What Does CBD Feel Like?
No doubt you’ve heard of CBD. This cannabis compound has taken the world by storm thanks to its various potential health benefits. But what exactly does CBD feel like? Here’s everything you need to know about what to expect from CBD.
CBD
Also known as cannabidiol, CBD is a chemical compound found in both hemp and cannabis plants. When consumed (vaping, smoking, eating, rubbing on the skin, etc.), CBD enters our bloodstream and binds to and interacts with various receptors within our body. When CBD affects receptors and receptor pathways, it starts to have effects on our bodies.
So what exactly does CBD feel like? Basically, CBD will feel like any of the health benefits it exerts. So, if you find that CBD reduces pain and anxiety, it will feel calming and soothing. There are many potential health benefits from CBD, so there is a wide variety of ways that CBD can make you feel.
Can CBD get you high?
Because CBD is found in cannabis, many people do associate it with the characteristic high of the plant. However, cannabis cannot get you high, so you shouldn’t expect to experience any psychoactive effects when taking it alone. THC, another cannabinoid, is the chemical compound responsible for those effects. As long as your CBD products contain no THC, then you won’t experience a high.
But just because CBD can’t get you high doesn’t mean that it can affect your mood. CBD has shown some impressive mental health benefits and relief from anxiety or stress can cause feelings of happiness and relaxation that may be slightly similar to THC.
CBD’s health benefits
The main reason people consume CBD is due to its potential health benefits. Research tells us that CBD shows a lot of therapeutic potential and the type of health benefits you experience from CBD will determine how the cannabinoid feels to you. These are some of the potential therapeutic benefits of CBD:
Reduce anxiety and stress
CBD has shown an impressive ability to improve mental health, thanks to its ability to affect levels of hormones that play key roles in mood, like serotonin and cortisol. Serotonin is also known as the “happy hormone” and can induce feelings of happiness and is commonly used to treat mood disorders. Importantly, CBD has been shown to improve the uptake of serotonin (1). CBD has also been shown to reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that plays a key role in mood disorder development (2). The mood-boosting power of CBD is further demonstrated in studies that show that CBD is able to significantly reduce anxiety and depression (3, 4).
If CBD’s mood-boosting properties affect you, then you can expect the cannabinoid to make you feel calm, relaxed, and happier.
Reduce pain
Another benefit that you might experience from CBD is pain relief. While we aren’t exactly sure how CBD might impact pain levels, we do know that CBD can increase serotonin levels. This is important because the “happy hormone” serotonin can also reduce your perception of pain, so it is possible that CBD could help relieve pain by increasing serotonin levels (5).
Research into the pain-relieving effects of CBD is still in its infancy, but current research does show a lot of promise. One met-review of studies involving cannabinoid use found that CBD use (alongside other cannabinoids) lead to an impressive 30% reduction in pain (6).
Because of CBD’s potential analgesic effects, it could make you feel pain-free and bring about other feelings of relaxation and relief.
Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation can affect your range of motion, pain levels, and overall well-being, but the good news is that CBD has demonstrated an impressive ability to reduce inflammation. Studies tell us that CBD has been able to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions such as pancreatic inflammation, arthritis, and gut inflammation (7, 8).
Because inflammation is the cause of many diseases, taking CBD could provide you with relief from your condition. If you have an inflammatory condition like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease, then CBD could leave you feeling in less pain, relaxed, and with a higher quality of life.
Improve sleep
Another way that CBD might be able to help you is by improving your sleep quality. Research tells us that CBD has potential sleep-inducing and improving properties. A 2019 study found that CBD improved sleep scores in 66.7% of patients and that this improvement occurred after just one month of CBD use (9). A 2017 study also found that CBD was effective in reducing the symptoms of sleep disorders like excessive daytime sleepiness and REM sleep behavior disorder (10).
Due to its potential sleep benefits, CBD could leave you feeling more rested, focused, and relaxed.
Side effects of CBD
While CBD can leave you feeling better mentally and physically, there are some possible side effects that you should be aware of. CBD is largely considered to have a high safety profile, but there are some mild side effects that can occur such as:
Dizziness
Diarrhea
Reduced appetite
Fatigue
Increased temperature (11)
We do know that many studies have shown that CBD can be used both safely and effectively, with minimal to no side effects (12).
If you experience any negative side effects from CBD, it’s best to cease use and be sure to contact your doctor if you’re worried about how CBD might affect you.
The bottom line
CBD can’t get you high, but it can make you feel relaxed, relieved, happy, and rested thanks to its various mental and physical effects. The way that CBD makes you feel will depend on your specific experience, but you can be sure that it won’t make you feel high or intoxicated.
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