CBD is one of the 144 cannabinoids found in hemp (the Latin name for cannabis). Unlike THC, another molecule that can also be present in this plant, CBD does not offer psychotropic effects. It therefore does not alter consciousness or perception. Derived from European industrial hemp, which has been cultivated in Europe for thousands of years, CBD is increasingly studied and used around the world. What are the main studies that show its effects?
Recognized as non-toxic by the WHO, CBD is now available by prescription in France, mainly in cases of multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. According to a June 2018 update on the MIL&CA website, the use of hemp for industrial and commercial purposes is limited:
According to a vast study by Le Monde, therapeutic cannabis is partially or totally accessible to 18% of the world's population, i.e. 1.4 billion people in 37 countries .
31 countries have decriminalized or legalized its recreational or therapeutic use, including 24 countries for therapeutic use. In Europe, in 1966 no country was concerned. Today, 19 European countries have legalized or decriminalized it:12 have legalized it for therapeutic use, 7 have decriminalized it for recreational use.
Like all cannabinoids, CBD or Cannabidiol influences the endocannabinoid system. It represents a set of receptors that can be found everywhere in our body and it governs the various factors of balance in the human body:temperature, acidity, minerals, etc.
Based on a study published in 2008 by researchers from the Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Endocrinology at the University of Bologna, and another published in 2017 ( School of Medicine's Department of Immunology – University of Connecticut) CBD influences the body by restoring “homeostasis of the body” . That is to say, it restores the balance temperature, acidity, sugar level.
CBD also stimulates the production of serotonin , known as the happiness hormone:it regulates mood, sleep and stress. These effects were highlighted by a 2019 study conducted by neurobiology researchers from several universities:Canadian, American, Italian. They showed that cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and suppresses both allodynia and anxious behavior in neuropathic pain .
Also in 2019, another study published in Nature claims that the use of cannabis for pain management after spinal cord injury was effective for the 8 participants who had already tested other methods before.
In comparison with other drugs used for the treatment of epilepsy or psychiatric disorders, CBD would have side effects among the most bearable for patients (fatigue, diarrhea, change in appetite), according to an article published in 2017 by researchers from the Nova Institute, a private German research institute.
According to them, CBD could improve the condition of patients during their treatment, as adjunctive therapy.
Another study published in May 2020 by neuroscientists from the University of Melbourne, Australia, confirms this theory. The side effects reported differ slightly from those of the first study since it identifies more headaches (17%), but it confirms its high tolerance .
In February 2011, an official study by the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, published on the Nature website, states that unlike a placebo, Cannabidiol can help reduce anxiety induced by speaking in simulated public, in the treatment of social phobias.
In April 2016, a study published by biomedicine researchers from the University of Cantabria and the Institute of Biomedicine in Barcelona shows that cannabidiol induces effects antidepressants fast acting .
According to pharmacology researcher Yasmin Hurd and her study published in September 2019, cannabidiol would be effective in helping to relieve opioid addiction , without consequent side effects.
In conclusion, there are about ten positive effects or advantages of CBD for human health, and above all few side effects, which makes its use interesting for Medicine. Other studies should see the light of day in the coming years, we probably still have a lot to discover about this molecule.
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