Does CBD oil really work?

A short recent history of CBD oil

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil has enjoyed widespread popularity since 2013, when a CNN report highlighted the story of Charlotte Figi. The parents of this epileptic child from Colorado treated her illness with an oil heavily loaded with CBD and made almost all her epileptic seizures disappear, restoring her to a near-normal childhood and life.

The strain used to make the famous oil is called Charlotte's Web, created specifically for it by the Stanley brothers, from pre-existing strains whose authorship had been «forgotten». The success of the strain was the stepping stone to the creation of the Charlotte's Web brand, the biggest seller of CBD oil in the USA today.

A few years later, CBD-based products are everywhere, notably in oil, and now also in flowers. Visit Farm Bill 2018, which legalized hemp on federal territory, launched a boom in hemp cultivation, both for its industrial properties and for CBD extraction.

The Chinese reaction was swift: the country tripled its cultivation area.

Europe, which has been lagging behind, is reluctant to embrace CBD, with its complex regulations and French blinkers. Nonetheless, business is running the show, and the choice of CBD oils is as opaque as it is plentiful.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is generally an edible oil in which cannabidiol, usually in isolate form, has been dissolved. While hemp oil seems ideal for making CBD oil, it can just as easily be made with olive, sesame or coconut oil, to which flavorings can be added.

CBD oil, a definition of which can be found at CBDcorner.fr website, Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-laden products, it has no psychotropic effects.

The CBD contained in the oil acts on the body's endocannaboid receptors, which form a set of receptors linked to the central nervous system and known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The SEC regulates the main functions of the human body and produces its own cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) to manage the body's equilibrium, such as appetite, sleep or digestion. In the event of a deficiency, external cannabinoids, such as those derived from hemp, can restore the body's homeostasis. SEC imbalances can cause many symptoms, just as different cannabinoids have specific and cumulative effects.

What should I look for when buying CBD oil?

Ideally, you should opt for organic oils, to avoid pesticide residues and other potentially harmful substances.

When it comes to cannabidiol, the lack of regulation in Europe means that just about anything goes. Even for brands, it remains difficult to fully trace the cannabidiol production chain.

In all cases, consumers must be able to request (and receive) a certificate of analysis for cannabidiol and the finished product, attesting to the health safety of the product and its components, as well as its legality with regard to the presence of THC, which must be below 0.2% in France.

How is CBD oil consumed?

CBD oil can be taken either by conventional ingestion or sublingually. In the first case, it can replace a conventional edible oil and enhance a tomato-mozzarella. In the latter case, the consumer places a few drops under the tongue, the number varying according to the product's dosage and the person's needs, and leaves them to act for around twenty seconds before swallowing.

A few precautions, however: the’CBD oil may interact with certain medications. Ideally, consumers should check with their doctor if they are undergoing any kind of treatment. It can also cause drowsiness, and in very rare cases diarrhea or a change in appetite.

Why do people take CBD oil?

The physiological effects of CBD oil depend greatly on the individual. In fact, the lack of predictability of effects is what makes it so complex to set a dosage in a medical setting, which must go through a lengthy learning phase.

Numerous studies have investigated the effects of CBD, which is said to have numerous virtues. The most serious evidence of CBD's therapeutic effect is in the reduction of epileptic seizures in Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes, which generally do not respond to drug treatment. Europe recently authorized the marketing of Epidiolex, a CBD oil containing 100mg/mL prescribed for these epileptic syndromes.

CBD oil is then commonly used to treat anxiety. For patients suffering from insomnia, studies also suggest that CBD can help them fall asleep and stay asleep. Several animal studies have also shown positive effects on diabetes, addiction and acne.

The oil could also prove to be a solution for treating various types of chronic pain. A study by European Journal of Pain showed in an animal model that CBD applied to the skin could help reduce the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Another study demonstrated the mechanism by which CBD inhibits inflammatory and neuropathic pain, two of the most difficult types of chronic pain to treat. Further human studies are needed in this area to corroborate CBD's effects on pain.

In any case, products sold in stores or on the Internet cannot claim to have a therapeutic effect. Their dosage, often much lower than Epidiolex, for example, makes them more of a preventive or dietary supplement.