The
Cannabis Sativa L plant produces different compounds , among which the cannabinoids stand out, almost totally exclusive to this species.
Cannabidiol , known by its acronym
CBD , is
one of the two main ones (along with Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) among the more than
120 that are present in the plant .
Phytocannabinoids such as
CBD are molecules that contain several therapeutic properties , among the most studied are their
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, neuroprotective and anxiolytic effects .
What is the difference between THC and CBD?
CBD and THC are the cannabinoids most present in the Cannabis Sativa L. plant. However,
CBD has a more interesting therapeutic potential as it does not have the psychoactivity attributed to THC.
That doesn't mean that THC doesn't have great therapeutic power. The main difference is that
CBD's psychoactivity is characterized by its anxiolytic properties , due to its modulation of our CB1 receptors in the brain. This property
antagonizes the less desired psychoactive effects of THC for some patients and age groups.
Another difference is that
CBD is not addictive ; on the contrary,
it is a great ally for quitting smoking or reducing the consumption of other addictive substances, by intervening in the reward process of our brain and reducing the anxiety of withdrawal periods.
Several researchers are studying the combination of different cannabinoids such as CBD and THC in different ratios to achieve new therapies for different diseases.
Where does CBD come from?
Before talking about CBD, we must talk about the
Cannabis Sativa L. plant, a plant that
has been used for
thousands of years for medicinal, therapeutic and spiritual reasons.
Dr. Cristina Sánchez , Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the UCM,
a scientific eminence in cannabinoids specialized in breast cancer and part of the
Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis describes Cannabis as “an entire pharmacy in a plant.”
[caption id="attachment_5458" align="alignright" width="226"]
CBD structural molecule[/caption]
The
Cannabis Sativa L plant contains over 500 natural compounds (terpenes, flavonoids, and more) and
over 120 cannabinoids . CBD is one of these molecules that
comes from the flower of the plant , with several therapeutic properties. Other cannabinoids that have been studied for years are
THC, CBN, CBG, CBC , and many more.
The history of CBD When was it discovered?
Humans
have been using cannabis industrially for thousands of years to make
textiles, canvas, paper , and also
medicinally .
Until the 19th century, cannabis
was regularly cultivated and
extracts could even be found in pharmacies in several European cities.
The prohibition campaign , led by the United States government since the 1930s,
blocked the advances and uses of Cannabis for
political and social interests of a racist nature (mainly to justify a fight against the black community and, later, the hippie movement)
and for economic interests (export of cotton and nylon).
The US government then began to invest in
studying the plant in order to confirm its dangerous properties , and was able to prove the opposite.
They found a high therapeutic value and a very low level of danger in the Cannabis plant.
Despite scientific evidence and
without any plausible justification ,
since 1961 (Single Convention of 1961)
Cannabis has been classified as a substance of maximum risk and without any therapeutic value.
Under this legal framework, it was almost impossible to research the Cannabis plant in both the United States and Europe,
but in the 1960s in Jerusalem
, a researcher, Raphael Mechoulam,
isolated and synthesized the structures of THC and CBD.
Following this discovery
, various investigations into the therapeutic properties of cannabinoids began , which led
in the 1990s to the discovery that human and animal bodies have
specific receptors for cannabinoids and also produce their own cannabinoids.
If you don't know what the Endocannabinoid System is, check out our article on the basics of the
Endocannabinoid System .
But then why is there so much talk about CBD now?
Over the past 20 years, research has been increasing , but almost exclusively through in vitro and in vivo laboratory studies on isolated molecules, while
human studies have focused mainly on cases of terminal illness and as a palliative treatment (particularly using THC).
CBD began to take on an important role thanks to the discovery of its relaxing and antispasmodic properties , which led to the patenting of Sativex, a medicine based on THC and CBD prescribed for
some symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.
But
what has radically changed the view on Cannabis and has driven the hundreds of studies that exist on CBD
is the story of Charlotte Figi ,
an American girl who from a few months of age
suffered from Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of intense and frequent
childhood epilepsy that resists pharmacological treatments and
causes up to 400 seizures per week and death within a few years.
Given the lack of response to drugs and with Charlotte almost totally incapacitated,
her family decided to give her CBD Cannabis oil orally and the result was unthinkable:
the crises were reduced to 3 or 4 per month without the need to take any further medication and the girl began to walk, feed herself and develop her cognitive functions.
In recent years Charlotte managed to live completely free of crises but unfortunately she died in April 2020 due to the consequences of pneumonia at the age of 13.
Charlotte's story has sparked an exponential increase in research into CBD , which has led to the discovery
of its anti-epileptic and antispasmodic properties, as well as its anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and neuroprotective effects.
The summit came during the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence in 2017 , in which the
WHO declared that Cannabidiol (CBD) is “neither addictive nor harmful to health” and that it has great therapeutic and medicinal potential,
recommending to the United Nations a reclassification of the Cannabis plant and a consequent regulation by each state.
What are the benefits of CBD?
Therapeutic properties
The
most important properties of CBD or cannabidiol at a therapeutic level , demonstrated with different quality of evidence, are:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Analgesic
- Antioxidant
- Anxiolytic
- Anticonvulsant
- Neuroprotective
- Anti-nausea and antiemetic
Diseases for which it may be beneficial
CBD has been studied to treat a variety of diseases and ailments such as:
-
Autoimmune diseases (inflammation, arthritis, osteoarthritis)
-
Metabolic syndromes (diabetes, obesity)
-
Neurological diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Dementia, Epilepsy, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome)
-
Psychological and neuropsychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, insomnia, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
-
Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohns, colitis)
-
Skin conditions (acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and eczema)
-
Pain (Migraine, headache)
How does CBD affect our body?
Compared to other major phytocannabinoids (THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, THCV...) that are characterized by directly stimulating or inhibiting ECS receptors, CBD behaves in a very different way, since
its way of acting is characterized by being more indirect and allowing the ECS to increase its activity.
It can be defined that
CBD is responsible for modulating the ECS , that is, it is made "available" by varying its activity according to the needs of the moment and acting in a more indirect way,
thus allowing the ECS to improve its effectiveness .
In particular,
CBD plays a fundamental role in regulating and modulating inflammatory processes and
functional recovery , in addition to
facilitating both physical and mental relaxation.
Raphael Mechoulam says that almost all diseases
can be traced back to a dysregulation or imbalance of the endocannabinoid system . In a 2014
publication , scientists said that
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