Medicinal cannabis - 5 interesting facts
Cannabidiol (abbreviation CBD) is a naturally occurring substance that comes from the hemp plant.
It makes up almost half of the extract of this medicinal herb. It enjoys great and rapidly growing popularity on a global scale. This is mainly due to its therapeutic properties, which distinguish it from its sister substance THC, which can have a beneficial effect on human health, but with its use also comes a number of negative side effects, such as intoxication of the senses or psychological dependence.
Here are some interesting facts about CBD.
Our bodies produce cannabinoids
CBD contains cannabinoids (basic building blocks hemp) of plant origin that interact with our bodies' endocannabinoid system (ECS) to produce our own cannabinoids. This system is a complex network responsible for the proper functioning of our biological system and its balance. An important part of this system are the brain receptors CB1 and CB2, which are directly responsible for the interaction with cannabinoids. The consumption of CBD results in the activation of these receptors, thanks to which we can enjoy the beneficial effects of cannabis.
There is only one CBD
Some people think that CBD from marijuana is different from CBD from medical cannabis. However, it does not matter where this element comes from. At the molecular level, CBD is CBD.
As Franjo Grotenhermen of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines noted, “The human body doesn't care where the molecule comes from. It's similar to vitamin D. It doesn't matter if you get it from the sun or from salmon, it's still the same: vitamin D.
While the percentage of CBD contained in some plants will differ from others, once extracted, there is little to no difference in the compounds. The only difference is the percentage of CBD that the oil contains. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, there are oils with 2,5% to 40% CBD. This oil is also used in many medicines and has positive effects on animals as well.
The legislative regulation in the Czech Republic is described in the article CBD hemp and legislation.
We have been growing hemp for thousands of years
The first evidence of hemp cultivation dates back to around 10 years ago! That is, almost at the same time when agriculture spread. Speculation is that hemp is quite possibly the very first domesticated plant we have ever cultivated on this planet. However, this has not yet been confirmed.
Ancient Greece and prescription cannabis
The ancient Greeks were pioneers and expanded our knowledge and understanding of many things we take for granted today. It is interesting that they also prescribed medical cannabis under certain conditions.
For example, the famous physician, surgeon and philosopher Claudius Galen often provided his patients with cannabis-based medicines to relieve pain.
De Materia Medica, a famous book from 50 AD, is considered by historians to be the first document to record the use of marijuana as medicine.
Even animals can use CBD
As mentioned above, the ECS (endocannabinoid system) in our body helps us produce our own cannabinoids to interact with CBD. But humans are not the only creatures with such systems.
It turns out that our beloved pets (dogs, cats, horses, etc.) have their own ECS to process CBD in a similar way to us. In fact, all mammals have this system.
Therefore, owners are now starting to give their pets CBD in various forms, such as capsules or CBD oil, to treat a wide range of health ailments and diseases.