What’s the first image that pops into your head when someone mentions the word Cannabis?
For a lot of people, we’re all thinking joints, bongs, and getting stoned.
Modern cannabis has become a lot more complex than that. Nowadays, when we talk about cannabis, we’re no longer just talking about a plant. We’ve broken that plant down into extracts, compounds, and building blocks with tremendous potential.
As a result, cannabis is starting to look a lot less like a blunt and more like a daily topical. That’s great news for all of us because the new version of cannabis is a lot more exciting than the old one.
In fact, cannabis has emerged as a modern-day superfood.
And if we can reset our image of this plant?
Cannabis might become more important in our daily routine than coffee.
The start of my journey with Cannabis, Hemp, and CBD
So let me tell you how cannabis became a regular part of my daily routine.
When I was in my early 30s. I had a foolish moment of when I thought I could conquer New York, which set my life down a very challenging path. I applied for a job working as a real estate broker in Manhattan, New York.
It was fast-paced and high stress job. In certain situations that stress could become overwhelming. I tried everything I could to manage it, but they all came with their own negative impact on my mood and my energy levels. I wanted to try something that didn’t have those same downsides. And it took years before I stumbled upon a little-known cannabinoid called CBD.
It turned down my stress levels but still allowed me to feel clear-headed and focused. Suddenly I was back in control of my daily routine. I felt confident and composed, and I felt like myself again.
Now, before you all get the wrong impression, let me clarify that CBD, in particular Broad Spectrum CBD, does not get you high. That effect that gets you high, comes from a completely different chemical called THC. And CBD does not. In fact, you could take all the CBD in the world, watch the entire Breaking Bad Netflix series. and you’re still not going to feel high. Trust me on that one, CBD doesn’t impair you.
Instead, it seems to have the opposite effect, which sounds a little bit like magic until we dig into the science.
The Endocannabinoid System: The Conductor of an Orchestra
We all have a built-in system in our bodies that keeps our internal functions in balance. It regulates things like stress, mood, inflammation, injury recovery, appetite, and more. Think of it like the conductor of an orchestra, guiding our body through it’s day-to-day processes.
When one piece starts acting out of rhythm, it’s up to the conductor – The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) – to step in and smooth it out. Crucially CBD happens to be one of the chemicals that supports the function of this system. helping that conductor to maintain rhythm throughout the body and brain.
Through these studies, we believe that CBD plays a part in modifying activity in key brain regions like the amygdala. The amygdala is crucial for implementing our body’s stress response. In other words, CBD can help our brain to function in a more balanced state when stress levels spike, through the ECS.
OK, so why am I telling you about biological systems and brain activity? For one, I spent a lot o time trying to get a better understanding of it, so I would like nothing more than to share what I learned. The other reason is that this little-known hemp cannabinoid is about to change the way we all think about our daily health.
Supporting Your Health each Day
It’s made such a big impact on my daily routine that I now dedicate myself professionally through my business to promoting healthy CBD options. CBD has this gentle calming effect on mood, almost like time spent in meditation. Think of it like the volume knob on a stereo. it really doesn’t shut the noise off entirely. It just turns out that down a little bit so you can hear the music. And because of that, it’s being used to help people in a wide range of daily stressful scenarios, from interviews to networking.
Some studies have been done on the effects of CBD on public speaking and have found a significant reduction in stress and discomfort compared to a control group. And the potential benefits of CBD go way beyond stress management too, because of the broad function of the Endocannabinoids that impact our system.
CBD Appeals to people from all walks of life
CBD itself can have a wide range of benefits and appeals to a broad class of people: droves of professional athletes are turning to CBD for their recovery and daily wellness. For others, CBD and the magic of CBN are now being better understood as a natural support for more restful sleep.
Before you go and toss out any prescription pills, a word of warning. Despite it’s popularity, this does not mean that CBD is going to cure your anxiety or insomnia, or urethritis. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to these things. For many people, prescriptions will just be the best option. But the implications for CBD are fascinating; we may have stumbled upon a natural chemical that could support the health and wellness of millions of people every single day.
Better yet, you don’t have to ingest a handful of pills to get those results. CBD is commonly infused into foods and beverages in a way that’s tasty and convenient. You can get everything from infused water, Juices to CBD-infused olive oil and even mainstream foods, like cereal cookies and hummus.
But before we all run out to go chow down a big bowl of CBD-infused cereal, it’s important to consider the risk factors.
Is CBD safe? And what happens if we take a lot of it?
These are all very good questions. Fortunately, we do have some answers.
Reports currently indicate that daily dosages of CBD up to 1500 milligrams are well tolerated by the body. The World Health Organization is also weighed in on this, stating that CBD has a good safety profile and that no public health problems have been associated with CBD use. CBD was also identified by them as being non-addictive, unlike so many other illicit substances.
So let’s hit the reset button on our image of cannabis, starting with a fresh look at CBD. And if we can change our perspective on one aspect of this plan? Maybe we can take another look at the rest of it too.