Most research on Cannabidiol is on its medicinal effects. There are some people who believe that CBD can help the brain to function better, but there’s not much proof that this is true. The question of how CBD works on the brain is one of the biggest questions in all of medicine. To answer this, we need to look at two areas of science, genetics, and biology.
We are all genetically predisposed to certain behaviors in the brain. Our brains are designed to respond to certain kinds of stimuli. Our bodies produce a chemical called endocannabinoids, which react to these stimuli. One way to think about how CBD works on the brain is like this. These chemicals react with receptors located in the brain to send messages to different parts of the body.
Marijuana, the plant from which the Cannabidiol comes, is a naturally occurring substance. It grows naturally in the Rocky Mountains and other parts of North America. In order for it to become THC, a chemical used in the process of creating marijuana, it has to be manipulated. Cannabinoids such as CBD cannot be produced in a laboratory like THC.
Researchers have done some studies on how CBD affects the body and brains of rats and mice. They’ve shown that when given a drug, the cannabinoid works differently in the brain.
The endocannabinoid receptor (ERR) is found on the membranes of nerve cells in the brain. When you take a certain drug, THC, the ERR gets into a constant state of signaling through specific receptors.
It has been reported that CBD affects the ERR by lowering the levels of a protein in the membrane called calcineurin. Researchers found that CBD works differently in the brain than THC. CBD reduces the activity of a key part of the brain, which helps to explain how it works in the brain.
Now let’s look at the anatomy of the brain. There are millions of neurons in the brain and each of them has a neuron bundle. Each bundle has a neuron that contains one type of cell. When the neuron sends a message to the other neurons, other neurons receive the message and send it to the brain.
Once the message reaches the brain, it is processed through certain chemicals called neurotransmitters. If the message contains a chemical called acetylcholine, which is present in abundance in the brain, then the message is interpreted by the brain and sent to the muscles and other parts of the body.
The cannabinoids, or their own compounds, are essential for the proper functioning of the brain. When the brain receives messages, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) gets converted into a non-psychoactive compound called cannabinol. Cannabinol interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors found in the brain and, in turn, makes other chemicals produced by the brain work more effectively.
CBD and THC are usually combined in CBD oil, which includes the two cannabinoids as well as the terpenoids, or flavonoids. The flavonoids come from the plants from which the hemp plants are harvested. The terpenoids are derived from the parts of the plants from which the seeds are harvested.
When used in its natural form, CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that does no harm to the body. That is why it is called “non-psychoactive”. It is possible to get this kind of CBD oil from a dietary supplement, but more importantly, we can all eat a lot of foods that contain this kind of plant.
Hemp, marijuana and CBD: What’s the difference? Marijuana and hemp are often indistinguishable by look or smell because they both come from the cannabis plant. The difference amounts to how much of the psychoactive compound THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, they contain.
[1] – US Food & Drug Administration, “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD)”
[2] – Forbes, “CBD Topicals For Pain Relief”
[3] – The Texas Tribune, “Hemp, marijuana and CBD: What’s the difference?”
[4] – Technology Networks, “CBD Shown To Reduce Connectivity Alterations in Psychosis”
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