Of all the health benefits of the hemp plant, one property of the plant stands out from the rest. A substance called cannabidiol (CBD) has shown nutritional potential for years, yet the taboo around cannabis has kept CBDs off the radar. CBD is a prominent naturally occurring cannabinoid compound found in cannabis (both hemp and marijuana) that has significant medical benefits. CBDs will not make people feel “stoned”; in fact it can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC. After THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD is by far the most studied natural cannabinoid. According to many researchers, CBD may be the single most important cannabinoid ever discovered.
CBDs have been proven to help with inflammation, pain, anxiety, psychotic behaviors, seizures and spasms, without any side effects.
Scientific and clinical studies highlight CBD’s as a potential treatment choice for a wide range of conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, MS, chronic pain, schizophrenia, PTSD, antibiotic resistant infections, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders. CBD has demonstrated neuro-protective and neurogenic effects, and its anti-cancer properties are currently being investigated at several academic research centers in the United States and elsewhere.
The difference between using hemp (instead of marijuana) for cannabidiol (CBD) is that industrial hemp is naturally high in CBD and naturally low in THC, whereas marijuana is the opposite (high THC, low CBD). Through a combination of unique cultivation techniques, advanced plant genetics, and cutting-edge growing techniques, an exceptionally high percentage of CBD can be produced naturally and consistently from the hemp plant with only negligible amounts of THC – so it is safe and legal for human consumption.
Scientific Studies on CBD
Here’s how CBDs work... According to studies, CBD and other phytocannabinoids influence the brain by interacting with the brain’s very own cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids.
“Generally, phytocannabinoids like CBD can help to restore a more balanced ‘tone’ within the endocannabinoid system,” says Stuart Tomc, vice president of human nutrition for CBD oil supplier CannaVest Corp. (San Diego). “As such, CBD may positively, broadly affect various processes that control brain signaling, via neurotransmitter function, ion channel and membrane dynamics, inflammatory responses, and even gene expression.”
The endocannabinoid system has broad influence over areas of the brain involved in sensations such as pain perception, movement, emotion, cognition, and sleep. This is likely the reason the endocannabinoid system influences the brain’s health conditions.
For all of the ways the endocannabinoid system can influence brain health, CBD’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system could translate into some very significant health effects, and previously published studies so far offer positive indications.
The legal status of CBD is based on the legality of hemp oil. Hemp oil is listed on the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (with no restrictions on CBD content) meaning that hemp oil is a legal U.S. import.
Legal Status of Hemp
Currently, federal law prohibits the farming of hemp in the United States, but it can be purchased as an import. This means the U.S. market for hemp relies entirely on imports from established markets. Imports of hemp from Canada and China equal around $2 billion annually, which makes it obvious who controls the U.S. market supply and will until U.S. grown hemp is once again legal.
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 is changing the status of hemp farming in the U.S. The Act amends the Controlled Substance Act to rule out industrial hemp from the definition of “marijuana.” According to the definition, industrial hemp is termed as any part of the cannabis plant in whatever form, with a THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent on dry weight basis. This translates that cannabis sativa, meeting those concentration parameters and grown or processed with the aim of making industrial hemp, is allowed by the state law, unless the Attorney General determines that the state law is not reasonably calculated to comply with the definition.
There are over 16 states that have passed laws to legalize Hemp Farming. The most recent state to pass a hemp farming law is North Carolina. This opens the door for hemp to be grown on a mass scale right here in the United States once again.
We are seeing history in the making, the rebirth of hemp! America can once again thrive from the benefits of Hemp. Check out the “Hemp for Victory” movie. Be part of the Hemp Revolution and support the legalization of hemp in America.
