You probably heard of CBD, there was a lot of hype around it recently, and as it become legal in many countries, there is more products containing it appearing on the market every day. But what is it? Is it good for you? Does it make you high?

CBD is a short name for cannabidiol, one of the main active ingredients found in cannabis (marijuana). Unlike THC it does not cause a “high” and is absolutely safe to use. According to a report from the World Health Organization, "In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD."

Is it safe?

According to most recent research it is safe to use by most healthy people, including children. There are very few possible side effects, like nausea, fatigue and irritability, but they are very rare and don’t cause any real danger. Cannabidiol can increase the level of blood thinning and other medicines in your blood by competing for the liver enzymes that break down these drugs. Grapefruit has a similar effect with certain medicines.  

People taking high doses of CBD may show abnormalities in liver related blood tests. Many non-prescription drugs, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), have this same effect. So, you should let your doctor know if you are regularly using products containing cannabidiol.

Health benefits

There are many potential health benefits of regular use of CBD, as it reduces inflammation in your body and can relieve symptoms of:
- anxiety
- insomnia
- chronic pains
- depression
- epilepsy
- PTSD

And many more. CBD is still being actively researched by scientists, and results are very promising, however, it should be treated as food supplement and not sole medicine.

How can CBD be taken?

There are many ways to take CBD, the most popular are in the form of oil, or by smoking special types of dried hemp, that does not contain THC, but keeps all the health benefits of cannabis. One of the great ways if taking CBD is by smoking pre-rolls. They can be also found in many other forms, including extracts, capsules, patches, vapes, and topical preparations for use on skin.