By Jason Tillotson, Copywriter
CBD is great. We love it here, obviously. Even without the psychoactive effects, CBD users still experience the social stigma surrounding cannabis. Unfortunately, with the ignorance and misinformation around the industry, people still think cannabis in any form contributes to memory loss, laziness and a myriad of other mostly false claims.
Weed doesn’t rot your brain, as it was portrayed to be in the 70’s. CBD is perhaps the best example of a form of cannabis having a positive impact on your brain and its health. THC has also been known to drastically slow the onset of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzhimer’s and certain manifestations of Dementia.
So, how does CBD influence your brain? Read on to find out!
Your brain influences literally everything in your body. A healthy brain makes a healthy human. CBD can aid in making your brain healthier by interacting with your brain’s CB1 receptors (both THC and CBD interact with these receptors, CBD just greases the wheels while THC forces the wheels into motion, for lack of a less performative description).
The most noticeable effect on the brain is related to mood. CBD is most commonly used to make people just, well, feel good. Whether you ingest CBD in food, or smoke it in a pipe or joint, CBD helps reduce the effects of stress and anxiety by instructing your serotonin receptors to produce more cortisol. For reference, this is the process that most pharmaceutical antidepressants follow.
To debunk another stereotype, CBD actually has a positive impact on memory recall and information retention.
Most neurodegenerative disorders cause memory loss and brain dysfunction by retaining too much oxygen in the brain, or by inflaming certain parts of the brain. There is an increasing amount of scientific research that outlines CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, which can help provide protection against brain health decline, and, in some cases, even reverse the effects of brain disorders like dementia.
As it relates to memory, Americans are constantly looking for that “next best thing” or that magic pill that will solve all their problems. Citing the popular Netflix documentary Take Your Pills, Americans seek something that can instantly help them with focus, memory retention and task execution. With this superficial desire, comes its associated issues. CBD will not make you remember every word of your professor’s lecture or inherently enable you to learn new skills faster, but it can help set your brain up for success.
CBD is safe for many people.
Be sure to consult your doctor before taking CBD in conjunction with any prescription medication as CBD does have some mild side effects like dry mouth, appetite fluctuation and fatigue. No one has ever died or experienced serious health risks from CBD.