Can Cannabidiol Help Treat Depression
Cannabis Sativa, a plant that contains psychoactive properties was used mainly for recreational purposes in the past, but scientists and researchers have found that cannabis has many therapeutic benefits that can help boost both mental and physical well being.
When we mention cannabis people often associate it with marijuana, but cannabis is more than that. There are many chemical compounds that make up cannabis and we call the compounds cannabinoid. Two of the most well known are THC and CBD.
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC contains psychoactive effects which can alter your state of mind or intoxicate you, but it also comes with a lot of goodness too. It helps to promote better sleep, reduce pain, lower stress and anxiety and manage chronic pain symptoms. The other cannabinoid is Cannabidiol or more commonly known as CBD. CBD is a non-psychoactive component from the cannabis plant. It has numerous therapeutic benefits such as the ability to induce deep sleep, reduction of stress and anxiety, relief pain, anti-nausea and motion sickness.
An important reminder while CBD may have plenty of therapeutic properties, but at the moment more research is needed to fully understand whether CBD can really help with depression or not?
Most studies have been conducted with lab animals, but with the legalization of cannabis it is opening up pathways for researchers to study the effects of CBD.
As of now what we know is that CBD can help with anxiety, cognitive impairment and social anxiety disorders (fear of performing or making speech in public). Plus there have been studies showing that CBD plus THC can help with chronic pain which if left untreated often leads to depression in patients. People with chronic pain may not be able to get enough rest or sleep or are constantly experiencing discomfort from pain may lead to unhealthy mental health resulting in depression.
Scientists believe that CBD can benefit depression as it has a positive impact on the serotonin receptors in your brain. When the level of serotonin is low in your brain it could cause depression.
CBD does not boost levels of serotonin, but they have an effect on the chemical receptors in your brain and the way they respond to the serotonin that already exists all over your body.
A study in 2018 concluded that CBD has anxiolytic, antipsychotic and neuroprotective properties. There have been studies and clinical experiments done with CBD in the context of various health conditions in the pass and experts have found that CBD can potentially help treat epilepsy, schizophrenia, social phobia, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorder, Parkinson's disease, substance abuse and dependence.
Traditionally, depression is treated with medication and psychotherapy. Experts believe that CBD has some positive benefits over antidepressants such as a study in 2019 on lab animals found that while antidepressants take weeks to start working while CBD take less time and delivers a more sustainable antidepressant effect.
CBD has fewer side effects than antidepressants. Side effects from antidepressants include: sexual dysfunction, mood swings, agitations and insomnia. Side effects from CBD may include dry mouth, diarrhea, drowsiness and change in appetite. Side effects from CBD do not appear to resemble that of antidepressants.
Anxiety is another factor that correlates with depression. People that suffer from anxiety often suffer from depression and vice versa. CBD appears to have the ability to manage both ailments.
In a study concerning the effects CBD has on anxiety we found that participants who took 600 mg of CBD experienced less social anxiety than people who took placebo. In a related study people who took 300 mg of CBD were successful in reducing anxiety levels.
Earlier we discussed that low levels of serotonin in the brain may lead to depression and anxiety. As CBD is able to manage anxiety symptoms and help reduce anxiety, stress and tension therefore it may help play a role in raising the level of serotonin.
More research is needed to find out how CBD can help treat depression to optimize it's full potential.
CBD is available in the form of edibles, cannabis flowers, capsules, vaping oil, tinctures like Mellow CBD Oil made from CBD Isolate and Mellow Full Spectrum CBD Oil and topicals like Mellow CBD Soothing Balm all available from Mellow Organic.
Mellow Organic is a good choice if you are looking for high quality lab-tested premium CBD products. Let us introduce you to our line of products:
Mellow CBD Oil is our CBD Isolate option that comes in 900 mg CBD available in Natural and Orange flavors. One bottle is 30ml. Mellow CBD Oil is perfect for beginners or people that just want CBD without other cannabinoids.
Mellow Full Spectrum CBD Oil comes with 1,800 mg of CBD with THC and other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids for the greatest entourage effect. Available in a 30ml bottle.
Mellow CBD Soothing Balm is our vanilla scented CBD-infused topical for people looking to relieve pain, muscle soreness and reduce stress and anxiety. Also, great for joint pain. Our balm comes in 50 grams tin.
For more information about Mellow Organic find us at www.melloworganic.com
Written by
Vivek Roachthavilit
Special thanks to
National Institutes of Health
Health Line
National Institutes of Health
Pubmed
Pubmed
Pubmed
Comments