Not The Same – Ask Joe DiMatteo

If you had to guess what’s the one thing that has taken the health and wellness community by storm as of late, what would it be?

If you said hemp oil, you’d be right!

But why is it such a hot button right now?

Is it because it’s beneficial at best but controversial at its core?

Probably.

The truth is that hemp oil which contains CBD (Cannabidiol) is derived from the cannabis plant.

Wait. Cannabis… Isn’t that marijuana… Won’t that make someone “high”?

In order, sort of, and absolutely not.

Technically, it’s a type of cannabinoid, which are the chemicals naturally found in marijuana plants… but they’re also found in hemp. Hemp and marijuana are NOT the same plant.

To help clear all of this up, let’s remember high school biology! Living things are broken down in a series of categories: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Marijuana and hemp are in the same family, but they diverge after that. By way of comparison, humans and chimpanzees share the same number of classifications as those two plants.

In short, they’re very different plants!

Now that we’ve disarmed the controversial side, let’s take a look at the numerous benefits that hemp oil presents. You may be surprised and delighted to find that hemp oil can aid and directly improve conditions such as:

Anxiety — In one study, researchers found that the use of hemp oil may change the way your brain’s receptors respond to serotonin. In another, they found that a 600mg dose of CBD helped people with social anxiety give a speech. In yet another study, researchers found the CBD oil may help relieve anxiety in animals by reducing stress, lowering an increased heart rate, reducing sleeplessness and insomnia, and improving symptoms of PTSD.
Inflammation and Chronic Pain — Because of its natural anti-inflammatory properties, CBD is a wonderful alternative to many OTC and pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, the authors of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine found that CBD significantly reduced chronic inflammation and pain in some mice and rats. Their findings suggest that the non-psychoactive compounds in marijuana, such as CBD, could provide a new treatment for chronic pain.
Epilepsy — According to Medical News Today, after researching the safety and effectiveness of hemp oil for treating epilepsy, the FDA approved the use of CBD (Epidiolex) as a therapy for two rare conditions — Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome (DS) both characterized by epileptic seizures, in 2018! The FDA specified that doctors could not prescribe Epidiolex for children younger than 2 years of age and that a physician or pharmacist should determine the right dosage based on body weight.

These are only a few of the conditions whereby CBD has proven itself to be beneficial, if not vital. There are countless others ranging from improving acne to possibly slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s, from helping people with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis to aiding in cancer treatment.

There’s still much to be studied and evaluated, but so far the majority of studies focused on the uses and benefits of CBD are overwhelmingly positive. It’s important to state that is imperative to consult with your doctor or medical professional about any condition you may have. Hemp oil is in no way a “cure all” or “miracle drug” and should not be treated as such. It is, however, a powerful tool that has been given to us. It can be a weapon in your holistic health arsenal!

Want even more details? Check out the deep dive Joe did in the video below!