ) More recently, a study showed that CBD induces “sustained antidepressant-like effects in mice.” ( 12 )
“The animal data are very promising for a number of conditions, but rigorous randomized clinical trials have yet to be done,” says Kevin Hill, MD , an addiction psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “That is one of the frustrating aspects of the current state of cannabis: There are many companies and states profiting from the sale of cannabis and cannabinoids, but those same companies and states are not putting financial resources toward advancing the science.”