How CBD Oil Changed Our Expectations for Cannabis Medicine [AD]

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The cannabis plant has had its fair share of controversy over the last few decades. Traditionally, it was used by most ancient cultures as herbal medicine, not to get high. In America, the history of cannabis cultivation dates back to the early colonists, who grew hemp for rope and textiles.

Fast forward to the 20th century, when political and racial factors led to the criminalization of marijuana in the United States. By 1970, cannabis was outlawed for any use with the passage of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Today, the use, sale, and possession of cannabis remain federally illegal in the USA. However, as of 2016, the majority of states have legalized medicinal cannabis, while nineteen states have legalized recreational use.

CBD oil has played a significant role in paving the way for cannabis medicine. CBD is derived from cannabis plants and is touted for its potential therapeutic effects, including pain relief, sleep support, stress management, and more. 

Below, we explore how CBD oil has changed our expectations for cannabis medicine. 

Medicinal Cannabis vs Recreational Cannabis

Cannabis is a versatile plant that boasts both medicinal and recreational applications. It’s only recently that people have truly started to take note of the plant’s medicinal value. 

For many years, cannabis was viewed as a drug that’s only purpose was to get users high. After being considered an illegal substance for decades, it’s finally being reevaluated on a cultural and legal level.

For legal purposes, recreational cannabis refers to regular (or “non-medical”) marijuana. It’s mainly used for enjoyment purposes. Medicinal cannabis, on the other hand, is used to treat health conditions.

Medical cannabis contains all the compounds associated with the cannabis plant (it’s often rich in CBD), while recreational cannabis likely has a high THC content. THC is the infamous psychoactive cannabinoid responsible for making users high.

How CBD Oil Paved the Way for Cannabis Medicine

CBD is a natural, non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. It’s touted for its medicinal potential, and since it doesn’t make users high is widely accepted among the general public.

Today, the CBD market is booming with a huge selection of CBD products and brands. Reputable brands like PureKana sell everything from CBD oils and capsules to vape pens and bath bombs. You can find the full range here: https://purekana.com/collections/cbd-oils/.

It took some time to get to this point since public perception linked anything cannabis-related to getting high. It’s only recently that people have started to learn that there is more to the cannabis plant. 

In decades past, cannabis was primarily smoked for recreational purposes. But people are increasingly using the plant to treat medical conditions like chronic pain or seizures.

This is mostly thanks to cannabidiol (CBD) – the cannabis-derived cannabinoid that’s taken the wellness world by storm in recent years. With the rising popularity of CBD, there is an increased understanding that there is far more to cannabis than “getting high.”

What to Expect from Cannabis Medicine

Although CBD and cannabis medicine are closely linked, they are not the same thing. CBD products are created from CBD-rich extract derived from the cannabis sativa plant – usually hemp. Typically, CBD products include CBD oil, capsules, gummies, and topicals.

Cannabis, on the other hand, comes from dried leaves, seed oil, and other parts of the plant. Though it may have a rich CBD content, it also contains many other compounds and usually has a higher THC content than CBD oil. Typically, users smoke or vape cannabis, brew it as a tea, consume it in the form of edibles like brownies, or apply it as a topical treatment.

Here are some of the most common uses of cannabis medicine:

• Pain management: Research suggests that cannabis may ease certain types of chronic pain resulting from inflammation and nerve damage. 
• Sleep management: The relaxing effects of CBD-rich cannabis may help improve sleep. Moreover, the pain-relieving effects of cannabis may also contribute to a good night’s rest.
• Nausea relief: Cannabis has been used to treat nausea for millennia. As reported in a recent study, most patients using cannabis to treat nausea experienced relief within one hour.

Cannabis medicine may also help stimulate appetite, improve mood, and may help people fight alcohol or opioid addictions.

Final Thoughts 

With the rising popularity of CBD oil and increased awareness of its therapeutic properties comes wider acceptance of the cannabis plant. 

The increased recognition and even recommendation of cannabis as a medical remedy for certain ailments has opened the world of cannabis to a whole new group of people. Thanks to CBD oil’s contribution to the wellness world, cannabis is no longer viewed as a plant that simply gets users high. 

People now understand that there is so much more to cannabis and employ it for its medicinal properties. While there is still a lot of controversy surrounding the plant, especially on a legal and political level, there has been a lot of progress in recent years. 

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