The CBD Oil Miracle: Manage Pain, Improve Your Mood, Boost Your Brain, Fight Inflammation, Clear Your Skin, Strengthen Your Heart, and Sleep Better with the Healing Power of CBD Oil

By Laura Lagano

Improve your health and happiness with a guide to nature's miracle oil

Discover all the ways in which cannabidiol, a natural remedy from the cannabis plant, can change your life. The healing properties of this ancient medicine can boost mood, relieve pain, calm inflammation, improve heart health, strengthen bones, promote brain health, balance hormones, regulate the immune system, soothe skin conditions, and contribute to overall wellness in so many ways. The CBD Oil Miracle guides you through the medicinal history and science behind CBD oil and empowers you to:

· Determine the dosage and intake form that is right for you and become an informed shopper
· Use CBD to alleviate more than 30 common conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression, diabetes, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine
· Calm an anxious pet and treat many common dog and cat illnesses
· Benefit from the anti-aging effects CBD can bring to your beauty and skincare routine
· Boost your immune-system, heart, and brain health

Expert yet understandable information will help you learn about this compound that is rapidly sparking interest around the globe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Mar 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781250202260

Laura Lagano

Laura Lagano, MS, RDN, CDN, is an integrative clinical nutritionist and co-founder of the Holistic Cannabis Academy with a commitment to progressive therapies for health and healing. When not educating about cannabis and holistic healing, Laura can be found cooking, traveling, enjoying community, and basking in her role as mother of three young adults and wife to a soccer-obsessed husband in metro NYC. With Kelly Stratton, Laura is the co-author of The CBD Oil Miracle.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

THE RISE OF CBD

Balance is a state that everyone seeks in life, yet it can be challenging to achieve. Daily obligations pull us in numerous directions, disrupting our balance. Various areas of life, including work, family, friends, and self-care, among others, frequently become unbalanced. Being in balance feels better, doesn’t it?

Could CBD, a compound found in the ancient plant Cannabis sativa, help us find that balance? Research scientists, healthcare practitioners, and consumers have reported that cannabidiol, or CBD, may help:

• Contribute to overall wellness

• Calm anxiety

• Relieve chronic pain

• Reduce overall inflammation

CBD has captured national attention and is rapidly sparking interest around the globe. This cannabis compound has permeated popular culture—in television shows, in articles in magazines and newspapers, online, at your local retailer, basically everywhere. Society is seeking remedies that work in response to the rising costs and scary side effects of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. It seems that CBD is a step in the right direction!

Demystifying CBD, Cannabis, and More

Let’s start off by setting the record straight. Cannabis sativa refers to the plant itself, both with and without THC. You may already be familiar with the abbreviation THC, for tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis. It is historically the most well-known compound found in cannabis.

To simplify, the cannabis community refers to the cannabis plant with THC as marijuana and the cannabis plant without THC as hemp. More specifically and as defined by the U.S. Farm Bill, marijuana contains more than 0.3 percent THC and hemp contains less than 0.3 percent THC.

CANNABIS WITH AND WITHOUT THC FOR HEALTH

Did you know that more than half the U.S. states have approved medical marijuana to be sold in dispensaries? Several of those same states have also sanctioned marijuana for adult use. Adult, rather than recreational, use is the preferred terminology because many individuals who use cannabis are actually self-medicating—typically for mood disorders, chronic pain, or insomnia. When used properly cannabis is a healing plant.

Although CBD can be awesome for health and wellness, cannabis with THC (marijuana) is what started the CBD craze in the first place. Let’s be mindful of that. In fact, in some cases, individuals may have better results with medical marijuana than with CBD alone.

STORES AND CLINICS VERSUS DISPENSARIES

CBD from hemp is what you can purchase from healthcare practitioners and at retail stores. You do not need to go to a dispensary for cannabis with CBD, because it contains zero to 0.3 percent THC. The legality of hemp-derived CBD products was previously fraught with debate, but in late 2018, Senate and House agricultural leaders reached an agreement in principle on the 2018 Farm Bill. It’s anticipated that hemp will be completely removed from the Controlled Substances Act. (Refer to page 8 for more info.)

CBD from marijuana, or from the cannabis plant containing over 0.3 percent THC (and much higher), can only be purchased in states that have approved medical marijuana or have sanctioned marijuana for adult consumption.

Remember that hemp is the Cannabis sativa plant that contains less than 0.3 percent THC. CBD oil, which is what this book is about, can be extracted from either marijuana, the cannabis plant that contains THC, or hemp, the cannabis plant that virtually does not.

Integrating CBD with a Wellness Lifestyle Plan

Integrate CBD with an anti-inflammatory food plan, movement activities, and mindfulness practices and you’ve created a winning wellness lifestyle plan! With anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that rival the most popular lotions and potions, CBD is also primed to become a key player in your beauty routine. Even your pets can benefit from this plant extract.

Yet CBD is so much more than a supplement to your lifestyle. It may also help manage conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, colitis, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and epilepsy. In addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, researchers have found that CBD has amazing anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, antipsychotic, and neuroprotective qualities.

GETTING STARTED WITH CBD

The CBD market is exploding, which means two things for the consumer. First, you have more products that feature CBD, meaning more ways to incorporate this wellness supplement into your life. You can find oils, gel caps, concentrates, lotions, balms, foods, beverages, sprays, and suppositories that feature CBD for all parts of your body. Second, more choices means more questions and more confusion. Consulting with an integrative healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about CBD before adding the supplement to your routine is recommended.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

The following pages will give you a taste of the incredible history of the Cannabis sativa plant, a few compounds in cannabis, the healing nature of the plant, and how incorporating CBD into your wellness routine may be beneficial for your health. Learn about CBD products (Practical Products, here), general guidelines for using CBD (Dosages and Individualized Medicine, here), and how to distinguish CBD products (Be Smart about CBD, here). You will also discover the various health conditions for which cannabis may be helpful (Part 2, here). And let’s not forget the beauty applications of CBD (here) and how the plant can help our pets (here). There is also a bonus section about the seeds of the cannabis plant—Hemp as Food (here).

When you are ready to dive in deeper, meet with a holistic-minded practitioner who can guide you on your journey with CBD and help you navigate the intricacies of your individual biochemistry to achieve balance.

CBD is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antipsychotic, antianxiety, and neuroprotectant compound. It’s the next big thing in health and wellness.

PART 1

UNDERSTANDING CBD

The Potential of a Plant

ROOTS AND REDISCOVERY

The United States, as a society and a government, seems to have memory loss about cannabis. Officials who have the authority to deschedule cannabis (more on that on page 8) do not seem to appreciate that fewer than 100 years ago the healing power of this plant was well accepted.

Sadly, many people are afraid of the cannabis plant—in both marijuana and hemp form—because of the cannaphobia, or fear of marijuana, that persists from the days when Harry Anslinger wielded power. Anslinger was the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Following Prohibition (of alcohol), he began a propaganda campaign against cannabis and declared that it did more harm than good. He drafted the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, effectively criminalizing cannabis nationwide. In turn, the act promoted worldwide prohibition against all things cannabis, including hemp, and was the precursor to Nixon’s infamous War on Drugs.

Though Anslinger’s slanderous claims had no basis, his remarks have influenced the opinions of many Americans—more than 80 years later! Cannabis has a long and dignified history. It was used as medicine, for textiles, as building material, and as part of ceremonies for thousands of years. The use of cannabis is not new; society as a whole, which includes scientists and healthcare professionals, is actually rediscovering the capacity of this incredible plant.

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Making Connections

To dive deeper into the history of cannaphobia, search for this article online: Cannaphobia: What’s Up with Fear of Marijuana.

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Ancient Roots

The cannabis plant first wound its way through the world thousands of years ago, starting in Central Asia before being introduced to Africa, Europe, and then the Americas. At first, people used the plant’s seeds as food and its fibers to make clothing, rope, paper, and sails. Ancient cultures knew how to put the rest of the plant to good use, too. China, Egypt, Greece, and India had all incorporated cannabis into their pharmacopeias for conditions such as anxiety, inflammation, and gastrointestinal issues long before the first century AD. Legend has it that the earliest documented use of Cannabis sativa was about 2,600 years ago. Why it was used can only be speculated—possibly medicinal or ritualistic.

A Puritanical Approach

The Puritans of the first American colonies took a more practical approach to cannabis (what a surprise!), using it to make textiles and paper. Hemp was considered so useful and easy to grow that the Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut colonies actually required farmers to raise it in the early 1600s. In fact, our founders—including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson—grew hemp on their farms, and the Declaration of Independence and flags made by Betsy Ross were made from hemp! The cannabis plant was intimately part of American life when the colonies were settled.

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Cannabis as Anesthesia

Chinese surgeon Hua Tuo is thought to be the first person to use anesthesia, which included a product containing powdered cannabis called ma fei san, though the formula is lost to antiquity. Some historians believe that Hua gave this mixture to his patients in order to perform intense and intricate healing procedures, combining herbal remedies, acupuncture, and surgery to cure even the most difficult conditions, such as brain tumors. He was known as an empathetic surgeon and herbalist who cared deeply for his patients, which is why he experimented with techniques to numb their pain. In fact, the Chinese word for anesthesia literally translates to cannabis intoxication. Sun Si Miao, an equally well-regarded Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, used cannabis leaves topically for relief of pain.

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Americans did not catch up to ancient cultures’ use of marijuana as medicine, however, until the late 1800s. While studying in India, Sir William Brooke O’Shaughnessy discovered the healing effects of cannabis. He brought his knowledge to England in the 1830s, and within a few decades the news had spread to the United States, where pharmacies and doctors’ offices began to sell cannabis extracts for a multitude of health issues. In fact, cannabis was part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) from 1850 to 1942 and was once recognized by universities and medical associations as an effective medical treatment for various conditions.

Cannabis was entered into the secondary list of the USP in the third edition of 1850, remained as a primary listing from the fourth entry of 1864 through the 11th edition of 1936, and was removed from the twelfth edition in 1942.

Controlling Cannabis

During the high times of the 1960s, recreational users noticed the health benefits of cannabis with THC. In fact, in 1968 Harvard medical student Andrew Weil (yes, the Andrew Weil who is now a guru of alternative medicine) conducted sanctioned research on the effects of cannabis. That same year, over two-thirds of college students in Colorado were in favor of cannabis legalization. Then came the War on Drugs and the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 that classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug—a designation reserved for substances deemed to be addictive and with no medical applications.

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological and/or physical dependence. Other Schedule I substances include heroin, LSD, and MDMA (known as ecstasy). Interestingly, cocaine, methamphetamine, methadone, oxycodone, and the stimulants Adderall and Ritalin are Schedule II drugs, considered by the DEA to have a lower potential of abuse than cannabis.

That classification prohibited marijuana research; however, scientists continued to take note of anecdotal evidence from cancer and AIDS patients who used the ancient plant medicine for symptom relief.

The First CBD Study

Meanwhile in Israel, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam began conducting research about marijuana and its medicinal potential. He was the first scientist to isolate two of the plant’s most important cannabinoids: cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). He also completed the first clinical trial of cannabidiol—a study of CBD’s effect on patients with seizure disorders—in which he discovered CBD’s anticonvulsant benefits. Years later, Dr. Mechoulam, who is considered the godfather of cannabis research, identified and named the endocannabinoid anandamide that ultimately led to the breakthrough discovery of the endocannabinoid system. (Learn more about the endocannabinoid system and endocannabinoids on page 20.)

The Promise of Cannabis

Nearly four decades later, we are only beginning to understand the incredible implications of Dr. Mechoulam’s work. Thanks to additional cannabis research, scientists have continued to uncover the intricacies of the endocannabinoid system, which—according to the National Institutes of Health—is one of the most important physiologic systems involved in establishing and maintaining human health. To this day, Dr. Mechoulam speaks on the significance of the system and the ways cannabis can affect humans on a physiological and psychological level. In an interview in Holistic Primary Care, he explains that the endocannabinoid system is involved in essentially all human diseases. So obviously, it is of extreme importance. Ultimately, it is all about balance and homeostasis.

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Compassion Wins

California was the first state to advance the case for medical marijuana with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which legalized access for people with severe or chronic illnesses. Dozens of states have since followed suit. More and more people are recognizing the amazing potential of THC-containing cannabis in healthcare. Many adults who use marijuana are actually self-medicating. The three most common reasons for cannabis use are anxiety, chronic pain, and insomnia—with or without a medical marijuana