Cannabis has exploded into the wellness world for its wide range of health benefits. But it still has people questioning why this medicinal plant was once ever considered illegal and how we’re now able to use it for medicine?
And this is partly because of one huge benefit cannabis offers that some people aren’t aware of – you don’t have to get high to reap the benefits of these healing plants.
Cannabis plants contain over 60 chemical compounds called cannabinoids, which bind to receptor sites throughout the brain and body. Each cannabinoid has their own distinct therapeutic benefit when bound to receptor sites while some can overlap with their medicinal effects.
The confusion of cannabis comes when it was labeled as a Schedule I drug because of the controversial psychoactive and addictive effects from the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When the Federal Government banned all cannabis plants because of this one cannabinoid we lost access to other healing cannabinoids—and one of those was cannabidiol, also known as CBD.
CBD is found in hemp and marijuana plants, which both come from the cannabis family.
And only recently have we challenged the therapeutic value cannabis plants provide – leaving most Americans still stumped with the mysterious questions of:
- Is CBD oil safe?
- Is CBD oil effective?
- Is CBD oil legal?
- Is CBD oil going to get me high?
Hemp cultivation became illegal in the U.S. in 1937, under provisions in the Marijuana Tax Act. However, over the last two decades, American culture has steadily warmed up to the idea of resurrecting hemp as an agricultural commodity. With Congress federally legalizing hemp with the December 12, 2018 passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and removing it as a Schedule I drug from the Controlled Substances Act, the perception of CBD and its scientific-based health benefits are gaining more and more traction.
