CBD oil: Anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and calming.

Somewhere between green smoothies, chia pudding and meditation, a new trend is developing: CBD oil - an extract from the hemp flower. This is diluted with very high-quality oil and can be ingested or applied externally. Areas of application include: nervous tension, anxiety or as a side-effect-free, pain-relieving remedy for chronic pain. However, it does not give you a high - not even a little!

What exactly is CBD oil?
When we think of hemp flower, we often think of the intoxicating effect of marijuana. However, this is produced from hemp varieties that are rich in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a substance that has a psychotropic effect, meaning that it has an extreme influence on the human psyche. Hemp extract oil no longer contains THC. Otherwise the oil would not be freely available for sale, but would require a prescription or only be available in the drug scene. THC is a substance from the group of so-called phyto-cannabinoids. Cannabidiol also belongs to this class of plant substances - it is abbreviated to CBD and is the main active ingredient in the oil (hence the abbreviation CBD). In contrast to marijuana, this oil is produced from hemp varieties that are THC-free and at the same time particularly rich in cannabidiol.

What are the benefits of CBD oil?
Cannabidiol has interesting properties: It is considered anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, calming and antipsychotic. The latter means that extreme mental states, such as delusions and unfounded fears, can in some cases be prevented or at least alleviated by CBD oil. Chronic joint inflammation is one of the most common causes of disability in Western countries - a distinction is made between arthritis and arthrosis. While rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, as the immune system attacks its own joints - usually in the hands and feet - leading to inflammation, osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease ("wear and tear") that mainly affects the hip, knee and thumb joints. Both types cause stiffness, swollen and inflamed joints and therefore severe pain. For years, various studies have led to the suspicion that CBD in hemp extract could help in the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases and alleviate inflammatory pain. Dr Joel Kahn, founder of the Kahn Centre for Cardiac Longevity in New York, says: "I have found CBD oil to be of great benefit to my patients. It helps my patients with pain and inflammation, anxiety, sleep, smoking cessation and as an adjunct to some cancer therapies or their side effects."

Side effects
CBD oil is usually very well tolerated, with only a few users experiencing mild side effects such as tiredness, nausea, diarrhoea or nervousness. If CBD oil is used together with medication, it is possible that the cannabinoids may strengthen or weaken the effect of the medication. The integration of hemp extract oil into the therapy should therefore be carried out together with the doctor so that he or she can adjust the existing dosage of medication. The long-term effects of cannabinoids on the hormone system, for example, have not yet been researched. In any case, dosing should be cautious so as not to reduce the immune system too much, which could, among other things, reduce the lungs' defences and increase the risk of a respiratory infection. When used externally, the oil should be tested on a small area of skin beforehand to see whether an allergic reaction may occur.

Application
CBD oil can be applied directly to painful joints or taken internally. The manufacturer's recommendations for use/dosage instructions should be followed. With a 5 per cent extract, for example, 6 drops are placed undiluted under the tongue twice a day (morning and evening) and then swallowed. As it is not yet known how CBD oil affects children and the developing brain, it should initially only be used in adults, but not in pregnant or breastfeeding women.

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