With CBD popping up everywhere as an up-and-coming alleviant to everything from chronic pain to anxiety and with potential uses in significant medical fields, a question that comes up is, “What else can CBD do?”
After a night out, the next morning you wake up with an intense headache, every sound drills straight through your head, and all the lights are too bright. And even after getting a cup of coffee and maybe some food to set you straight, there’s an underscored sense of gloom, and maybe even a bit of nausea.
A lot of these symptoms might sound like something you’ve seen mentioned in an article a while back or just glanced over the title of. And it was probably an article about CBD – it’s been used for nearly everything. And for each thing, there’s someone, somewhere talking about it.
And now that its usage has gained a following, you can find it everywhere. It’s offered as supplements that you can add to your smoothie, and you’ve probably seen it being offered in a cookie at your local farmers market or health food store. And maybe now you’re wondering whether or not it can help you with something like a hangover. I mean, people seem to be using it for all the same consequences that come barreling in after that night out.
While hangovers can have a complex kind of depth to them, hitting you in so many different ways, CBD did seem to help with head pains and regaining motor function. And even though it doesn’t replace the satiation of actually eating, it leveled out the hunger.
On the other hand, some people might be worried about possible side effects, especially those that come with the high of marijuana.
According to Cool Things Chicago, CBD has very few side effects, and the possible effects that do exist are short-term and not severe. But also, there’s no need to worry about the high, because there is no high.
A common misconception that people hold is that CBD is marijuana. It is not, but it does play a role in it. CBD is actually one of the two main chemicals in marijuana, but it does not have any psychoactive elements. All that is contained in THC.
According to CBD Kyro, CBD is safe and probably safer than many medications you can find at your local drug store. As they point out, many common drugs have long-term and dangerous side-effects. CBD, on the other hand, really just leads to issues like diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue, if it leads to any side effects at all.
How does it work? A lot of people may be skeptical, especially since CBD isn’t really considered among common drugs like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Many also tend to steer clear, since there doesn’t seem to be many distinct regulations on it.
Hemp and hemp-derived products have been used for their medicinal properties for centuries. Documentation of its therapeutic properties goes back to the 1800s.
Cannabinoids are naturally produced in the body. And our body has two receptors for them: CB1 and CB2. While CB1 receptors can be found in the brain and body, CB2 receptors reside in the immune system. These receptors relay signals regulating coordination, mood, memory, appetite, pain, digestion, and more.
CBD also promotes serotonin production. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. whose relative levels correspond to low and high moods. So, when CBD encourages serotonin production, this helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression while also reducing pain and increasing immunity.
This general easement seems to be consistent with current studies. Cannabinoids, the chemical class that includes CBD, have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and even reduce migraines.
But the question still stands, “Can CBD help with a hangover?” The short answer: CBD can help with a lot of the symptoms, but it’s not a cure. There are a lot of things you can do to help ease a hangover – get some rest, eat some food, drink lots of water. And consuming CBD is starting to seem like it gets to have a seat among these tried and true methods.
Although we’ve already established that CBD has been used for conditions like pain, CBD has also been shown to reduce blood alcohol levels. Additionally, it can help protect you from liver damage when consuming large amounts of alcohol. When consuming CBD with alcohol, it can be effective for up to and sometimes longer than 24 hours.
In addition to CBD, there are other options that can also help in preventing a hangover. Some supplements that are often recommended by professionals include red ginseng, ginger, and prickly pear.
But if you do decide to try out CBD when you’re hungover, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
CBD can be consumed in a number of different ways, shapes, and forms, but you need to know what you want before you decide. One thing you might want to consider is if you need the CBD to kick in sooner or later.
The most efficient way to consume CBD is through vaping or inhaling, generally. There are also topicals that can be applied directly. While slower, these can be useful to target specific, physical aches and pains.
The amount of CBD you need to consume to overcome any hangover afflictions will depend on a lot of factors, and there really is no set recommended dosage. However, it’s something you can test out yourself.
While it’s probably a good idea to take it slow in the beginning, it might be consoling to know that the amount of CBD needed to cause an overdose is incredibly high, verging on nearly 20,000 mg in a short time span. CBD also doesn’t have any direct brain-altering properties.
In short, the use of CBD to reduce the agony of a hangover is promising. Though more research might need to be conducted to make any complete and conclusive suggestions, CBD does demonstrate abilities to reduce blood alcohol levels and many of the conditions that come with a hangover.
