CBD is the second most prevalent active ingredient in marijuana that exerts no effects of abuse or dependence potential, according to the World Health Organisation. Studies to date have found a broad range of uses for the plant, from the treatment of pain to psychological conditions. A growing area of interest in medical circles is the ability of CBD to quell high blood pressure.
Research conducted in 2020 suggested CBD may have vasodilatory effects in human and rat arteries, meaning it may help the artery vessels expand.
Last year, a study published in JCI Insight reinforced these findings while assessing the effects of CBD on nine healthy male volunteers given 600 mg of the compound.
According to their data, researchers determined “that acute administrations of CBD reduce resting blood pressure and the blood pressure increase to stress in humans”.
Research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, however, proposed that the blood pressure-lowering effects of CBD may be short-lived.
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In 2020, the journal reported a study of 26 males that found significant effects with acute CBD dosing but not with repeated doses.
“Compared to placebo, CBD significantly reduces resting mean arterial pressure after acute dosing, but not after repeated dosing,” noted the study authors.
They concluded that CBD reduced blood pressure at rest after a single dose but that the effect was lost after seven days of treatment.
What the researchers did find, however, was that there were significant improvements in blood pressure response to stress after the seven-day mark.
When ingested, cannabinoids interact with the body’s in-built endocannabinoid system.
By stimulating receptor activity and interacting with different neurotransmitters, CBD may help target various types of pain.
In one older study, researchers studied the effects of CBD on cancer-related pain in a sample of 117 patients receiving treatment.
The purpose of the research was to compare the effects of CBD to those of THC, another active ingredient of the marijuana plant.
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Doctors found that compared to the THC group, those receiving CBD experienced a significant reduction in pain.
Doctor Tonnucci, Cannaray’s Pain Expert, says: “While there are no published studies on the impact of CBD during your period, it’s thought to provide some relief to those who struggle with monthly cramps.
“This is because of its relationship with cannabinoid receptors, which are located through vapour areas of the body as part of the endocannabinoid system.
“The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous system. We all have cannabis receptors within our body – some within the central nervous system and some peripherally.
“The peripheral ones are involved in the inflammatory response, and cannabinoids are [believed to be] anti-inflammatory.”
Research investigating the potential roles of cannabinoids in the prevention of cancer has also yielded intriguing results.
Cancer Research UK states: “There has been some research suggesting that the body’s endocannabinoid can suppress cancer growth.”
However, because this evidence has been mostly drawn from experiments using cancer cells grown in labs or animals it may not necessarily hold true for people, explains the health body.
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