The Magic of CBd WRITTEN BY DIANE PALMA, MSEd
O
n two occasions this past summer I was personally confronted with CBD oil, also known as cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive chemical, found in marijuana and hemp plants, that has become the latest trendy ingredient among the beauty and wellness crowd. My first encounter came from my beauty supply representative and the other from a friend that I met up with after an extensive flight to combat jetlag. My beauty supply representative explained to me that their particular brand, available in an oil and cream form, was designed for hairdressers to use on their hands and legs to relieve pain from excessive use. My next encounter happened after landing in paradise all bright eyed and ready to go, when my host suggested that I consider taking some CBD oil sublingually to help me relax and rest from the long flight.
d it can boos nt, an t yo ida ur iox t mo an od , ty
Turns out there is a 6,000-year history of medical cannabis dating back to Ancient empires such as Rome, Egypt and China. In Pan-p’o village, 4000 BC, Cannabis was regarded among the “five grains” of China and was farmed as a major food crop. Skip to 2000-1000 BC: Ayurvedic Medicine times there was open religious use of cannabis allowed for exploration of medical benefits. During this period, it was used to treat a variety of aliments such as epilepsy, rabies, anxiety and bronchitis. 1000 AD: Arabic scholars al-Mayusi and al-Badri regard cannabis as an effective treatment for epilepsy. 1798 Napoleon brought cannabis back from France to Egypt and was investigated for its pain relieving and sedative qualities. They used it to treat tumors, coughing and jaundice. 1900 Medical Cannabis was used to treat nausea, rheumatism and labor pain and available as over-the-counter medications.
pasmodic , an , anti-s t tive i d tec ep ro re -p ss ro
In June 2018, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication, called Epidiolex, to treat two CBD is derived from hemp, the non-flowering part of the rare forms of epilepsy that begin in childhood. Epidiolex is cannabis plant which contains almost no THC, making it essentially a pharmaceutical-grade version of CBD oil, which legal to sell across state lines (although legality of hemp some parents already use to treat children with epilepsy. in some states is still a little murky). CBD is used as an CBD is one of more than 100 chemicals found in marijuana. anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, anti-spasmodic, antiBut it doesn't contain THC, the ingredient that gives depressant, anti-psychotic, anti-tumoral, anti-anxiety, n anti-inflam marijuana its mind-altering effect. antioxidant, and it can boost your mood. CBD d as a m e s ato is u ry, BD can be taken orally or used topically and is ne C Cannabinoids are found naturally in the u . found in many products including mascara, human body and in all animal milk including lotions, shampoos, lip balms, bath balms, breast milk. Current research indicates that coffee, chocolate, hard candy, gummies CBD has an influence on pain, anxiety, and now even beer! cancer, nausea, seizures, cognitive
otic, anti-tumoral ,a sych n t ti-p i-a an nx t, ie an
24 | HEALTHY SARATOGA | FALL 2018
functioning, diabetes, and leaky gut. In our environment, products derived from the hemp plant require less processing and chemicals to produce paper and fabrics, can eliminate fossil fuels, and be used for hemp-based plastic products.
When selecting a CBD product, you need to be sure to read the labels. Serena Cosey, a local consultant/educator of HempWorx products, informed me that “more than two ingredients listed” can alter the effectiveness of the CBD oil, and that some blends either contain no THC or they have trace amounts of THC. Something to be considered if you are randomly drug tested on your job. CBD oils can be found locally at: Old Saratoga Mercantile, Four Seasons, Healthy Living, Luce Farm (lucefarmvt.com), and hempworx.com/thathempchic. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com