There are many countries around the world who have realized that the prohibition of cannabis was hastily enacted and unnecessary, but this month a major announcement by the World Health Organization helped further the narrative.
At the November 2017 meeting, the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence confirmed that CBD does not have abuse potential or cause harm.
For those not in the know, cannabidiol or CBD as it’s commonly known, is one of many compounds found in the cannabis plant. Although all the derivatives of cannabis are important in their own way, CBD is especially popular because of its lack of psychotropic effects.
It goes much further than that however. CBD is a powerful and effective natural anti-inflammatory which makes it a fantastic weapon in the fight against chronic pain. Further, new medical applications for CBD are being found constantly.
Some of the debilitating conditions that have effectively been treated using CBD are epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, autism, and a whole host of others.
The human body contains an endocannabinoid system that ingests all compounds from marijuana and uses those compounds for various health related support systems. CBD is one of the important compounds which the body loves.
“From a biochemical point of view, we have this idea that [endocannabinoid] receptors are the ‘lock’ and the chemical that interacts with it is like the ‘key’,” said Harvard physician Dr. Jordan Tishler, MD. “What’s really interesting is that, with the lock-and-key mechanism, there’s an extra key slot on the side. The CBD changes the lock behaviour when the main key – THC – goes into it.”
So why is this important?
A major organization like the WHO acknowledging this compound, further propels the discussion that cannabis is an incredible medicine which should be used for all humanity. It also makes doctors and patients realize that they have another option when discussing treatments for a whole host of ailments.
CBD is also a major catalyst for cannabis reform around the world. If there is a country that wants to end prohibition and usher in medical cannabis, oftentimes CBD will be the first product allowed due to its medicinal properties and lack of psychotropic effects.
Countries that include Ireland, England, Switzerland and a whole host of others currently have legal CBD as a top selling product despite the extremely limited access to medical cannabis in general.
It’s not just the WHO that is acknowledging CBD as a safe and effective medicine, the World Anti-Doping Agency recently declared that CBD is allowed for athletes and olympians, which was an incredibly significant shift from past decades.
Canada’s licensed producers are also well aware of these important facts about CBD and that’s why they are focused on cultivating the compound.
One licensed producer, INDIVA Limited based out of London ON, has recently made an important deal to acquire some high CBD strains from Switzerland.
So the next time you have an ache or pain and consider turning to pharmaceuticals as a knee-jerk reaction to the issue, if you have access to a safe and legal source of CBD it should be given a try.
Many people never go back to using anything else.