CBD stands for Cannabidiol. It is a type of natural compound that is found in Cannabis Sativa plants. You would know this plant by Hemp of Marijuana depending on the level of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is believed that you can use CBD for depression treatment.
THC is associated with a feeling called HIGH; however, it does not cause a psychoactive effect as Marijuana does. CBD can be easily derived from Hemp or Marijuana.
CBD has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to its medicinal properties. This has led to new research works towards finding the medical potential of CBD. While going through the research, some experts stated that people could use CBD for depression treatment.
What Is CBD?
CBD or cannabinol is a chemical that can be found in the cannabis class of plants. CBD was first discovered in the 1940s. CBD is one of the 113 identified cannabinoids along with the famous tetrahydrocannabinol. CBD accounts for 40% of the cannabis plant extracts.
Unlike THC, CBD is not a psychoactive chemical. This means, that ingesting CBD will not give you the classic feeling of being high. However, scientists have proven that CBD binds with CB1 receptors in the same way as THC. In fact, like THC, CBD has the ability to alter the user’s mood, provide relief to their pain, regulate libido, and even strengthen immune responses. However, these are not yet proven conclusively using scientific data. Hence, these claims must be taken with a grain of salt.
Another factor that greatly accredits the substance with its popularity is its versatility. CBD is available in various forms and formats. Some of the most famous mediums to consume CBD include topicals, oils, tinctures, capsules, and edibles. Each of these mediums offers a different experience and sensation. However, if you are experimenting with CBD and different products, then you must be aware of the dosages. If you do overshoot the prescribed volume things might get a tad bit uncomfortable but never fatal. And this is the biggest plus point.
CBD is non-psychoactive in nature. As a result, CBD is widely used by physicians to treat people who are battling with addiction. Therefore, this is an amazing substance that needs to be explored and studied. This article is meant to do just that.
How Can You Use CBD For Depression?
If you are looking into CBD for a therapeutic process, you must also consider that CBD is new to industries with limited research work. Yes, there had been a lot of research works in the last decade, but all were done on animals. We are yet to see any prominent research that includes human beings.
With that being said, we can consider that the use of CBD for depression treatments is only on a speculative level. Well, that changes the whole perception of CBD and its medical values!
Despite being a speculative medication, it has been seen that CBD holds some benefits when it comes down to treating depressions. Apart from depression, you can even use CBD to treat the followings:
- Cognitive impairment.
- Discomfort while addressing a large audience.
- Anxiety.
- Mental disorder.
- Chronic pain.
What Researchers Have To Say?
Researchers believe that consuming CBD activates the serotonin receptor in the brain, which creates a positive impact, helping people fight depression.
According to experts, low Serotonin level is associated with depression. So, activating the serotonin receptor helps the brain give a happy sensation. Remember that CBD is not directly involved with serotonin releases. It just stimulates the receptors to do so.
In 2014 researchers found that consuming CBD stimulates the Serotonin receptors to create an effect anti-depression and anti-anxiety effects. Furthermore, in recent studies, it has been found that CBD also carter to antistress effects.
As mentioned, CBD and its medical effects are still a new area, and researchers are still in the process of seeing the full potential of CBD.
How Does CBD Compare To Antidepressant Medicines?
Frankly speaking, when it comes down to taking care of depression, CBD is more effective than antidepressant medication in the market.
Most antidepressant medicine takes weeks to start showing their effects. On the other hand, a 2019 animal study shows that the effects of CBD are almost immediate.
The best part of CBD is that it has fewer side effects compared to antidepressant medicines. For instance, if you are taking antidepressant medication, you will come across the following problems:
- Insomnia.
- Mood Swings.
- Dysfunctions.
- Agitation.
- Emotional distress.
However, CBD has yet to show any of these side effects.
Caution
You might have started considering replacing antidepressant medicine with CBD for depression by now. That will not be the right thing to do. While CBD offers a great advantage over antidepressant medicine, it is not a replacement.
Do not stop tracking antidepressant medicine, at least not without taking consideration from your healthcare provider. Abruptly stopping your medication course in between can trigger other health-related issues.
If you want to stop taking an antidepressant, talk with your healthcare provider and come with a plan to gradually decrease your dodgers.
Does It Cause Any Side Effects?
So far, there have not been any cases where we could say that CBD has some major side effects. This is because researches on CBD and health are few and far in-between. However, you will find people who are more sensitive to these things and have accrued minor side effects because of their metabolic processes.
The side effects can vary from person to person. Here are some of the side effects sensitive people can encounter.
- Fatigue.
- Change in weight.
- Loss of appetite.
- Diarrhea.
During the research, some of the mice were found to have damaged livers. But the reason is not clear as to why they had damaged livers. Some experts believe that it could be the result of high CBD dosage. Meanwhile, some other researchers believe that this is a symptom of CBD reacting with some other chemicals and medications like clobazam. This is a major point that you need to remember.
Subsequently, CBD can also interact with other similar medications. This can greatly enhance the overall chances of developing co-morbidities. Some of the most drastic co-morbidities include extreme mood alteration, epileptic seizures, loss of motor functions, etc. Hence, we will always suggest that you keep your physician in the loop, whenever you decide to switch CBD medications.
We are still in the first phase of the research work, so it is hard to know whether CBD has any long-term side effects. Keep in mind that CBD is not risk-free; it is just researchers are yet to find the side effects.
To minimize the risk, it is important that you talk with your health care provider to ensure that away from harm’s reach.
Read Also: Is CBD Safe? Learn Of The Side Effects
Where Can You Get CBD For Depression?
If you truly want to test the extent of CBD for depression, you will need to find a reputable seller. CBD derived from Hemp is widely available in several areas but has restrictions on it. On the other hand, Marijuana-derived CBD is available only in dispensary stores.
While you are out there in the market to buy CBD, look for reputable brands. You check their credibility by going through third-party lab testing of their products. You can find the CBD products in the form of:
- Gummies.
- Lotions.
- Gels.
- Oils.
- Edibles.
- Tinctures.
The Bottom Line
CBD is certainly becoming popular for its remedies for a range of medical problems. If you are interested in trying the effect of CBD, try talking with their healthcare professionals and see if you get permission.
Although the studies state that it is safe for use, it might interact with the other medication and create a medical complication for you.
Furthermore, some states are very strict with the regulation of Cannabis in the market. If you are not aware of the laws and are caught red-handed, you might be in big trouble. Generally, you can carry Cannabis with 0.3% of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).
